My Spiritual Wellness Practice, as of 1/27/21

Each morning after a cup of coffee, I choose to get out of my usual mode of verbal consciousness (i.e.with random, verbal, discursive thoughts about the past and future) by visualizing different aspects of what’s happening in nine breathing cycles (see addendum 1).  Then, in my ‘trance’, I mentally say these 37 phrases and practice these virtues for the next 30-60 minutes. This is my current, evolved version of shorter Buddhist metta (lovingkindness) meditations/prayers that many find to be worthwhile and wholesome; typically only 5 phrases are repeated for oneself, and then for others.

This practice is quite similar to self-hypnosis, or affirmations, so the phrases are worded as positive virtues, without any negative words. Self hypnosis works well to help us practice thought patterns that work for us, in the game of life, to meet our current goals.  Our sensations and thoughts are our inner reality.  Good, skillful intentions are key for virtuous thoughts and actions to manifest.

Like music, intention can influence our mood, thoughts, and feelings—setting an intention in the morning we set the tone for the day.- Thupten Jinpa

After mentally saying each phrase in bold during a breathing cycle, for a few minutes I think about the related ideas, amplifying ideas, and other wordings from various spiritual traditions . . . and I actually practice those virtues and thoughts in the here and now (as opposed to just thinking about them).      

Mastery lies not merely in stilling the mind, but in directing it towards whatever point we desire, in allowing it to be active as far as we wish, in using it to fulfill our purpose, in causing it to be still when we want to still it. -Hazrat Inayat Khan 

When the mind and body are restless, nothing in life can be accomplished. Success is the result of control - Hazrat Inayat Khan 

     We become what we think about.- Earl Nightingale

1. I will practice gratefulness - For me, gratefulness (aka gratitude) is the most important spiritual virtue to practice. . . the most important prayer to practice, the most important skill to practice, in the The Game of Life. It leads to practice of joy and peace, which are the prominent goals for me these days. As I first say this phrase I activate my smile muscles just a tad; this works well to facilitate my practice of gratefulness. My body and mind are connected (or the same thing, just from different perspectives).

The Nembutsu practice to foster gratefulness, in the Pure Land Buddhist manner, is to chant “Namo Amida Bu”.  In Islam, this gratefulness aspect of God is Ash-Sha-KOOR, the 35th name (of 99) for Allah/God.  Repeating one or two names of God while feeling, invoking or praising that aspect of God (zikr, dhikr), is helpful practice for most Muslim mystics (e.g. Sufis, see addendum 2). Alhamdulillah, means all praise and gratefulness to God.

Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior. It almost always makes you willing to be of service, which is where the joy resides.- Anne Lamott

Everything flourishes in the nourishment of our appreciation; plants, people, the Earth, moments. When we live with that appreciation, we flourish.- Kristi Nelson

Gratitude celebrates life with a joyful "yes" at every knot of the great network in which everything is connected to everything.- Br. David Steindl-Rast

Gratefulness is a setting of the heart, one that I can choose like a wavelength on the radio. - Susan Mazrolle.

2. I am grateful that awareness is happening here and now . . . Awareness of things in the environment and my body (sensations) and in my mind/heart/brain (perceptions & thoughts) is happening now, once again, after the pause that is sleep. I am grateful that this consciousness is happening again. One of the many aspects of my self, or the helpful model that I have of my (illusory) self, is that I am the subject who is experiencing the awareness. My self can be thought of as an “experiencing self,” or a “sensing self.”  But while in non-REM sleep and while under general anesthesia this awareness, this self awareness, temporarily disappears, and the self that seems to have subjective experiences seemingly disappears.  Buddhists remember this to support their idea that the self is insubstantial, and should perhaps best be considered a delusion, albeit a crucially important one that seems to make us human. Bacteria, plants, and most animals probably don’t have this sense that they are a separate self.  Awake humans over the age of 9 months usually have this self awareness.  But it’s a skillful spiritual practice to dis-identify with this separate, experiencing self, and see our essential, inherent, oneness with all else that is happening.

