Words relevant to a path of awakening through music.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Practice of Becoming
Appeared in the May 2010 issue of Earth Odyssey magazine.
The Practice of Becoming
Martin Klabunde
We are born in a specific place and time, with roles, rules and regulations we are asked to follow. The time is the 21st century and the place is the USA. This criterion sets the stage for our training to be productive and contributing members of society. We will develop focused ways of thinking, being and behaving within the society and we will begin a journey of becoming who we are trained to become.
The process of becoming has always been heavily influenced by the culture of the society that surrounds us. If we look around the globe at different cultures we will see that each one has created a unique, but often a similar perception of what is means to be human and what the process of becoming offers us.
Many ancient cultures hold a perception that humans conspire with the gods to co-create their world in a way that supports a connection with unseen worlds. Many of these cultures believe that the most efficient method of creating change and transformation in the physical world is to access the invisible, the realm of creation, destruction, constant change, and the spirit worlds. For them, we arrived here on Earth from these worlds and we must not forget and maintain a strong connection to our origins as cosmic walkers.
For us who reside here in the 21st century among the modern comforts that modernity provides us, it is easy to forget whom we are, where we have come from, where we are going and how we are going to get there. As physical technology evolved, humanity began to slowly forget that we could fly with the gods, and that we can conspire with them to create a life on Earth that supports the Universal life energy that we are all created from. Granted, modernity has provided us with technology that can save lives and offers a kind of connectedness via the web and other communication systems and has many pleasantries and comforts that many of us enjoy. Technology allows us to enjoy the physical sensation of comfort, but this has come at a price, the loss of our cosmic memory.
Today, many are beginning to awaken and remember who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. We are beginning a new kind of training that enable us to expand our awareness, transform our perceptions and open to the magic of Life, as a human being that is connected to the invisible, the unseen, the many worlds of spirit. The cosmic memory of our journey comes when we are ready to let go of the training we have received here in this place and at this time. When we are ready to turn our thoughts upside down an stop asking “why” and begin asking “when” and “how”. When we are ready to lose the desire to understand before we take action. When we are ready to redefine words like “trust”, “compassion”, and “love”. When we are ready to learn to see, hear and feel in a new way; one that does not utilizes the five senses we have been taught to use, but uses our senses that reside inside our being. Our cosmic memories have been dormant for many ages, waiting for us to remember and engage.
Now is the time. The drum is the medicine, we are the doctors and the world is the patient. The drum has been used as a connection to our cosmic memory and a powerful tool to connect with the spirit worlds. When we play the drum we create, strengthen and maintain this connection. We remember who we are and we offer ourselves the opportunity to conspire with the Great Spirit to be a servant to humanity, the Earth and spirits. The drum provides us a path of becoming. Yes, you can use the drum as a tool for your own awakening. It is a simple path, but never under estimate the power of simplicity, how such a simple instrument made from nature can be a very powerful instrument of transformation in the lives of humans and how playing the drum in a sacred context can empower you to rediscover the Master Within.
Read more about this topic and others on my website.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Nature of Reality
excerpts from an essay written in 2000, while I was at the University of Arizona for a class on Spirituality. . .
As The Human experience is comprised of two major facets. The first, the Seen world, or material world, can be further categorized as the world perceived through our senses and the world perceived through our mind (logic and reason) and spirit (soul, energy). Our minds provide us the function of reason, the way we interact with the world, our judgement. Our Spirits offer us access to another level of existence. The second, the Unseen world, can be further described as things we associate with the spirit world such as energy, intuition & power. The Seen world, as perceived through our senses, gives the person an apparent vision of a world with known rules, laws and limitations. We have and continue to build foundations upon the laws that seem to govern our existence on earth. Our senses all allow us the pleasure, and sometimes displeasure, of taste, touch, smell, sound and sight while our mind gives us the capability of reason, thus allowing us to interpret and analyze our sensory input as well as make decisions regarding the perceived reality of the world.
The unseen world exists much further than the experience of the seeing the world through our senses can allow us to perceive. Within the material world all know laws and properties apply, but it is the case that our senses overwhelm the notion of the world and it is easy to remain content living only within the material, sensible world. The human experience offers us access to both worlds. We may access the unseen world, where reality exists as much as we would allow it to be. The unseen world has it's own rules and laws, those independent of the Seen world and those which allow us to perceive the living world, as a whole, consisting of both the seen and unseen worlds, differently. The Seen and Unseen worlds exist interdependently, meaning they co-exist in the same time, with humans relying on both worlds for direction and guidance. Therefore, the perception of the seen world may change once we have accessed the unseen world. The vitality and power contained with the region of the unseen world may give us courage in both worlds. Energy is the conduit of life, ever changing, undying and eternal, it is everything, and we are everything.
