.

Come join us…

.

Below you can read one of his many articles and watch some audio/videos. You can find more on www.demello.org, www.awareness.tk.

.

“The scriptures are always hinting of that, but you’ll never understand a word of what the scriptures are saying until you wake up. Sleeping people read the scriptures and crucify the Messiah on the basis of them. You’ve got to wake up to make sense out of the scriptures. When you do wake up, they make sense. So does reality. But you’ll never be able to put it into words. You’d rather do something? But even there we’ve got to make sure that you’re not swinging into action simply to get rid of your negative feelings. Many people swing into action only to make things worse. They’re not coming from love, they’re coming from negative feelings. They’re coming from guilt, anger, hate; from a sense of injustice or whatever. You’ve got to make sure of your “being” before you swing into action. You have to make sure of who you are before you act. Unfortunately, when sleeping people swing into action, they simply substitute one cruelty for another, one injustice for another. And so it goes. Meister Eckhart says, “It is not by your actions that you will be saved” (or awakened; call it by any word you want), “but by your being. It is not by what you do, but by what you are that you will be judged.” What good is it to you to feed the hungry, give the thirsty to drink, or visit prisoners in jail?

Remember that sentence from Paul: “If I give my body to be burned and all my goods to feed the poor and have not love . . .” It’s not your actions, it’s your being that counts. Then you might swing into action. You might or might not. You can’t decide that until you’re awake. Unfortunately, all the emphasis is concentrated on changing the world and very little emphasis is given to waking up. When you wake up, you will know what to do or what not to do. Some mystics are very strange, you know. Like Jesus, who said something like “I wasn’t sent to those people; I limit myself to what I am supposed to do right now. Later, maybe.” Some mystics go silent. Mysteriously, some of them sing songs. Some of them are into service. We’re never sure. They’re a law unto themselves; they know exactly what is to be done. “Plunge into the heat of battle and keep your heart at the lotus feet of the Lord,” as I said to you earlier.

Imagine that you’re unwell and in a foul mood, and they’re taking you through some lovely countryside. The landscape is beautiful but you’re not in the mood to see anything. A few days later you pass the same place and you say, “Good heavens, where was I that I didn’t notice all of this?” Everything becomes beautiful when you change. Or you look at the trees and the mountains through windows that are wet with rain from a storm, and everything looks blurred and shapeless. You want to go right out there and change those trees, change those mountains. Wait a minute, let’s examine your window. When the storm ceases and the rain stops, and you look out the window, you say, “Well, how different everything looks.” We see people and things not as they are, but as we are. That is why when two people look at something or someone, you get two different reactions. We see things and people not as they are, but as we are.

Remember that sentence from scripture about everything turning into good for those who love God? When you finally awake, you don’t try to make good things happen; they just happen. You understand suddenly that everything that happens to you is good. Think of some people you’re living with whom you want to change. You find them moody, inconsiderate, unreliable, treacherous, or whatever. But when you are different, they’ll be different. That’s an infallible and miraculous cure. The day you are different, they will become different. And you will see them differently, too. Someone who seemed terrifying will now seem frightened. Someone who seemed rude will seem frightened. All of a sudden, no one has the power to hurt you anymore. No one has the power to put pressure on you. It’s something like this: You leave a book on the table and I pick it up and say, “You’re pressing this book on me. I have to pick it up or not pick it up.” People are so busy accusing everyone else, blaming everyone else, blaming life, blaming society, blaming their neighbor. You’ll never change that way; you’ll continue in your nightmare, you’ll never wake up.

Put this program into action, a thousand times: (a) identify the negative feelings in you; (b) understand that they are in you, not in the world, not in external reality; (c) do not see them as an essential part of “I”; these things come and go; (d) understand that when you change, everything changes. “

.

Just as I was finished writing this little paragraph above this email from Paul arrived in my inbox. Accurate as it can be.

If you would like to subscribe to PaulsList please visit his web site www.paullowe.org.

> Watch videos with Paul Lowe

This is not an easy one for me to describe. I have never been aware of having belligerent anger at anyone or anything – but I sure used to have anger – lots of it. ‘It just happened.’ I felt controlled by it. I didn’t ask for it, didn’t want it, and I felt helpless about it.

That is when I started to investigate human behaviour – including my own. And found out that – anger is all about wanting things the way we want them.