Spiritual practice is stepping out of the assumed reality of “me” by understanding what the “me” is and withdrawing energy from its perceptual fixations.- Rodney Smith, “Undivided Mind”

  You are not a passive observer in the cosmos. The entire universe is expressing itself through you at this very minute.- Deepak Chopra

3. I am grateful that agency is happening here and now. . . that I have another opportunity to be an agent, or actor, or extemporaneous musician, or choreographer, or a choosing selfin this evolving Universe.  It sure does seem that there is an “I” that has free will to choose the next thoughts in my mind/heart/brain . . . and choose what to say or do in the next few moments.  A major aspect of my sense of self is that I am a choosing self. But, as Buddhism reminds us, it’s hard to pin down a discrete, substantial, continuing ‘thing’ that is my self, or my ego, or my soul. But it seems like there is an I which can choose to dwell on problems, or count my blessings, or move one of my fingers, or give someone a complement.  During sleep or while a human is under general anesthesia this agency, this ability to choose, this aspect of me, this “choosing self”, seems to disappear for awhile.  When there is no more chance that both awareness and agency(my experiencing self and my choosing self) will happen in my body/mind/heart/soul, I will be “dead”.
4. I am grateful for the opportunity to love my awesome wife. Today and every waking moment I have a precious opportunity to choose loving thoughts, words and gestures. . . and thereby beautify the here and now that is me happening. I can be a “loving self.” My “relational self” is a key part of my sense of self.  I aspire to be, and often am, a loving husband.  Loving well and joy are tightly associated.
5. I am grateful for the privilege of being loved by Linda. . . I am, or can be, a receiver of loving energies.  I am a beloved, that which experiences thoughts & feelings of being loved. To be an integral participant in two-way love and loving is beautiful, divine and salutogenic (wellness enhancing).  
6. I am grateful for my body, with: my nervous system, which allows for my awareness, my thoughts, my agency and my sense of self. Humans have 100 trillion synapses firing every second, fueled by hundreds of different neurotransmitters that have been created in their 90 billion neurons, each with dozens of mitochondria which create millions of atp molecules each second. . . .my circulatory system which enables nutrients and oxygen to be delivered to each of my cells. . . my heart which tirelessly continues to pump my blood . . . my lungs which maintain an optimal blood oxygen level (via my 25 sextillion (10 to the 21^st) hemoglobin molecules) . . . and maintain a low blood carbon dioxide level. oxygen in . . . carbon dioxide out . . my gut which stands ready to add nutrients to my serum food in. . . . wastes out . . .  my liver which continues to metabolize and optimize organic molecules in my serum . . . my kidneys which continue to optimize the ions in my blood, and clean it of nitrogenous wastes. . . my musculo-skeletal system which stands ready to allow me to move.
7. I am grateful for plants. . . which have the superpower to harness light from our star (receive the kiss of Father Sun) and combine water, carbon dioxide and atoms from the soil to produce oxygen, carbohydrates, proteins and fats to nourish all lifeforms in our biosphere.  
8. I am grateful for fungi. . . which enable plant roots to function . . .and which digest cellulose, so as to keep the carbon cycle turning.
9. I am grateful for bacteria. . . which are essential for dna and protein metabolism in all living things.  There are 38 trillion in the ever-changing holobiont that is my body, and 5x10 to the 30^thon Earth.  They evolved inside of early plant cells to become chloroplasts, and inside early animal cells to become mitochondria. . . the awesome powerhouses that produce ATP, the energy currency needed by all life.
10. I am grateful for viruses. . which have been in every living thing for over 3.5 billion years. The ongoing evolution and complexification of the Universe continues to depend upon viruses. About 380 trillion are happening in my body now; about 10x10 to the 31^{st (nonillion)} are happening on Earth. They are non-living, non-metabolizing, always mutating strands of dna or rna encapsulated by proteins. Incorporation of viral genes into nucleic acids of living things has allowed for the evolution of mammals, and perhaps every living thing.

