He Who Dances On Wood

Greetings!

One morning, I watched a short documentary on PBS World Channel.  It was about a man who loved to tap dance on wood.  I listened to his words with an agreeing smile.  Most of us saw life differently at different stages of our lives.  Sometimes we felt life was exciting, joyful and wonderful; at other times we might find life boring, sad and challenging.  As we aged, we might come up with some sort of understanding about life.  This understanding might not necessary fit in the context of right or wrong.  In the brother's case, he said -

" . . . there is a need to speak to God, but I think that everybody has the way of doing it (i.e. one's own way of talking to God).  For me, you (referring to himself) have that drive to do that (tap dancing) everyday, all of the time, it clears me out, it gives me my personal strength, and the main thing is that it doesn't have me trying to convince somebody they need to go to this church or that church, or they need to believe in me, or they need to do this, or they need to do that.  I don't need to say any of that stuff to people.  I'll just be silent because I know I found joy, and it is not Jesus, not Allah, it is a piece of wood.  *** see postscript

After watching the documentary, I thought of Rosie.  I edited Gateway to Heaven , and published it again.
                                            
                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       

Rosie, a relative who lived in another state, called me for the first time about 13 years ago.  She said her mother was gravely ill.  After her father died, her mother lived in sorrow and lost the will to live.  Rosie feared her mother might die soon.  She called me because she wanted me to pray for her mother.  Over the phone, she cried on and off.  I could feel how sad and desperate she felt.  She said she had already lost her father, and could not bear the thought of losing her mother.

Before her call, other relatives had talked to me about Rosie.  They said Rosie had turned to religion a few years earlier (i.e. a few year before she called me for the first time).  In time, she totally believed in what she heard at church that only Christians could go to heaven.  She believed she had found the best religion and the true god.  She handed out flyers of her church on the street.  She urged her loved ones and relatives to go to church.  She called them constantly saying that they must go to church or they would go to hell when they died.  When they came across her on the street, all she talked about was her belief.  As a result, many relatives as well as her loved ones had stopped answering her calls and avoided seeing her.

Rosie did not say anything about her religion that day.  Before she hung up, she asked me to pray for her mother again.

At the time, I had not stepped outside of my family to join the Thursday circle.  I did not go to church.  I had read many spiritual books because I wanted to find answers to my mystical experiences.  However, I kept these experiences to myself.  When I talked to my relatives over the phone or sat among them, I often chose to listen and let others talk.  We had many relatives living in USA.  Rosie had not called me before.  I wondered what caused her to ask me to pray for her mother.

At night, I prayed for Rosie's family especially her mother.  When my mother passed away in 1984, I cried for three years whenever I thought of her.  (Re Happy Mother's Day )  I could relate to what Rosie's mother might be going through.  From books and in my own experiences, I knew my mother continued to love me from the other side.  I decided to write her a letter hoping it might ease her sorrow.  With full sincerity, I wrote a 4-page letter to Rosie's mother.

Few days later, Rosie called me.  She was obviously shocked to read my letter.  She said she had asked the pastor of her church to call me.  She asked me to take his call.  I wrote the letter out of love, but I should have known this might happen.  Calmly, I told her I would talk to her pastor.  The pastor was courteous and gentle.  We had a good talk.  We talked for an hour.  The pastor had an open mind, and I mentioned some books for him to read.  Afterward, Rosie called.  She seemed to be embarrassed and apologetic.

Since we had different views, I thought Rosie would not call me again.  However, she continued to call me every now and then.  Knowing that she could not convince me, she did not talk about what she believed in.  She talked about her childhood and other painful memories.  She held lots of pain within, and had a hard time of letting go. 

In recent years, some relatives said Rosie continued to force her belief on them.  She sent them religious books even though they told her not to.  Those books ended up in the trash the minute they received them.  They said Rosie was hostile when they did not want to listen.

One day, I had an honest talk with Rosie when she called me.  I asked her to stop forcing her belief on others.  She said all she wanted was to save others so that they could go to heaven like her.  I said, "If you have found the true god, should you be joyful instead of living in pain everyday?  If the religion you believe in is the best religion, how come you do not live in peace?"  Despite of our talk, I knew she would only change when she was ready or willing.