‘Conquering’ my anger became my main aim in life – priority over everything. I worked on it every way I knew, lots and lots of ways – all over the world. Took a while – and one day it was gone. Almost completely. So after that, every new level of awareness was a pure bonus.

Being part of our primitive defence system it is natural that we have anger – as defence. But when it takes us over, and runs our life – time to investigate – to see if there is an alternative way to live.

Good news – there is an alternative.

Bad news – have to start to take responsibility for ourselves.

In our early childhood we are totally self-centred. Totally. It is as if we are the the centre of the universe, and the only one that counts. Everyone and everything else is just there to serve us. Then the wake-up.

Or not. Most people never seem to get that almost everyone else is only interested in getting their way as well. So most people want their way, when they want it, and how they want it. Check it out – seem familiar? It’s called: War. International war; political war; corporate war; religious war; family war; interpersonal war; personal war. And, without us realising it, there is an alternative way to live life.

Talking about war. It is on lots of levels. Whenever you do something to someone that they do not want, it is a form of war. (…)

I have a feeling that everyone will work everything out for themselves – sooner, or (much) later. And in the meantime, they are not happy.

I love seeing people happy. I love happiness. I love to seeing people happy together. I love together happiness.

Although I have a deep feeling that everything is perfect in every moment, my feeling to assist people to see their behaviour more clearly – so they don’t have to be so unhappy, is also perfect. Everything is perfect, and, it can always be more perfect.

So it is true that everyone will work out everything for themselves – and I remember all the many people who have been mentors and examples for me. I feel so much love and gratitude to them. And it is not just the intentional ones. I have learnt from almost everyone, and every event. Even from the people who thought they were against me.

Many psychics have told me that I will ‘invent’ a totally new and very effective approach to awakening. The only thing I can think of is so, so simple – and not new at all: Be Here Now. Unconditionally, without attempting to change anything: watch your every action, listen to every word you say, be aware of every thought. Simple! Has to be your absolute unconditional priory though.

Happy awerenessing…

Back in March I went on a week long meditation retreat with Taoist Lineage Master Bruce Frantzis. It was a wonderful experience. Bruce guided us artfully through the Taoist Water Method of Dissolving into Inner Space. To me this practice is a true gift, especially if things are going not quite as ego would like them to go.

Bruce is a vibrant and inspirational talker and never misses to include fascinating stories of his life and training with Taoist Lineage Master, Liu Hung Chieh, in China. I am delighted that he will be coming to London. For two evenings in October he will be teaching ”The Water Method of Taoist Meditation: Relaxing into Your Being”, peeling away the metaphors to explain the relevance of meditation to everyday life.

October 12 & 13, 2010
7-9.30pm, North West London
Read more about this event and book tickets now…

“I have been fascinated by eastern traditions for the last 20 years. While many people touch on the surface of Taoism, Bruce is the only person i have come across who I consider to have a true deep understanding of the tradition. I have studied his work for the last 12 years, in particular I have found his teachings and transmission of the Taoist meditation tradition to be one of the truly valuable and practically applicable discoveries in my life.” Servan Keondijan

.

> Watch videos with Paul Lowe

I am often asked “what are you trying to do with the readers of your mailing list.”

Reply: I am not ‘trying’ to ‘do’ anything. I hear or read something, or sitting quietly doing almost nothing, and something ‘pops up’ to share. Here is one that popped up in the bath this morning:

I still haven’t fully got it – how indoctrinated we all are. All of us. Even after devoting my whole life to becoming aware of my conditioning I still get amazed when something new pops up. And when I see how much people take their conditioning for granted – to the extent that they do not even realise that they are conditioned – what to say!

For the majority, if you are brought up Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, Atheist – or any other ist or ism – then that is it – that is The Truth, The Way, and anything else is just perverted. And if you do decide to drop out of the religion or spiritual orientation the tendency is to go against – and that ain’t freedom.

So we don’t even get near the overall accepted taken-for-granted’s. The most base part of us is programmed to reproduce – perpetuating the species.

Let’s take for instance, insects. By the look of it, the three F’s – Feeding, Fighting, and… reproducing. As we move along we do get some creatures that seem to play. Not the play of the young – that seems more practice for when they grow up and have to fight, but after they have grown some creatures seem to play and have fun.

Then, although there is a big jump – to humans – the basis remains – survival of the species. Only we don’t realise it.

‘Falling in love.’ We hate to see it, but most people who ‘fall in love’ fall out again – and go to the opposite – resentment. ‘Love is blind’ – has to be!

