Joining Liechtenstein's Army

Joining Liechtenstein's army: 

sometimes even a social media meme can offer some deep insight - and an amusing one the other day informed me that Liechtenstein's last military engagement was in 1866 when 80 men were deployed to their border and upon return their unit had increased by one. Apparently they had made a new friend who accompanied them home. This is a true story, my doubts caused me to do some quick research, and indeed, on deployment during the Austro- Prussian war, the Liechtenstein's army increased by the count of one due to friendship. 

there's no reason why they couldn't happened now.

of course not in the same details, the world is much more complex and complicated now, and warfare has gained a sophistication of easy use that seems to make it a ready made solution to certain affairs. But this isn't about  geopolitical issues - it's about friendship, increasing the number of those we love by a single digit. Every war begins with the decision that we would rather destroy instead of extend love. It's a choice, with even the smaller battles that we face everyday in our personal lives being chosen in an instant of forgotten options. Every one of them. Warfare is also the abdication of personal responsibility, surrendering our goodwill to political leaders in an easy shrug for battle. 

so obviously, I have no solutions for such complex issues.

I'm not a soldier, nor politician.

but I do have a choice -

and I'm joining the, now defunct, Liechtenstein army.

I'll simply make friends. 

I'll be kind.

and leave my battlefields behind.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Nothing Unreal Exists

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Nothing Unreal Exists

Nothing unreal exists: 

and at a certain point the metaphysics of A Course in Miracles prove themselves true, what at one time felt like a workable theory to guide my practice shows itself to be of ultimate value. The introduction of the Course gives is away completely and provides the most useful tool throughout the entire book for my awakening. 

nothing real can be threatened.

nothing unreal exists.

those words have become a lifeline meditation for me, a connection to reality, pulling back from the dreaming of the world to the safety of the peace of God. They're a continuous inquiry into what is real, a gentle probe into the solidity of all my problems and every fear. And it's this practice that eventually shows the falsity of the world, that while it might still appear solid in existence, reality becomes more and more apparent as the dream begins to flickers and waver through the day. That's the value of practice, taking the metaphysics to the extreme of proof, applying and testing concepts to see if they hold true. A Course in Miracles says the world is unreal - is that true? 

nothing unreal exists.

and all that feels and appears to be threatening is there to reveal if this is so. We don't wake up from a dream by believing in the dawn. It's the actuality of the experience that proves itself as light. Nothing unreal exists is the working premise of my life, a gentle test of my every belief system, an inquiry that actually takes me from the unreal to reality. 

it's a continuous waking point,

dawn, 

a guideline through the dark. 

~

I love you, Eric 

To read more from Headless now, please visit: A Form of Prayer

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A Form of Prayer

A form of prayer: 

there's an empty screen before me, and then in an instant words are given and some meaning begins to show. Every morning starts this way for me, a writing ritual of trusting that just the right words will appear without me having to reach for them. This once was a moment of anxiety for me, every artist knows the blank intimidation of a waiting page or canvas, and I would struggle with this early morning confrontation of emptiness. There was an underlying fear that perhaps it was this morning that inspiration might finally abandon me. Most mornings now I face the screen with a complete trust that I will be given the exact words needed to fulfill the sacred purpose the page. I am here for a very specific reason, a holy obligation to share myself through words, and I have complete faith in the flow of inspiration. What I write is really and only meant to display this trust. 

it's a form of prayer.

and so the purpose is built into the very fabric of page, emptiness serving as the capacity to receive, and this early morning ritual is meant to convey that sense of trust through every aspect of my day. It's a beautiful beginning...a prayer that's always answered.

holy spirit,

thank you for these words.