Rosie was about the age of my older sister.  They were both the oldest child in their families.  We grew up in the same place, but their family moved to USA ten years before I did.  During family gatherings, we (the children) used to play card games in a room.  Sometimes we took turns doing what we did best, e.g. singing, dancing and telling stories.  In my memory, Rosie was a good big sister to her siblings.  She was pretty and had a sweet voice.  She liked to sing, and sang beautifully.  Last year, I finally asked why (of all the relatives) she asked me to pray for her mother.  She said, "Did you remember we, the children, used to play and sing in a room during family gatherings?  You might not have noticed that I liked to sit near you.  Even though you were small and younger than some of us, I always felt there was something special about you.  I felt very peaceful sitting next to you.  When I was very worried that my mother would die, I thought of calling you to pray for her."  (Rosie's mother had moved on a few years ago.)

Time flies by.  Rosie and I are grandmothers now.  With love and hope, may Rosie release her view of hell and heaven, may peace fill her heart and joy fill her life.

Many blessings,
Q of D

P.S.  After watching the documentary on TV, I wanted to find out the actual words of wisdom that the brother said.  I found "He Who Dances On Wood" on YouTube.  It was about 5 min. 46 sec. long.  I watched the video and wrote down what he said.  However, when l looked it up today, the video did not work, but the words were still clear.

April 12, 2024 - I happen to reread this post today.  I am glad to find the video on YouTube.  The video is clear and is a longer version than the previous one.  Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUFJxZST9sc

Gateway to Heaven

Greetings!

In my other posts, I mentioned I did not have a religion, but I had faith.  Interestingly, this was reflected in my readings.

For example, in the March 2006 reading, the wonderful psychic, seeing the pictures in her mind eye, excitedly exclaimed, "Oh, on the other side, you go to the universal church!  You are not fixated on any religion!"

Recently, I had a reading over the phone by a world known channel who lived in another state.  I had heard of her years ago, but had never met her.  She instructed her clients not to tell her anything about themselves before she finished giving them the information that came to her.  She began the session by telling me the visions she saw in her meditation before the reading.  Her visions were quite relevant.  In one vision, she saw Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, Quan Yin, Master Kuthumi, Yogananda, and other Ascended Ones standing under a beautiful tree, and they were all smiling.  She said it was one of the most beautiful visions she had ever seen.

The Awakened Ones knew the Truth that 'We Are One'.  It was us (or most of us on earth) who in our ignorance continued to discriminate against each another based on religious belief, race, or ethnicity.

                                                ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

One Sunday after service, a brother asked if I was a Christian.  I said, "I don't have a religion, but I believe in God."  His face stiffened.  He asked, "Do you love Jesus?"  I said, "I love Jesus Christ just as I love Buddha."  His face softened.  He said, "As long as you love Jesus, you are alright."  I had known him since I joined the small church. He had been on his spiritual journey for a long time.  I looked at him for a while.  I did not say anything that day.  The Truth lies within each one of us.  On the stage of life, we were where we were at.  He was alright too.

                                                ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

In 2009, I went to a spiritual circle near where I lived.  As we talked, I learned the facilitator had been a known psychic for many decades.  Coincidentally, she was scheduled to speak five months later at the small church which I called my spiritual home.  Our church was based on Christianity; however, it was non denominational and open to people of all faith.  The facilitator automatically assumed I was a Christian.  Later, the group went into meditation.  When it was over, the facilitator asked, "You are a Christian, aren't you?"  She proceeded to say, "But, you are a Buddhist!  I saw Quan Yin descends and stands next to you!"  I said I loved Quan Yin and Buddha the same as I loved Jesus Christ.

                                                ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

One Sunday, after volunteering at the soup kitchen for some months, I decided to attend their church service.

