<![CDATA[taobuddha sangha - News]]>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:48:23 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Consult with our monks...]]>Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:18:53 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/07/consult-with-our-monks.htmlHave questions about Taoism or Buddhism? Health, Reiki? Bring them to Cool Beans just off Marietta square. We will have at least one monk there from 5pm until 8pm all summer long.]]><![CDATA[Tai Chi and Qigong Show Significant Health Benefits]]>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:18:26 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/06/tai-chi-and-qigong-show-significant-health-benefits.htmlWhat a great article on the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong...
CLICK THIS TEXT TO VIEW THE ARTICLE
If only the website were The American Medical Association.
]]><![CDATA[Hilarion's Weekly Message: June 27-July 3, 2010]]>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:07:16 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/06/hilarions-weekly-message-june-27-july-3-2010.htmlReceived by Marlene Swetlishoff

Rev. Nisla found this article interesting.

To give proper credit, I will post the message in it's entirety.

Welcome back, Beloved Lightworkers,
 
These times that you are living in are the most challenging and most exhilarating Humankind has ever experienced. These times are filled with the old structures and paradigms collapsing all around you and at the same time, the new way of living and being is being implemented, this is truly a wondrous time to be present in a physical body as these changes occur and each of you are an active participant in them. Well met, Beloved Ones! Many of you are leaving the old patterns behind you and embracing a new way, a way of sovereignty and personal power, a way of peace, loving kindness, compassion for all, for how can it be otherwise, for when you gaze into the eyes of your sister or brother, you see their Divinity reflected there.
 
In the next month or so, there will continue to be great changes taking place within the minds and hearts of Humanity and there will be great revelations taking place in each one’s consciousness and understanding. Much will change as this happens, for the force of Love is at work and there is no greater power in existence. Many things that were hidden will come to Light and the minds of Humanity will be experiencing shock and awe as they come forth. Know that each of you are prepared to take your places as this happens and that you have been placed in exactly the right spot to be of the greatest benefit to the Earth and all upon Her. Your Light is a shining Beacon and each of you hold a greater role in the Divine Plan than you can imagine at this time. Your Light transmutes and transforms and stabilizes everything within the radius of your home for hundreds of miles around you. That is how powerful you are!
 
Go through these times remembering the Light that you are and daily affirm that you are the Light and the Light is needed now. As the Cosmic Forces pour down upon the atmosphere of the Earth, all will be affected in a way that is in keeping with the Path that each has chosen to walk in these changing times. Let go of the fetters and the illusions and the games that are still playing around you. We understand that this is very difficult to do when it is your own Loved Ones who are in the midst of these, but you must hold steady your Light and your great faith in the Light of God that never fails and never falter. Call upon the Forces of Light that surround you and believe that all is as it should be.
 
Each day, take the time to affirm the life that you envision for yourselves and your Loved Ones and hold steady to the vision. In the midst of the chaos, your visions will see you through. You are our Front Line teams, you are the ones who have held the Light steady upon the Earth, even when you have been severely tested, and, we know that you have been, Dear Ones and that it does not seem fair, for those who are so good, so kind, so loving to be asked to bear such great burdens. Know that this, too, shall pass and you will all see the Light of a new day upon your Planet and life as you have known it shall be forever changed for the better and all that you have so earnestly desired within your hearts shall come to pass. You shall come to understand that not all is as it seems and the greater picture of your current experiences shall begin to come into your awareness.
 
The most important thing to remember is that you are loved beyond measure by we of the Higher realms and that you are literally, never alone. Write down affirmations that empower you and repeat them constantly. Hold to the feelings of joy, anticipation and well-being, of excited anticipation for the new era that will soon come to pass. You can do this, Beloved Hearts, you can and will do this because you hold the greatest Love the world has ever seen within your Beings and as you remember who and what you are, the blessings you bring to those around you will become apparent and no longer will you be the Invisible Ones because of the Light you have held. It was necessary in order to protect you all and everything that you have had to live and endure was for a greater purpose. You are now in the home stretch of your journey and soon many more of your Brothers and Sisters will Awaken and join you in this Great Work, and perhaps even your Beloved Family members will be among them. Take heart and keep on keeping on!
 