Access to the Unseen world offers us tools we may use in our existence in the seen world. Patience, quite, listening, discipline, courage and wisdom are all experiences that may be enhanced by making the use of the unseen world. As it is the same that the Seen world offers us tools to be used in gaining access to the unseen world. An activity that requires high levels of discipline may give one the patience, time, space and courage and to focus enough energy in one place as to open up the door to the unseen world. In this way one learns that the key to transcendence to the Unseen world is in the person co-existing in both worlds. The problem is one of perception. Our perceptions appear to dictate the limitations of the seen world, when the seen world lives within the unseen world. The unseen world penetrates the seen world and enhances our perceptions if we are to use the tools necessary to achieve this.
Creating our own reality is our greatest asset in life. It is that very perception that may either enhance or oppress our perception. When we are able to perceive see above and beyond the limitations of our own perceptions, the possibilities of our reality are eternal. Our reality is comprised of everything sensible and insensible and that it is the insensible that may make it possible to have meaningful and purposeful experience of the possibilities of our reality.
For more information:
Website
Workshops
Ceremonies
As The Human experience is comprised of two major facets. The first, the Seen world, or material world, can be further categorized as the world perceived through our senses and the world perceived through our mind (logic and reason) and spirit (soul, energy). Our minds provide us the function of reason, the way we interact with the world, our judgement. Our Spirits offer us access to another level of existence. The second, the Unseen world, can be further described as things we associate with the spirit world such as energy, intuition & power. The Seen world, as perceived through our senses, gives the person an apparent vision of a world with known rules, laws and limitations. We have and continue to build foundations upon the laws that seem to govern our existence on earth. Our senses all allow us the pleasure, and sometimes displeasure, of taste, touch, smell, sound and sight while our mind gives us the capability of reason, thus allowing us to interpret and analyze our sensory input as well as make decisions regarding the perceived reality of the world.
The unseen world exists much further than the experience of the seeing the world through our senses can allow us to perceive. Within the material world all know laws and properties apply, but it is the case that our senses overwhelm the notion of the world and it is easy to remain content living only within the material, sensible world. The human experience offers us access to both worlds. We may access the unseen world, where reality exists as much as we would allow it to be. The unseen world has it's own rules and laws, those independent of the Seen world and those which allow us to perceive the living world, as a whole, consisting of both the seen and unseen worlds, differently. The Seen and Unseen worlds exist interdependently, meaning they co-exist in the same time, with humans relying on both worlds for direction and guidance. Therefore, the perception of the seen world may change once we have accessed the unseen world. The vitality and power contained with the region of the unseen world may give us courage in both worlds. Energy is the conduit of life, ever changing, undying and eternal, it is everything, and we are everything.
Access to the Unseen world offers us tools we may use in our existence in the seen world. Patience, quite, listening, discipline, courage and wisdom are all experiences that may be enhanced by making the use of the unseen world. As it is the same that the Seen world offers us tools to be used in gaining access to the unseen world. An activity that requires high levels of discipline may give one the patience, time, space and courage and to focus enough energy in one place as to open up the door to the unseen world. In this way one learns that the key to transcendence to the Unseen world is in the person co-existing in both worlds. The problem is one of perception. Our perceptions appear to dictate the limitations of the seen world, when the seen world lives within the unseen world. The unseen world penetrates the seen world and enhances our perceptions if we are to use the tools necessary to achieve this.
Creating our own reality is our greatest asset in life. It is that very perception that may either enhance or oppress our perception. When we are able to perceive see above and beyond the limitations of our own perceptions, the possibilities of our reality are eternal. Our reality is comprised of everything sensible and insensible and that it is the insensible that may make it possible to have meaningful and purposeful experience of the possibilities of our reality.
For more information:
Website
Workshops
Ceremonies
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Perception
Perception
Our perceptions form the foundation of our thoughts and actions. We have learned ideas of what our reality consists of and we associate specific actions and reactions to incoming messages via our senses that provide us with feelings and sensations. We attach judgement to these learned ideas that fit within a collective cultural philosophy and form a perception based within our learned belief system.