Viruses have enriched the evolutionary options of cellular creatures over the past several billion years by depositing new genetic material in their genomes. - David Quammen

11. I will now practice joy . . .I remember (and thereby relive) a recent joyful time.  Quite often it’s the last time I was enveloped in my beloved’s embrace.For me, joy manifests here and now thru my free-will choice to practice love, gratefulness, kindness, mudita and appreciation.  I'm doing my part, I'm fulfilling my responsibility (or purpose) to beautify this part of space-time, if I'm practicing joy. Some Muslims repeat: yaa-WAA-jid (64), the source of ecstasy, or Al-BAA-sit (21), expansion, ecstasy, joy.

Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior. It almost always makes you willing to be of service, which is where the joy resides.- Anne Lamott

12. I will now practice mudita.I don't limit my joy to times when good or pleasurable things are happening in my life or experience.  A sufficient reason to practice joy is the fact that other sentient beings (other divine, dynamic, living systems in our family, which are not as separate from me as they seem) are experiencing happiness or pleasure. Mudita is the skill/virtue of practicing this sort of empathetic (or sympathetic) joy.  It’s fair and wise, and its not cheating in the Game of Life.  I choose to practice joy now because: thousands of couples are embracing, or looking forward to their marriage today . . . a thousand fathers are quite happy because their baby was born in the last 2 minutes . . . thousands of grandpas are experiencing the happiness of holding their first grandchild for the first time . . . and hundreds of thousands are singing, dancing or getting massages, etc.

  (Mudita) is a natural expression of our best humanity…[it] cheers for the happiness and success of others and celebrates buoyancy, health, and happiness wherever they are encountered. - Judith Simmer-Brown, in Transforming the Green-Ey’d Monster.

 One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others. - Archibald Rutledge.

13. I will practice kindness. . . now and in the future. . . I will care about and care for the happiness of others, with my thoughts, feelings, words and gestures. Kindness is one of the top 3 or 4 skills to choose to practice often if one is to love well (along with appreciation and acceptance).  

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not. - Samuel Johnson

14. I will appreciate the strengths of myself- I define a strength as an attribute, virtue or skill of a living thing that puts them in the top 20% of the distribution curve compared to others like themselves. (e.g. other 66 year old men in Lorain County).  Others set a higher bar, which is valid, but decreases the number of strengths we have.  We all have many strengths that we should appreciate, so as to love ourselves well.
15. I will appreciate the strengths of others- Loving well involves often choosing to appreciate the many strengths of the beloved; joy ensues.
16. May I appreciate the Divine in all beings- It works for me to see the evolving Universe as one, miraculous, ineffable, Divine process . . . to equate the Universe with God happening.  This pantheism (or religious monism) works better for me than monotheism (with one creator being, called God, who is often thought to have a human-like abilities & virtues, who exists (or is happening) and is different from the created beings and things in the Universe.  And pantheism works better for me than humanism or materialism (with a Universe full of inanimate, physical, material things, composed of elementary particles which interact via knowable physical forces). There are no beings (e.g. me, plants, bacteria) or souls, or processes that are separate from God.  The tree, the worm, my sensations, perceptions, thoughts and feelings are beautiful manifestations of God happening in their respective space-times. This attitude of love and respect for the Divine in all beings (regardless of their species, gender, ethnicity, beliefs, etc.) is expressed by Hindus as Namaste.  God, for me, is ever-present, all-pervading (immanent), beyond space and time (transcendent) and the only being or process (Al-A-had, 66, the One Unity. Al-WAA-see, 45, the all-pervading, "yet another magnificent face of Divine Life Energy."). Perhaps the most common zikr is "La 'illaha 'illa allah" -- there are no other Gods (?or beings) than God.

 Each being is a verse in the sacred manuscript of nature. - Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Seek Him in all souls, good or bad, wise and foolish, attractive and unattractive; in the depths of each there is God. - Hazrat Inayat Khan.  

