Knowledge and Religion

Ode to Joy

This is a translation from German of “Ode to Joy” by Friedrich Schiller. This poem is famous because it was put to music by Ludwig van Beethoven in his "9th symphony."  It was written to celebrate returning to that which was never lost. We just forgot what is right in our own heart. We started to believe what we saw instead of what we are.

Ode to Joy in German

Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, wir betreten feuertrunken, himmlische, Dein Heiligtum. Deine Zauber binden wieder, was die Mode streng geteilt. Alle Menschen werden Brüder, wo Dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

 

Ode to Joy English Translation

Joy, beautiful spark of God, daughter of Elysium (Paradise), we enter drunk of fire, heavenly, your sanctuary. Your magic unites again, what custom (our thoughts) has strongly divided. All people become brothers where your soft wing abides. Translated by Brigit Ananya

 

When we return to that which we are, life again feels magical and new. There is no circumstance that can interfere with the magic that’s in our heart.

Question everything
Here I always encourage questions. People take too much for granted about the world, their body, mind, and their nature. Questioning encourages you to take a fresh look. Looking afresh, once again life becomes fresh and a real adventure. Without changing a thing, everyday experiences become completely new. If you need help with your questions you can write me at 
michael@light-up-your-life.com.

Please join us
Every Tuesday we hold a meeting here in our house in Los Gatos California. All too often it is only my wife and I that attend. But we still have a wonderful time. If you find yourself in this area and would like to attend here is a link where you can find more information

www.light-up-your-life.com/talks.html

Other resources available to you
If you need a more basic understanding of this Self-Knowledge or if you just want support for your practice, go to www.light-up-your-life.com and read down the main column. Also check out the different links that we provide as resources. They can help you to sharpen the focus of your meditation practice.

Another resource that we offer is the book, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, a step by step guide taking you from your everyday experience to the highest wisdom and truth. To find out more, click on the link below:

wisdom.light-up-your-life.com

To join our mailing list go to: http://www.light-up-your-life.com/join.html

Please Tell Your Friend
Please tell you friends. Although we don’t have an advertising budget, we hope that everyone who wants to can find out about and wake up to this wisdom.

You have my best wishes,

Michael Gluckman

Is there a real solution to our financial crisis?

Lately I’ve been reading about a major crash in the United States economy.  It seems like now everybody thinks that more regulation would cure this problem. But from our meditations we have a different point of view.

Regulating the economy is like attempting to control the mind. It is a very leaky solution. The more you attempt to control it, the more it seems to get out of control. The only way you can really control the mind is by having the wisdom to return to your original nature which is wisdom and bliss. Standing here the thoughts in your mind can no longer define your experience. When the thoughts lose their power to control you or define you, you have controlled the mind.

Controlling the economy by wisdom
In the same way regulations are meant to circumvent. The only way to control the economy is by the wisdom of the people. This is the wisdom to know where they can find real security and happiness.

This is the perfect time to ask, “Can we really get happiness and security through money?” I am sure that now, looking at the state of the economy, you can say, “No.” Ten billion dollars will not make us thousands of times happier than ten million dollars. But the answer is not as obvious as it first appears. We are wired to find lasting happiness. Although this desire comes from our own Self-Nature, it seems to come from the world.

Where is lasting happiness anyway?
I have no idea where in the world you can find lasting happiness. Like the waves in the ocean, everything is in motion. The more money you have the more money you can lose. Objects are like the carrot on a stick in front of a donkey. No matter how fast the donkey walks he can not quite grasp the food that he’s looking for.

Similarly once we attach our happiness to an object like money, we seem to get an insatiable desire to get it. We find ways around every obstacle, like regulations, that seem to get in our way. Since objects can never deliver on their promise of lasting happiness, without wisdom all we can do is attempt to get more and more with the vague hope that someday we will get the happiness that we want. But we are never quite able to gasp this happiness. And thus the desire for happiness turns into greed, and greed turns into self-destruction.

Ending the cycle of greed and self destruction
But there is another more joyous way out of this awkward problem. It comes from actually finding the source of lasting joy. To find this you have to go back to the beginning and ask,”Where do I actually experience happiness? Is it in the objects that I see and hear or is it in my own heart?”

Happiness comes from the place where you actually experience it
With a little meditation I think you will find that the place where you experience happiness is its actual source. At the most an object can remind you of what you already have. For a more complete discussion on this, go to www.light-up-your-life.com and scroll down to the title, “The kingdom of heaven is within you.”

Enduring values in society come through wisdom
Coming from the self confidence that can only be found by abiding as the source of happiness, I think we will start to discover deeper and more enduring values in society than those of just making things and consuming them.

These values will give us all a deeper appreciation of truth, goodness and beauty. They will allow us to appreciate the beauty and the needs of every person in the world, and not just our own. If there is even a chance of bringing our frantic society back into balance, it will come from having the wisdom to look within and find the source of happiness. Although the quantity of consumption will go down, the quality of our happiness will go up.

Question everything
Here I always encourage questions. People take too much for granted about the world, their body, mind, and their nature. Questioning encourages you to take a fresh look. Looking afresh, once again life becomes fresh and a real adventure. Without changing a thing, everyday experiences become completely new. If you need help with your questions you can write me at 
michael@light-up-your-life.com.