We cannot change anyone beyond our self. It is our perception of any given situation that provides us the opportunity to take action in a specific way or towards a specific destination. If we experience anger from another towards us, then often times we feel attacked or threatened and take defensive position. This position arises from a perception that we have something to protect. The perception that tells us that we must protect ourselves is the source of our actions and reactions. It is this perception that can be changed. Shifting our perception can allow us to make decisions that offer more positive and productive outcomes.
For example, if our priority and mission is being of service to others and cultivating loving kindness in our self and others, then a negative or defensive reaction to the perception of being attacked distracts us from our goal and will not offer the possibility of moving in that direction. We can change our perception to be more in line with our goal by considering the possibility that we have nothing to protect. If that is the case, then anyone can attack or bring us their anger. At that moment we are able to take that anger from that person and transform it into loving kindness or positive energy. We can do this by staying in the perception that we are humble servants to our priority and mission.
We then have the opportunity to diffuse and transform the anger by engaging compassion, forgiveness, humility and unconditional love in the most sincere way. We have numerous methods to rely upon to do this. If the person accuses us of a wrongdoing, regardless of whether we perceive it to be true, we can accept the accusation, acknowledge the persons feelings and apologize sincerely. In doing this we accomplish both our goal of staying focused on our mission and helping the other person shift to a more positive perspective.
Changing our perceptions opens new doors of reality that provide us an existence full of deep happiness, contentment, peace and serenity. This change strengthens our ability to negotiate life in a more meaningful and purposeful way and provides endless opportunities to be a sincere servant to our mission with a deep sense of humility, devotion and passion.
For more information:
Website
Workshops
Ceremonies
Our perceptions form the foundation of our thoughts and actions. We have learned ideas of what our reality consists of and we associate specific actions and reactions to incoming messages via our senses that provide us with feelings and sensations. We attach judgement to these learned ideas that fit within a collective cultural philosophy and form a perception based within our learned belief system.
We cannot change anyone beyond our self. It is our perception of any given situation that provides us the opportunity to take action in a specific way or towards a specific destination. If we experience anger from another towards us, then often times we feel attacked or threatened and take defensive position. This position arises from a perception that we have something to protect. The perception that tells us that we must protect ourselves is the source of our actions and reactions. It is this perception that can be changed. Shifting our perception can allow us to make decisions that offer more positive and productive outcomes.
For example, if our priority and mission is being of service to others and cultivating loving kindness in our self and others, then a negative or defensive reaction to the perception of being attacked distracts us from our goal and will not offer the possibility of moving in that direction. We can change our perception to be more in line with our goal by considering the possibility that we have nothing to protect. If that is the case, then anyone can attack or bring us their anger. At that moment we are able to take that anger from that person and transform it into loving kindness or positive energy. We can do this by staying in the perception that we are humble servants to our priority and mission.
We then have the opportunity to diffuse and transform the anger by engaging compassion, forgiveness, humility and unconditional love in the most sincere way. We have numerous methods to rely upon to do this. If the person accuses us of a wrongdoing, regardless of whether we perceive it to be true, we can accept the accusation, acknowledge the persons feelings and apologize sincerely. In doing this we accomplish both our goal of staying focused on our mission and helping the other person shift to a more positive perspective.
Changing our perceptions opens new doors of reality that provide us an existence full of deep happiness, contentment, peace and serenity. This change strengthens our ability to negotiate life in a more meaningful and purposeful way and provides endless opportunities to be a sincere servant to our mission with a deep sense of humility, devotion and passion.
For more information:
Website
Workshops
Ceremonies
Monday, October 5, 2009
Our Mission in this Lifetime
Our Mission
We are here to serve; to help with the Great Awakening. It is happening. We are negotiating a smooth transition. Our spirits are dancing with Sister Death, a beautiful dance full of life. We are responsible for keeping a balance of light and dark, for each exists in the other. We are responsible for keeping a deep reverence for all beings, light and dark. Do not be afraid, there is nothing to fear. We have everything we need and will ever need to complete our mission. We are responsible for developing a deep sense of humility, forgiveness, compassion gratitude, contentment, joy, happiness and unlimited an unconditional love for all beings. It is with these virtues that we can accomplish our mission. Immerse yourself in your mission and you will receive all that is needed. - martin klabunde
For more information:
Website
Workshops
Ceremonies
For more information:
Website
Workshops
Ceremonies
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