The Loop – devoting life to children – who grow up devoting their life to children, who grow up to….

When meeting a mother there is something different about them – they have something – and except in exceptional circumstances, they have usually lost something as well.

What they can gain is unconditinal love – for their children anyway. Love beyond their self-centred life. Often though, not for their partner. Too busy/exhausted, and they have done their job and are on hold until next needed. No wonder so many men wander off eh.

Again, generalising, there is something different about women who have gone past the chemical/sentimental/conditioned/automatic rush and have not had children. Another outlook on life. More alive, open, available? Check it out for yourself?

As we keep attempting to share, we know virtually nothing about life, who we are, where we came from, where we are going, and what we are here for – if anything. So most people bumble along from one trouble to another.

Of course, it is never too late, as many woman have demonstrated. Always time to start a whole new life – in this very moment. Yes – this one. Now.

If you feel you are more free than those around you – are you at least attempting to share that possibility? Hope so. And not the theory – we have lots of dead ones of those, but your living in-the-moment experience. Just by our being, demonstrate what is possible. We need the encouragement. And humour.

It is never too late…

May 23, 2010
Sunday 1 to 5 pm
£20

Intuition workshop

This afternoon workshop will consist of exercises to playfully experiment with discovering our intuitive abilities, tapping into the meditative space from which all intuition arises and sharing our experiences with each other. You will be amazed at the often outlandish and yet profoundly meaningful insights and visions that emerge from that unknown place in you and in all of us.

To register and receive location details please send me an email.

Read more about: Intuition, Veronika,

Deep down I totally believed that “I was lied to”. A powerful source that fuelled behaviour as a victim, and reacting righteously angry in hurt and defence. Although this is certainly not all I am, I came to see this deep underlying survival pattern that has been driving most of my actions and thinking in subtle and sometimes quite obvious ways. Taking responsibility for the behaviour whenever I was aware of it only goes so far, I now realise, because without realising the root it still remains some sort of “damage management”. So much fear, shame, guilt and embarrassment for it all being that way. Attempting to become the super human being, the one that is clear of any “failed” behaviour, I put enormous pressure and demand on myself – and others. I didn’t realise until now that in truth I have been in denial, hiding and managing the victim and fighter, creating ever more pain.

It’s all here now. More keeps coming. Waves of massive fear, pain, love, compassion and peace. More story unravelling, sometimes I have visual flashes of things that happened in my life that created and fuelled this story. Chunks are breaking off my chest. It feels like the rug was pulled under my feet. Falling in this unknown space feels scary, but more exciting. I trust life. I don’t know how to be and don’t feel I need to know, I just am. It’s such a relief to let go and surrender. I am fulfilled with enormous gratitude and appreciation of what is happening. I notice new responses, quite a surprise at times. Another layer, another level. Welcoming the next one…

Today this newsletter from Gangaji arrived in my inbox. I was touched by her wonderful words that I can relate to so much.

Letting the world into your heart

When you think you cannot let the world in because it is so full of heartbreak, you underestimate yourself. You think, “I can’t let any more in,” because you feel like you are breaking apart. If you don’t follow that thought, can you simply allow your heart to let it all in? Not just the current disasters, but the disasters throughout time; not just the external disasters, but the internal disasters of your own life, your neighbor’s life, your friend’s life. Just really open the heart with no resistance.

That is the letting and the facing that I speak about. When you surrender to the pain, the heart does break, and there is profound grief. In the willingness for the heart to break, separation breaks also. Unless we resist or indulge it, the concept of separation disintegrates.

I am speaking of a very sober, still opening. I am suggesting that you just let it come in, and let it come in, and let it come in. Then there is a discovery that the heart breaks totally, forever open. This is possible for everyone. And all that keeps us from that is the thought, “I can’t do this.”

April 18, 2010
Sunday 1 to 5 pm
£20

To register please send us an email.

This afternoon workshop will consist of exercises to playfully experiment with discovering our intuitive abilities, tapping into the meditative space from which all intuition arises and sharing our experiences with each other. You will be amazed at the often outlandish and yet profoundly meaningful insights and visions that emerge from that unknown place in you and in all of us.

Read more about: Intuition, Veronika, Clare

I was excited to learn that this conference is co-organised by our dear friend Tania Singer. It looks like a great opportunity to see some of the leading edge dialogue in this field. In particular I liked the subtitle “Everybody is invited to co-create the future.”