My reading and inner practices have been very inspirational lately. Reshad Feild and Ram Dass have been my two favorite writers these past few weeks. My mindful walks, runs in nature, and my OBE’s have also clearly shaped my experiences lately. I want to share the ways of flow that might touch something expansive in those who read this.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where streams and rivers flow in abundance. Entering a stream is a wonderful metaphor. We can turn our lives into an amazing flow.
There is a stream in Oregon called the Roaring River and it is runs through endless rocks and makes lots of noise. This roaring is the mind. As we enter into this roaring inside we can acknowledge the chaos of our mind and determine to do something about it. Once we have the awareness of the noisy mind we can then flow into deeper possibilities
The Roaring River then flows into the Clackamas River, which is bigger and more powerful. As we begin to focus on our inner practices we can quiet the roar. This tuning inward can feel good but often it is disrupted by life in big ways. The Clackamas has a series of dams on it for generating hydroelectric power. These dams disrupt the flow as does the conditioning of the mind. Recognizing the inhibited flow allows us to go in search of freedom and a deeper knowing.
The Clackamas River then flows into the Willamette River, which is even bigger and more powerful. The Willamette River flows through the urban areas of Oregon especially Portland where there is so much going on and so many distractions. Like the Willamette River we too have many distractions. Our personality wants to do so much and experience so much. There is also our higher nature that is committed to this deeper exploration and so we must note our distractions, have some fun, and also keep our inner work going deeper.
The Willamette River then flows into the mighty Columbia River that begins in the snowfields in British Columbia. When the Willamette joins the Columbia River there is the meeting of great forces. These flowing forces are similar to when we join our inner practices with our higher nature. This joining of forces naturally keeps us expanding. Entering into this flow is all encompassing where the individual self is washed away and there is only expanding consciousness.
The Columbia River enters the Pacific Ocean and becomes one. This is a complete joining leave the rivers of identity behind. This unification on a personal level with the Infinite is where each of us, in our silence, feel drawn to go. This oneness is total freedom from dogma and doctrine and is the natural expression of you and I as we reach the realization of who we are. There is no “I-ness”, there is just the One 