The one who knows himself truly knows God.- Hazrat Ali.   

My religion is nature. That’s what arouses those feelings of wonder and mysticism and gratitude in me.- Oliver Sacks

17. May I appreciate the Divine in all places- God is happening/manifesting in beautiful, divine nonliving ways as well, for example in: atoms, molecules (e.g. oxygen, ATP, hemoglobin, chlorophyll), the space between the nucleus and electrons in an atom, rocks, clouds, sunsets, and stars. (btw, divine stars of various sizes, 5-9 eons ago, evolved into planetary nebulae, supernova and kilonova, to create all of the atoms in our solar system). A glass that is half full of water is non-living, but it is divine.  Some would bemoan that it is half empty.  Others would appreciate that it is half full of divine water.  What works for me is to choose to see the glass as always 100% full-- with trillions of divine water molecules and trillions of divine molecules of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and trillions of other molecules that were created eons ago.  God is manifesting in all places and all times.  There is no edge to God in space or time.  Muslims venerate ya-WAA-hid (65)-- the oneness that underlies all differentiated, unique forms. Or  yaa-ma-JEEED (48).

“When a man walks along the beach and picks up rock and skips it across a lake as the sun shines down, that is God walking across God and picking God up and skipping God across God as God shines down.” - Khan Willie Sawyer II

"Everything is a mirror for God's face"

“May I See the face of the Divine everywhere I turn.”

"Love is the Religion.  The Universe is the Book." ~Rumi.

"All the particles of the world are in love and looking for lovers." ~Rumi.   

“Appreciation can turn our planet into a sacred home and our communities into extended family. - KRISTI NELSON.

18. I will practice humility- My thoughts, actions and life are significant, but small in the big picture.  I should always try to recognize and avoid surety, self-righteousness, and self-importance.
19. I will remember my body is small- relative to the Earth (10 to the 21st times bigger than me--a billion trillion times) . . .  and our Solar System . . . and our Galaxy . . . and our Universe.
20. I will remember that my lifetime is short- relative to the 250 thousand years since our grandparents walked out of Africa, or the 3.5 billion years since the first life on Earth (single-celled oceanic plants of unknown origin). But, of course, I could be infinite in space-time, depending on one's concept of the ineffable "I".

If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. - William Blake

21. I will remember that my disappointments are minor - Others have much worse life situations and sufferings than I.  Things don't always happen as I think they should, but in the big picture, things are probably evolving as they should, and I’m quite fortunate.
22. I will remember that my knowledge is limited- I habitually see through thick filters.  The big picture is ineffable to my small mind/heart/brain. There are many, many reasons why the Universe (God) is evolving as it is . . .and other beings are thinking and acting the way they are.  Many of those reasons, or forces, are ineffable to the limited thinking of people (mysterianism). God is not just immanent in things we see (and think we understand), but is also transcendent, beyond space and time (and perhaps happening in other ineffable dimensions?)

Knowing is a veneer our minds create and lay over the landscape like a painter’s drop cloth set upon a forest floor. Its uniformity protects us from the pine needles and beetles, but it also obscures them, as well as the soft moss, fragrant soil, and teeming complexity of nature’s bed.- Gregory Kramer