Please join us
Every Tuesday we hold a meeting here in our house in Los Gatos California. All too often it is only my wife and I that attend. But we still have a wonderful time. If you find yourself in this area and would like to attend here is a link where you can find more information

www.light-up-your-life.com/talks.html

Other resources available to you
If you need a more basic understanding of this Self-Knowledge or if you just want support for your practice, go to www.light-up-your-life.com and read down the main column. Also check out the different links that we provide as resources. They can help you to sharpen the focus of your meditation practice.

Another resource that we offer is the book, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, a step by step guide taking you from your everyday experience to the highest wisdom and truth. To find out more, click on the link below:

wisdom.light-up-your-life.com

To join our mailing list go to: http://www.light-up-your-life.com/join.html

Please Tell Your Friend
Please tell you friends. Although we don’t have an advertising budget, we hope that everyone who wants to can find out about and wake up to this wisdom.

You have my best wishes,

Michael Gluckman

 


 

Finding stability in the ever-changing world

Today I saw the headlines about hurricane Ike coming ashore in Texas. Isn’t it amazing how quickly nature can destroy the things that took us years to make?

You may wonder where you can find stability when, like the waves in the ocean, everything that you see is in motion. The good news is that there is a place of stability in this ever changing world. But this stability does not come from what you see; it comes from what you are.

How do you know about change anyway?
To find this place you have to ask: Where do I stand so that I see change? See, normally we look at objects and assume the seer of these objects. But Self-Knowledge is different. Here we want to determine the exact nature of the seer. However, we need a different instrument to accomplish this task. Microscopes, telescopes, and even our eyes and ears are designed to perceive objects. But what instrument can we use to perceive our self?

This instrument is called your direct experience. It is separating what you’re supposed to experience from what you actually experience. If you can find the meaning of these words you will find a whole new meaning for meditation.

Now there is no sense that is designed to look back and see you. But fortunately, like the sun, you shine by your own light without the need for any other light. We call this light Awareness and it emanates right from your own being.

Do you change or do objects change?
So now that you know this, ask: “Where do I stand so that I know about change?” If you, the seer, was changing as well as the objects that you see, would you really be able to perceive change? The fascinating thing about life is that all along you stood as changeless Awareness and not as an object. That's why you were always able to perceive change.

Take the sting out of change
Even though this has always been the case, discovering your real nature makes a huge difference in your experience. Now when you see the awesome power of nature you will be able to rest at peace, right in your own being. Here you will rest beyond the limitations of the body, mind, and world in the deathless spirit that you always sensed was there. In this freedom you will take the sting right out of change. Change will become nothing more then a reminder of what you really are.

Question everything
Here I always encourage questions. People take too much for granted about the world, their body, mind, and their nature. Questioning encourages you to take a fresh look. Looking afresh, once again life becomes fresh and a real adventure. Without changing a thing, everyday experiences become completely new. If you need help with your questions you can write me at 
michael@light-up-your-life.com.

Please join us
Every Tuesday we hold a meeting here in our house in Los Gatos California. All too often it is only my wife and I that attend. But we still have a wonderful time. If you find yourself in this area and would like to attend here is a link where you can find more information

www.light-up-your-life.com/talks.html

Other resources available to you
If you need a more basic understanding of this Self-Knowledge or if you just want support for your practice, go to www.light-up-your-life.com and read down the main column. Also check out the different links that we provide as resources. They can help you to sharpen the focus of your meditation practice.

Another resource that we offer is the book, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, a step by step guide taking you from your everyday experience to the highest wisdom and truth. To find out more, click on the link below:

wisdom.light-up-your-life.com

To join our mailing list go to: http://www.light-up-your-life.com/join.html

Please Tell Your Friend
Please tell you friends. Although we don’t have an advertising budget, we hope that everyone who wants to can find out about and wake up to this wisdom.

You have my best wishes,

Michael Gluckman

Why Curiosity?

In this blog I often talk about being curious and asking questions. That’s because questioning is the first step in starting any investigation. This is questioning with an open mind that things could be different than you think.

Now I don’t want you to come up with answers to satisfy me. I want you to come up with answers that will satisfy you. That’s because here we are talking about your own Self-Nature.

Self-Knowledge occurs beyond the limited mind
I think you will find with Self-Knowledge that the answers to your questions will occur beyond the limitations of the mind. That’s because you think by comparison. For instance you know blue as different than red or yellow; you know a circle as compared to a square or a triangle. You know good as compared to bad, and right as compared to wrong.

But when you start to wonder: “Where do I stand so I know my mind?” this is different. Now you are starting to shift the place where you stand altogether. You are starting to find a center that cannot be captured by limited words and thoughts; here you find a center that has no opposites.

You know your essential Awareness in a different way
But you can still know your essential Awareness. You just have to find a different way. Here is where questioning and investigation comes in handy. Of course the most essential question is: “Who am I anyway?” But you can also ask:

“Am I limited by the things that I see like the body and mind?”

“Why do I suffer and feel limited?”