Until next week…..
I AM Hilarion
 
©2010 Marlene Swetlishoff
 
Distributing this message in other forums, etc. is encouraged, please do so with the following guidelines: Include author's credit, copyright and website: Weekly Messages from Hilarion  *  Angelic Gems of Light Messages * To Subscribe Details at:  http://www.therainbowscribe.com
]]><![CDATA[From Gabriel Cousens Website]]>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:52:32 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/06/from-gabriel-cousens-website.htmlLight Warrior Tactics - Characteristics of A Spiritual WarriorPosted By: The Culture of Life on 6/7/2010 
By Boaz Blain

In my last post, Are you a Light Warrior?, I discussed the calling that many us are receiving, and the notion that on a fundamental level the work we are be summoned to do is on a spiritual, and vibrational level.  We are creating a shift in consciousness by holding the vibrations of peace, love, unity, compassion, and harmony so that these qualities will manifest in the global reality. 

This work is done primarily through the regular practice of meditation, which is the Spiritual Warrior’s secret weapon for influencing mass consciousness.  However, Gabriel is also teaching us, that this is not an appropriate time in our planetary evolution for the Light Workers to go meditate all day; this is a time for serious service and action on the physical plane. We are being called to transform the darkness into light.  So what does this look like?  How do we maintain our own inner peace and light while traversing the toxicity of the modern world?  Gabriel often refers to the spiritual path as the “razors edge,” which emphasizes the need for balance, sensitivity, and discernment with all the energies we come in contact with.  



The first characteristic of the Spiritual Warrior that Gabriel describes is a dedication to upholding the Truth.  It can also be seen as a refusal to allow oneself to get caught up in illusion, or ignorance.  This can be extremely difficult in the world today as the predominate public institutions are ego driven, profit based, and therefore thrive on deception and illusion.  Government agencies, being greatly influenced by corporate-ego, seem bent on keeping the public in the dark and ignorant of the Truth.  We have to do our homework as Light Workers.  We have to research where our food comes from and how it was grown, we have to look for natural ways to heal disease, we have to dig to find the real reasons for the wars our countries are involved in, we have to sift through lies to make conscious decisions about every action we take. 

The modern Light Warrior is constantly educating and re-educating themselves to make sure that their actions are in alignment with their virtues; and then of course passing on what they have found by becoming educators for those around them.  Gabriel delivers the foundational Essene teaching that God is One, and there is only God.”  This is the Truth that all other truths must ultimately rest upon, and the perspective from which we base our decisions on.  Does every bite we take, every purchase we make, every interaction we have, and word we speak uphold the Truth of our Divine Oneness?  This dedication to awareness, Truth, and virtue is primary to the work and life of the Light Warrior.



The next characteristic of the Spiritual Warrior that Gabriel has outlined is the ability to surrender the unknown.  This is of course paradoxical to the previous trait of upholding and knowing the Truth.  Gabriel, in his pun loving way, says that “the spiritual path is not the path to paradise, it is the path to paradox.”  Ultimately the Truth is beyond the mind, it is beyond the intellect, and thus a great deal of surrender is required.  We are constantly traversing the wilderness within and without ourselves.  So, while it is absolutely necessary to be actively educating one’s self and others, it is also important to let go, and to go with the flow of what the Divine is presenting to you.  You may not always know why you are called to do something.  The Light Warrior learns to walk the “razor’s edge” between the known and the unknown, “the something and the nothing.”  Gabriel tells us to be guided by our intuitive-hearts and trust that “everything that God does is for the best.”  With that at heart the Spiritual Warrior learns the ability to surrender to the flow; to let go of reason and intellect and by guided by the Divine Will. 



This brings us to another important trait of the Spiritual Warrior, which is the willingness to carry out the Will of the Divine.  What we are really talking about is courage and power.  To highlight this characteristic Gabriel has referred to Abraham.  At the age of 99 Abraham was circumcised after receiving instruction to do so from God.  He was willing to carry out the tasks - strange and difficult as they surly seem - that came through.  In our lives this means “picking up the phone when God is calling.”  It may not always be easy nor comfortable to do.  “Who likes to give up their comforts?  It is, indeed, uncomfortable in some ways to change one’s lifestyle . . . Creating peace requires an effort by all of us to overcome our inertia, even on what seems to be the smallest level” (Creating Peace By Being Peace). The Spiritual Warrior heeds to the calling with courage and strength by becoming what they are being asked to become.  Have you fully embraced your power?  What are you being asked to become?  What is calling you?  It takes courage to sincerely engage these questions.  The time is now, step up, and answer the calling.