23. I will remember that my models are incomplete- Our models are maps of reality.  They are codified and limited by our language, and work quite well to help us to survive, adapt, and be agents to change our environment.  Scientific models are great, and are evolving well, but they often are reductionistic (not holistic) and miss the big picture (especially metaphysical things, like love, intentionality, Dark Energy and Dark Matter). The Whole System is much more significant and incomprehensible than its subsystems (aka holons).
24. I will doubt my beliefs - Most suffering comes from false or dysfunctional beliefs about things that are happening which we don't accept or appreciate.   Believing that things or others should be different, or that events that are happening should be different, is quite natural and inevitable, but it causes our suffering.  "Don't always believe what you think" is a good maxim. Only the closed mind is certain.- anon
25. May I become more aware of my imperfections . I define an imperfection as an attribute, virtue or skill of a living thing that puts them in the middle 60% of the distribution curve compared to others like themselves (others have different, valid definitions, which have significantly different implications).  We all have many imperfections, and that's natural, normal and OK.  Usually I see through thick filters that disable clear views of my imperfections and my contributions to discord.  Only if I'm aware of my imperfections can I develop the strong intentions needed to minimize them.  Acceptance is one of the top 3 or 4 skills to choose to practice if one is to love oneself, another, or God well (along with kindness and appreciation).  It is the key for maintaining inner peace and practicing equanimity (mental/emotional resilience).  Adventurers on the many valid spiritual paths are challenged to foster inner and outer peace.  For the inner peace which comes from acceptance, Muslims invoke As-sa-LAAM (5); their most common greeting is As-sa LAMM ah LAY kum.  Jews often use the salutation Shalom (peace).

    "Each moment is a chance for us to make peace with the world."-Thich Nhat Hanh.

26. I will accept the imperfections of others. Other beings and processes are happening the way they are for thousands of reasons.  Who am I to be judgemental or self-righteous?  Practicing those ideas are dysfunctional and diminish inner peace, outer peace and great loving.
27. I will tolerate weaknesses. . . in myself and others.  It's usually much more skillful to accept imperfections rather than tolerate them.  Tolerance might best reserved for weaknesses (?bottom 20% of the Bell curve), or things like pain, sickness and death.  And, to help humankind evolve well, it's probably skillful to even be intolerant of some choices that our culture declares are clearly bad (e.g. rape, murder). But often, "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." -VIKTOR FRANKL. 
28. I will practice compassion. . . now and in the future . . .for the suffering of others, and say and do what I can to minimize it.  Two people die every second, so many families have appropriate sadness.
29. May I practice equanimity. . . when I experience pains, sadness or disappointment (which, by my nature I will) may I soon come back to a peaceful balance.  May the keel of my ship prevent it from being capsized.  Shit happens; pain happens; potholes in the path happen.  But choosing to often practice acceptance (or at least tolerance) minimizes our suffering and is the key to equanimity.  (Equanimity, along with compassion, loving-kindness and mudita, are the four noble virtues to be practiced in Buddhism.)

Being free of fear (or sadness, disappointment, anxiety, anger, etc.) is not a matter of never feeling it, but of not being flattened when we do. We can feel it and know it is a natural phenomenon, also an impermanent one, which will have its say and be gone. - David Guy

30. May I choose to have realistic expectations. . . so as to minimize disturbances of my inner peace.  High expectations lead to disappointment.  But sometimesit’s wise to have high expectations, which foster high achievements.  A healthy balance is wise.
31. May my body be resilient - Resilience (a close synonym for health) is the ability or skill of a system to return to a balance point through homeostatic mechanisms after experiencing a stressor which takes it away from a balance point. May I recover well from illnesses and injuries.  Some Muslims venerate Ya-'ADL (29)-- balance, resilience, or, Ya jab-BAAR (9)- healing.
32. May I resonate with Divine sustaining forces- . . . (now I reactivate the muscles needed to cause a smile, and keep them activated thru the rest of my morning prayers.). . . may I be aware of, respectful of, open to, venerate, appreciate, synchronize with . . . and thereby be fertile ground for all the ineffable metaphysical forces that keep the Universe and its subsystems running well.  May I honor and praise (and thereby be welcoming to) Vishnu, the Hindu name for the aspect of God that sustains and preserves.  Christians and Jews call these ineffable metaphysical forces Divine Grace.  Muslims call it Al MuQEET (39)- the sustainer, nourisher, maintainer. Now in my practice is when I do zikr for Al-MuQEET. (see addendum 2). . . Others praise/love Al ma-JEED (48)- divine life energy.  Pluralism seems wise; there are many valid ways to appreciate metaphysical forces.
33. May I resonate with Divine protective forces- May I be aware of, respectful of, open to, venerate, appreciate, synchronize with, praise, and be welcoming to the Divine, miraculous, ineffable forces which (perhaps) keep living systems safe.  Monotheists (and sometimes myself) find it useful to name these protective forces “angels”, as if they are separate beings.  I often find it useful and effective to imagine that the talisman I rub, or the buckeye in my pocket, or the 4 leaf clover in my wallet act as magnets to attract angelic beings or protective metaphysical forces.In a significant way, our thoughts create our reality.