“What is the world, body and mind anyway?”

“Am I really going to die?”

“How is it possible that I stand beyond limitation?”

“Is the thought ‘I,’ really me?

Tailor these questions to meet your needs
You can tailor these questions specifically to your life, thoughts, and feeling. When you start to question like this, you will find some amazing answers that are easy to overlook. And sometimes you will draw a blank. That’s where you can use this blog as a sounding board. Just write to:
michael@light-up-your-life.com.

We will always keep your personal identity private so you can feel free to talk about the things that really bother you, bog down your life, and seem to keep you caught in limitation. Just remember that the answer points to something that’s closer than you think.

Send descriptions of your experiences and realizations too
And if you have a realization or experiences, please send descriptions of these to me too. I love to publish descriptions of your direct experience.

I think that you will find that your questions will light up this blog and make it come alive.

Question everything
Here I always encourage questions. People take too much for granted about the world, their body, mind, and their nature. Questioning encourages you to take a fresh look. Looking afresh, once again life becomes fresh and a real adventure. Without changing a thing, everyday experiences become completely new. If you need help with your questions you can write me at 
michael@light-up-your-life.com.

Please join us
Every Tuesday we hold a meeting here in our house in Los Gatos California. All too often it is only my wife and I that attend. But we still have a wonderful time. If you find yourself in this area and would like to attend here is a link where you can find more information

www.light-up-your-life.com/talks.html

Other resources available to you
If you need a more basic understanding of this Self-Knowledge or if you just want support for your practice, go to www.light-up-your-life.com and read down the main column. Also check out the different links that we provide as resources. They can help you to sharpen the focus of your meditation practice.

Another resource that we offer is the book, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, a step by step guide taking you from your everyday experience to the highest wisdom and truth. To find out more, click on the link below:

wisdom.light-up-your-life.com

To join our mailing list go to: http://www.light-up-your-life.com/join.html

Please Tell Your Friend
Please tell you friends. Although we don’t have an advertising budget, we hope that everyone who wants to can find out about and wake up to this wisdom.

You have my best wishes,

Michael Gluckman

Words of wisdom for a depressed economy

In the last few months, I have heard of many instances of people losing their houses and other possessions. That’s because as the economy shrinks and their mortgages rise, they no longer have enough money to afford them. However if your aim is self knowledge this is a wonderful time to meditate on the question: Where can I find real security? Then you can transform a situation that at first seems terrible into the gates of heaven.

Objects move and change
The nature of the objects in the world like houses is that they are in motion. We make them, live in them, and then they get taken away or destroyed. Even if the object remains the same, our emotions change. For instance we get divorced the house that was once the source of great happiness becomes the source of great sorrow, as it reminds us of our ex spouse.

So where is happiness?
And yet, despite our knowledge that the world is in motion, we still sense that there is a place of lasting joy or peace. If you have this sense your intuition is correct. But this lasting joy comes from what you are, not from what you see. The proof is that you do not experience happiness over there in an object; you experience it over here in your own heart.

This is the real source of happiness, not the objects that we blame for our happiness and then for our misery. We did not create this happiness and it will not be destroyed. All that we can do is be what we really are anyway.

What we see shifts like sand
As long as we attempt to rest in an object that we see, we will be caught in the ups and downs of life. As the object changes, our happiness will seem to change too. This is like building a house on a foundation of sand. When a storm brews and the winds roar the house will fall down.

What we are remains solid
But returning happiness to its source, our own self nature, we will find an indescribable freedom that is unaffected by the ups and downs of life. We may appear to experience the same situations but our response to life will be fresh and different.

That’s because we are now firmly rooted in the source of happiness, our own Self-Nature. As the storms brew and the winds howl we will remain on a foundation of rock and our house will stand.

So you can use adversity as the opportunity to find your freedom, the depth of which is hard to imagine. This is where you will find your real home and real security. It comes from The peace that passes all understanding.

Question everything
Here I always encourage questions. People take too much for granted about the world, their body, mind, and their nature. Questioning encourages you to take a fresh look. Looking afresh, once again life becomes fresh and a real adventure. Without changing a thing, everyday experiences become completely new. If you need help with your questions you can write me at michael@ananya.com.

Please join us
Every Tuesday we hold a meeting here in our house in Los Gatos California. All too often it is only my wife and I that attend. But we still have a wonderful time. If you find yourself in this area and would like to attend here is a link where you can find more information

www.light-up-your-life.com/talks.html

Other resources available to you
If you need a more basic understanding of this Self-Knowledge or if you just want support for your practice, go to www.light-up-your-life.com and read down the main column. Also check out the different links that we provide as resources. They can help you to sharpen the focus of your meditation practice.

Another resource that we offer is the book, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, a step by step guide taking you from your everyday experience to the highest wisdom and truth. To find out more, click on the link below:

wisdom.light-up-your-life.com

To join our mailing list go to: http://www.light-up-your-life.com/join.html

Please Tell Your Friend
Please tell you friends. Although we don’t have an advertising budget, we hope that everyone who wants to can find out about and wake up to this wisdom.

You have my best wishes,

Michael Gluckman