 Speaking of timing, an important part of a lifestyle of Light is to align one’s activities and awareness to what Gabriel refers to as Holy Time. 

“The Divine is in nature as the hand is in the glove,” and so by learning to live in alignment with the cycles and flows of nature we come closer to the Divine.  This means connecting with and honoring the rising and setting sun, the cycles of the moon, the energy of the constellations, and the changing of the seasons.  Matrix Time - Gregorian time - is the mechanical time framework of the Culture of Death.  Gabriel explicitly teaches that the massive disconnection with nature that results from living on Matrix Time is essentially a form of slavery.  The Light Warrior has broken out of Matrix Time and is living and flowing with the fluctuations of the living planet, the solar system, the galaxy, and the entire universe of which they are consciously a part of.    

Finally, the modern Light Warrior needs to be engaged in sacred service and charity.  As mentioned before, this is not the time to be isolating ourselves to meditation and introspection all day.  While Gabriel adamantly encourages the need and importance of regular meditation, he has also made it clear that the Spiritual Warrior is also at work on the physical plane.  We need to “receive (light) in order to share” it.  This is where we can allow our unique gifts to shine. 

We need teachers to educate the next generation of Light workers. We need singers, musicians, and artists to unite and inspire our hearts.  We need farmers to grow nutrient rich, authentically organic food and replenish the soil of the earth.  We need economists and entrepreneurs to usher in a new paradigm of fair-trade and sacred commerce.  We need environmentalists and ecologists to heal and clean up our living planet. We need philanthropists to support and uplift those who are simply trying to survive. The tasks are many and there is a place for everyone’s unique expression and offering.  This Light Warrior’s service contributes to the awakening and evolution of harmonious awareness with the Divine.

 What are your gifts?  What has this life trained you to be?  How do you dance between the something and the nothing to the rhythm of Holy Time while courageously embracing your unique Divine assignment in the evolutionary play of consciousness?        

]]><![CDATA[Goodbye Old Friends]]>Sat, 22 May 2010 07:16:01 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/05/goodbye-old-friends.htmlI exercised my "letting go" muscle today. I did not suspend, I completely DELETED my Facebook account! I had suspended it once before over privacy concerns. I let my ego lead me back though as I quickly realized none of my "friends" would contact me. Worried that I might lose everything, I UN-suspended the account.


For a month now I have suffered. As a computer geek and a privacy advocate, I knew just how evil the Facebook Empire had become. They recently got busted selling information that you had marked PRIVATE. They weren't alone, MySpace got nabbed as well. I mean do you really want your mom knowing you are into naked bear wrestling? If you stay on FB or MS, she will eventually find out.


Finally, my intelligence won out over my greed for friends and status! I remain on twitter just because they haven't ever asked me for information so that they could sell it. For me twitter is more of a news aggregating service. On the day of Michael Jacksons death, I knew he had passed a full 4 hours before CNN or FOX news could tell me! I also used twitter extensively as a way for me to communicate with other storm chasers in my area.


To my friends and family I left on Facebook... Half of you wont even realize I am gone. To the other half, I hope one day you will learn to let go. I pray that your children or yourself never become victims of a crime just because you posted pics while you were on vacation (there are search engines that specifically search for people who say they aren't home in their status messages). If any of you never email or call me again, why was I wasting the time on Facebook in the first place.


Today, I start over. Maybe it's time I make some new friends?


Sincerely,
Rev. Kenny
http://www.twitter.com/kennycwhetstone]]><![CDATA[What if...]]>Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:39:23 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/03/what-if.htmlwe began holding services regularly? every week, same day, same time? opening for meditation first, then dharma, qigong, and fellowship?
would you be interested? what if we started passing a tithe basket?


I believe it's high time we began moving forward... high time.


Join us. Help us. Together we can help others be free.]]><![CDATA[Spring is near]]>Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:49:27 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/03/spring-is-near.htmlSo here we go... finished some spring cleaning in the old ranch house with the hope of meeting new seekers as we try and expand the Sangha.