Positive illusions make us more resilient and more likely to succeed. - Bruce Hood

Now I mentally repeat, 11 times, the 38^th name of God, Al-Ha-FEEZ (38)- guardian, protector, preserver. May I honor and welcome Al-Ha-FEEZ into my life, here and now. Muslims also praise Al-Mu-HAI-min (7), or Al-MU-min (6)- granter of security, safety.  

34. May I harmonize in the Divine Cosmic Symphony- May I be aware of, respectful of, and play along with all the many vibrating living systems . . . and molecules, and atoms. Above absolute zero, everything vibrates; nothing is steady.  Sounds are oscillations in the density of air which cause my eardrums to vibrate at the same frequency (20-20,000 Hz. The lowest note I can sing is D2, 73 Hz, which also happens to be the base frequency of my 32” gong).  Microwaves which are tuned to vibrate, “rock”, and rotate water molecules oscillate at 2.45 gigahertz.To play well in an orchestra we need to listen well, be in tune with others, keep the shared rhythm, respect the other instruments, and not play too loud.  Each participant in a symphony plays an instrument which plays with different pitches and timbres.  Egocentric, conceited or power-hungry people who aren’t skillful at respecting the other voices in the symphony detract from the beauty of the Symphony. They create discord instead of harmony.  They don’t have the skill of an artistic or skillful Spiritual Musician in the Divine Cosmic Symphony (aka, God evolving, the Universe happening).  May I practice and thereby develop the skills to play on many different instruments.  May I harmonize well with God in all His/Her/Its manifestations. May I Harmonize well with Saraswati, the Hindu incarnation/aspect of God (music, sound, vibration).

"Real peace is not simply the absence of violent conflict but a state of harmony: harmony between people; harmony between humanity and nature; and harmony within ourselves." - Bhikkhu Bodhi, “Fostering Peace, Inside and Out”.  

Pir (the title given to the guide of a Sufi order) Shabda Kahn says that "a Sufi is one who harmonizes with all things".  Or at least tries to.  Muslims appreciate, praise or invoke As-sa-MEE' (26), which represents God manifesting as sound and music.   

Love produces harmony and harmony creates beauty. Therefore the chief motto in life is 'Love, harmony and beauty'. Love, in all things and beings, the beloved God, in harmony with all in the right understanding, and beautify your life by observing the beauty within and without.- Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Once we see and know for ourselves the toxic taste of disharmony and constantly wanting the world to be other than it is, we know change of ourselves is the wiser response. . . In life, our instruments are the body, heart, and mind. -Georgianna Wasia Reid.  

35. May I will dance well with God- . . .  in the Divine Cosmic Dance. . . in the here and now. (aka, in this space-time) . . . and in the future. It seems true that nothing is stable; everything (all space-time) is moving and evolving; God is always moving.  So my goal in life, as the choreographer of this space-time, should be to move my body/mind/heart/soul well, by often choosing skillful and graceful thoughts, feelings, words and gestures.