amen.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Awaken

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Awaken

Awaken: 

truly, forgiveness becomes the ultimate expression of Jhana yoga, being a deep means of self inquiry that takes us directly to the heart of the matter. This is forgiveness as taught by Jesus in A Course in Miracles, an entirely different practice than what's commonly known as forgiveness. What we're asked to do is to see beyond the perception of an open wound shared between us - to the reality of the seamless expression of love. Our true identity. One Self. Realizing who we really are makes animosity impossible, no grudges nor judgement exists within an open realm of pure awareness. So forgiveness simply asks us to be aware, to rest in the comfort of who we truly are - at least for the moment of our practice. And as we forgive, stringing these eternal points of practice together for a lifetime...

we awaken.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Heart-Reach

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Heart-Reach

Heart-reach:

I'm not exactly sure when I finally got it, truly understanding that it's the entire world that needs forgiven, and that my smallest part was to simply forgive each moment as it came to me. The initial stage of my practice was to confront the big issues that haunted me, paring them down to manageable thoughts of past events that could no longer hurt me in the present. I thought of forgiveness as a tool of self-improvement, a means of setting myself free from the resents of the past. And of course it certainly is an effective means of healing and I felt considerably better for my practice. But through years of deepening study of A Course in Miracles, developing a sincere and committed wish to opening fully to its message - 

forgiveness became what I offered to the world.

by this I mean that, while yes, there's still ongoing issues to forgive, it's a much deeper and ongoing practice that touches every aspect of my life. It's not about forgiving "things' or people, not solely at least - it's more profound, I see it now as a continuous meditation on the presence of the holiest of lights that shines from within us all, animates the world, expanding my heart-reach through every small act of grace and kindness. 

forgiveness is living in that heart-reach of love.

continuously so.

and even when I forget, as I still often do....it becomes another aspect of my practice.

just one more thing to be forgiven.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Blessing the World

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Blessing the World

 

Blessing the World: 

the real is question is:

are you blessing the world with your practice, 

are you kinder,

gentler,

more patient in your care for others?

yes.

and still I continue with my practice.

~

those words above seemed to float towards me while I was sitting in meditation, the initial question asking if my practice is actually blessing the world or am I lost in the details of my daily rituals - it provided a wonderful opportunity to review the depth of my practice. Forgiveness is hands on affair between myself and the Holy Spirit, a continuous blessing that's quietly offered to the world. It's not showy or dramatic, no big rituals in place, nor are any invocations needed. I simply forgive at the first sign of any grievance or judgement, no matter how slight in their appearance, recognizing my own internal error of misjudgment, and then ask the Holy Spirit for help in its release. It's often a seamless practice now, more immediate than ever before - but not always. 

yet eventually, 

I always return to forgiveness.

so this has become my blessing to the world, that it's such a relief to no longer carry the weight of all those concerns, being released from petty judgement, my deep wounds healing, and letting go of each resentment as soon as it appears. I am lighter now, more at ease, and yes, kinder and more gentle - towards myself and to others. But it's a continuous practice, moment to moment, and it's that which actually brings me the greatest peace of mind. I no longer have to entertain a single grievance, not even for an instant, I can forgive, and forgive, and still forgive some more. 

as often as it's needed.

and with this my practice truly has become...

a blessing to the world.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Arriving From Grace

Also, please visit to buy: A Course in Miracles

Thank you. 

 

Arriving From Grace

Arriving from grace: 

yes, I am a bit surprised to find myself drawn to the rosary, with my own long time mantra now being replaced by an almost forgotten childhood prayer, beads slipping through my fingers in a silent count of trust. But it feels familiar too, ancient, even feral, as if I'm returning myself to the womb of the great mother herself. There are a few changes in the wording and process, a spontaneous replacement of the closing word "death" with what feels like a more natural expression - awakening. The Lords Prayer is most often omitted and as I reach those larger beads I am reminded instead of these oft repeated lines from A Course in miracles - I am not a body, I am free, as I am still as God created me. The prayer has become my own, it feels alive, 

and I allow the words to be whispered to me from their Source. 

indeed, arriving from grace.

blessing me.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Rosary

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