I have the idea of completely stripping out our garage to make room for a more proper temple. To do so requires lots of help, both physically and monetarily. We would need to replace the garage door with a window and a conventional steel door. We would need to insulate and drywall two sides. We would need to add a heater and an AC unit. Let's not forget flooring either.

The first step would actually be trading out my daughter's queen size bed for a smaller bed so we can move her drumset back into her room. We would also need some new shelving and storage in the kitchen so we can finish getting everything out of the garage completely. Only then, can we move forward.

I will happily dedicate the space for services, classes, and healing. But we can't do anything until the space is cleared. Do I see a garage sale coming?

Once the junk is out and our musical instruments are moved into the house, the first step will be to water proof the exterior and then replace the garage door with a wall, a window, and a door.

Let's make that OUR goal for this year!

Qigong classes are moving forward with a small core group beginning to exceed into advanced training. I personally am studying my rear end off in preparation to lead services as I drop back to four days a week again at the day job. That will make me available here at the house for Reiki and Ministering as I have intended all along. Hopefully with Buddha's blessings, I will not have to go back to five days a week again at the store. I truly want to be of service to the congregation, but I do have bills to pay.

So as we move forward and the wheel spins back into the warmth, I invite you to join us. I invite you to make a difference in this world of suffering.

__/\__ Kenny
]]><![CDATA[Last Night]]>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:43:08 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/01/last-night.htmlWOW! We had 9 participants in house last night! Running out of room real quick. We must find a facility that is nearby that allows us space for free. We just gotta keep asking around. Thanks to all that showed and we hope to see you again at the next gig!

Illuminations,
Chris & Kenny
]]><![CDATA[4 Days at Work and 3 Days at Healing]]>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:44:08 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2010/01/4-days-at-work-and-3-days-at-healing.htmlHappy New Year to those of you who follow the common calendars. This year is sure to be a doozy! Nisla and I are mere steps away from our partial-retirement in Florida. We are having trouble deciding whether it will be in Sarasota or Sebring. We prefer Sebring but the part time job market is more promising in Sarasota. As for the temple, time is running out for you to learn your new craft. Reiki classes are still available though EXTREMELY limited as I only allow those whom I think are ready. You have to heal yourself before you can heal others. Qigong classes are still running strong but they are sporadic at best. I may find out today that we're having a class tomorrow, or I may schedule a definite class 2 weeks out... You never know so I urge you to check our events calendar OFTEN!

We will be selling a bunch of stuff on eBay and in yard sales here at the Ranch House as we begin to 'Let Go' of our Atlanta existence. The Ranch House should be live on the market for sale by the end of January. If you like our furniture, please make us an offer. As well as our TV and other things we'll no longer be needing.

I should be launching the NEW WEBSITE for my Shamanic business in the next couple of months as well. Offering healing of many facets including, Reiki, Pranic, Cymatic, Audionic, Drumming, and Massage. We will also offer services including Clearings, Weddings, Spellcasting, Blessings, and other things that your local Medicine Man does. We look forward to our move though we will miss a handful of our friends here in Georgia. You know who you are.

Time is running out for you to learn Qigong at our place though I am positive Chris will never stop teaching. Make sure you get out to one of our classes soon!
]]><![CDATA[End of the year Assist To The Deceased Ritual]]>Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:24:38 -0800http://www.taobuddha.org/3/post/2009/12/end-of-the-year-goingson.htmlProbably my last bLog post for 2009.

New Years Eve this year is a full moon. Whenever there are two full moons within the same month, the second one is referred to as a
"BLUE MOON"
In honor of the end of the year, The full moon, and that it's a Blue one...
We will be hosting a special edition of "The Assist to the Deceased" ceremony. ON DECEMBER 31st. Doors open at 7PM and we ask that you bring a love offering OR a vegetarian dish to share.
Youngins are welcome, however, this can be an intense event. It is not uncommon to "see" things during this ritual as we help the dead... PASS ON to their new existence.


Get ready as we kick into high gear for 2010! Be ready to work!


If I don't see you before the end of this year, I send blessings of love from the Whetstone and the Paul families, with the hope that you and your family have a great whatever it is you celebrate this time of year.


___/\___ Kenny]]>