 "When before the beauty of a sunset or a mountain, you pause and exclaim, "Ah," you are participating in divinity." – Ancient Hindu text  . . . i.e. you are dancing well with God.  i.e. Loving God well.  When the Divine is seen as triune in Hinduism, it is Shiva (as his incarnation Nataraja) that is the dancer and drummer in the circle of flames-- the aspect of God that is responsible for the incessant change of the Universe, which is, of course, needed for evolution.  It's skillful practice to honor Shiva by welcoming change, by looking forward to new chapters in the book of life, by surfing the waves of change, by dancing well with God (aka the Universe).  The skillful Spiritual Dancer in the Divine Cosmic Dance is sensitive to their many partners, and gracefully moves with them to augment joy in the Universe (or other wholesome goals that are sought after or that seem appropriate for the situation (e.g. sadness, compassion, peace, holistic wellness, harmony, loving relations, etc.)

The Holy Spirit dances across space and time.- Rev. Erica Saunders.

Dance from here to the other world—and don't stop. ~Rumi

36. May I love God well.In these skillful and loving ways, in my choice of thoughts, words and gestures, may I optimize the holistic health and wellness of all aspects of the divine living system that we call Mother Earth.

Every kind of power lies in this one thing which we call by the simple name: love. Charity, generosity, kindness, affection, endurance, tolerance, and patience -- all these words are different aspects of one; they are different names of only one thing: love. Whether it is said, 'God is love,' or whatever name is given to it, all the names are the names of God; and yet every form of love, every name for love, has its own peculiar scope, has a peculiarity of its own. Love as kindness is one thing, love as tolerance is another, love as generosity is another, love as patience another; and yet from beginning to end it is just love. ... True love must have free flow; and to learn that free flow the teachers have taught us first to love from the limited, and thence to advance in love till we attain to the love of God, the Unlimited. - Hazrat Inayat Khan

37. May I often realize the oneness of all . . . now, and in the future.  May I often dis-identify with my self so as to better identify with other aspects and manifestations of God.  In a deep, profound way I am one with: the new grandpa in India now holding his first grandchild for the first time, the chickadee at my feeder, the nucleic acid in the virus in my nose, the nitrogen atom in the fiber of this blanket, the propane molecule now burning in our furnace, the copper atom in my gong, the supernovas and kilonovas on the far side of the Milky Way that are now creating new copper and gold atoms.

The work of the spiritual man is to forget his false self and so to realize the true self which is God, and this true self not only in him, but in his neighbor also.- Hazrat Inayat Khan

The first lesson of the mystic is, "Thou art, and not I." It is not only complete surrender to God, it is self-effacement. And what does the symbol of the cross explain? That "Thou art, not me, my hands are not for me, my feet are not for me, my head is not for me, they are all Thine." The saying of the [Hadith], "Die before death," does not mean suicide, it means the death of the "I", the separate self.- Hazrat Inayat Khan      

      I asked the leaf whether it was frightened because it was autumn and the other leaves were falling. The leaf told me, "No. During the whole spring and summer I was completely alive. I worked hard to help nourish the tree, and now much of me is in the tree. I am not limited by this form. I am also the whole tree, and when I go back to the soil, I will continue to nourish the tree. So I don’t worry at all. As I leave this branch and float to the ground, I will wave to the tree and tell her, 'I will see you again very soon'." That day there was a wind blowing and, after a while, I saw the leaf leave the branch and float down to the soil, dancing joyfully, because as it floated it saw itself already there in the tree. It was so happy. I bowed my head, knowing that I have a lot to learn from the leaf. - Thich Nhat Hanh.

     The Hindu & Buddhist chant of OM can help us resonate with the Universe. I take a deep breath, then . . . Oooooooooooooooommmmmm.

 After this practice, I often do a shortened version of these practices for at least one loved one.  But I don't know what their mental/emotional/spiritual/physical goals currently are, so I start with, “May (their name) skillfully practice the thoughts, feelings and actions that work to increase their joy, peace and progress towards his/her other wholesome goals." I suggest that you make up your own mantram phrases, to repeat in a trance, as a prayer that actually works to achieve your current goals.  In addendum 3 are a few others to consider.  Namaste.

*   *   *

Addendum 1: There are dozens of helpful techniques to transition into the here and now without discursive thinking or judgementalism (i.e. practice mindfulness, prayer or trance).  Formerly, I would count my breath (e.g. 4 on inhalations and 5 on exhalations) or repeat a mantram phrase with each breath (e.g. I have much . . . to be grateful for).  For the last few years, during 3 inhalations, I mentally say and visualize: "Flattening" (of my 2 hemispherical diaphragms), and "belly outwards"); during those 3 exhalations I say and visualize, “belly inwards, relaxing (the radial muscles of my diaphrams)”.  During the next three breaths I say/visualize, “flattening, air inwards, air outwards, relaxing.”  For the last 3 breaths I say/visualize, “flattening, belly outwards, belly inwards, relaxing, air outwards, air inwards.” My focus follows a back and forth path along one quarter (of half) of an oval.

Addendum 2: There are many valid, helpful styles of repeating a name of Allah/God. What works for me these days is to: flex my neck, then, on the inhale, I extend my neck back and circle it counter clockwise to the 9 o’clock position, where I exhale and mentally say the first syllable.  At the 6 o’clock position I say the 2^nd syllable.  At the 3 o’clock position I say the final syllable and continue it to 12 o’clock, then flex down to 6 o’clock.  I repeat this with each breath/incantation 11 times.  My way to keep count, that minimizes distraction from my focus, is to briefly focus on my left little finger by activating the muscles which would cause it to flex.  With the 2^nd repetition I briefly focus on my left 4^th finger, etc, around to 10.  And then I do one more. Instead of just mentally saying/invoking the name of God, reverentially, I sometimes vocalize the name of Allah.  Zikr done in a group is also, evidently, quite effective and nourishing.

Addendum 3: May (I) skillfully Play the Game of Life. i.e. choose thoughts, words and behaviors which work to get you and your loved ones closer to holistic wellness, or joy or peace, etc..  A skillful Spiritual Athlete has many different plays in his playbook to choose from, to get him closer to his current goals in the Game of Life.  

May (I) Struggle well in the Greater Jihad. In Islam, the Greater Jihad is the struggle in a Spiritual Warrior to overcome the barriers in himself to loving God (and all His many manifestations) better.  Our main enemies are the dysfunctional, habitual tendencies within us, not beings or things outside of us or separate from us.  God's "will" is for us to struggle well in this Jihad by skillfully choosing virtuous thoughts, feelings and actions for the good of all (i.e. selflessly, humbly, lovingly, piously).  The Spiritual Warrior has many different weapons, or types of arrows in his quiver, to puncture holes in the curtain of our main delusion-- that we are separate beings in space and time, apart from the other divine manifestations of God (aka other beings and things and phenomena).  We are called to "fight" this Jihad well, and not let counsel (inner voices) of metaphysical "Devils" take us off course.  Jews, Christians and Muslims believe we will be judged by God on our efforts, and may be rewarded with eternal life in Heaven.  Many Hindus and Buddhist believe in karma, that our thoughts and actions determine the quality of our rebirth in future lives.   I'm pleased that this belief works for them, but it doesn't seem to work for me.  I'm less inclined to worship a personified God who has characteristics of human beings, e.g. who is judgemental, or 'who' has a will, or can hear or see us, or who is omniscent, or was/is a creator of things and beings which are then separate from "Him/Her".  Pantheism works better for me than monotheism.

May (I) Embrace the flow that is the Universe

May ( I ) Be safe

Here are some metta phrases that work for Melvin Escobar, a Buddhist in Oakland :

May (I/you/all beings) be safe and protected, free from inner and outer harm.

May (I/you/all) be happy.

May (my/your/everyone’s) body support the practice of loving awareness.

May (I/you/all) be free from ill-will, affliction, and anxiety.

May (I/you/everyone) love (myself/yourself/themselves) as (I am/you are/they are).

May (I/you/all) be happy and free from suffering.

May (I/you/all) find peace in an uncertain world.

May (I/you/all) find ease on the middle path between attachment and apathy.