The soup kitchen was inside the church.  I usually arrived before 10:30 am and left around 3 pm on the days I volunteered.  All those days, I had never seen a single bird in their parking lot, but I saw a phenomenal scene that Sunday.  When I got out of my car, I saw many white birds flying right above my car!  My heart was filled with awe as they stayed for quite a while at a short distance above my head.  (If you like, please click to view How easy it is to judge and react...Story 2 about my soup kitchen experience)

The day after the Sunday service, a woman from the church came to talk to me while I was volunteering in the soup kitchen.  It was clear they wanted me to be part of their church family.  When she learned that I was not into any religion, the atmosphere froze.  She said those who were not Christians would go to hell.

I said, "What if there is a man who lives in a far away land and has never heard of Jesus Christ?  He loves his family and his neighbors.  He helps whenever help is needed.  He works hard day in and day out.  Do you think he will go to hell because he is not a Christian?"  She said the man would not go to heaven.

Suddenly, she seemed to be very sad.  She said, "My father was a high school teacher.  He was a good man and a good father.  I had asked him to come to church, but he did not want to.  He passed away a few years ago.  He could not enter heaven because he was not a Christian."

I looked at her with lots of compassion.  I said, "Don't be sad.  I am sure your father is in heaven.  He may be by your side at this very moment.  What religion is God?  God is God, and God is love . . ."  She could not listen anymore, and stormed out of the soup kitchen.

How painful it must be for her to keep it in her mind that her father had gone to hell. She was not the only one.  There were many like her who lived in pain, fear, shame, and guilt because they held onto rigid, wrong religious beliefs.  They suffered because they were more readily to form a judgment of others and themselves.  In pride and self-righteousness, they might even feel hateful towards those that did not conform to their beliefs.

                                                ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

I knew a Rosie (not the real name) who turned to religion some years ago in order to find solace in life.  It was the case with many people who turned to religion because life on earth was indeed quite challenging.  She too believed what her church had told her that only those who were committed to the religion could go to heaven.  She said she had found the best religion and the true god.  She incessantly urged her loved ones (who were grown-ups) and all her relatives to go to church.  In time, her own children, siblings, and relatives avoided seeing her and did not return her calls.  She said she wanted to save them, but nobody listened to her.  She lived in pain and fear that her loved ones might not go to heaven.

Writing about Rosie reminded me of something that happened long time ago.  There was a time in my early teens that our class got into a debate if there was God.  For some days, we continued to debate during breaks or after school.  Some said, "If there is God, how come there is so much suffering in the world?"  I observed two of my classmates never said a word.  They carried a small bible in their hands wherever they went.  They were always humble and respectful of others.  While the rest of us debated about God, they sat there peacefully.  In their silence, they had shown how sure they were of their faith and of God.  Out of respect for them, I stopped taking part in the debate.  They never forced what they deemed as truth unto others as Rosie did, but their presence showed the good they believed in.  

As a grown-up, I knew to walk away from foolish, ignorant debates or arguments which were in truth a waste of time on most occasions.

                                                ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Throughout history, wars had been fought over which religion was the best religion and whose god was the true god.  Tens of thousands if not millions had been killed in wars declared in the name of god.  At times, religions flourished; at other times, religions were suppressed.  Temples had been built, burnt, rebuilt, destroyed over and over again.  While we prayed to the "Almighty God", some of us raised wars to defend the almighty god !  Some said one must be of this religion or that religion to enter the kingdom of God.  I did not know if they ever wondered what happened to those souls who existed long before today's religion came into being.

                                                 ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Originally, I chose the Motto of the Theosophical Society founded by H.P. Blavatsky as the title of this post - There is no religion higher than the Truth - because it resonated with the truth within me.  However, my younger son had warned me to be careful with the copyright stuff when he guided me to set up the blog over the phone. (At that time, we lived in different states.)  So I changed the title.

Before I sign off, I would like to talk about Buddha and Jesus Christ.

Many people said they worshiped Buddha or Jesus Christ.  They saw Christ or Buddha as their gateway to heaven.

They worshiped Christ (or Buddha), yet they did not follow his teaching.  They looked down on people who were different, e.g. different religious belief, social status, skin color, and ethnicity.  They forgot Christ had said "Judge not lest ye be judged", and Buddha had taught us not to look at others with separation.  They forgot the Awakened Ones had said we should treat one another with compassion and love.

Buddha and Christ said we were equal by nature.  They knew that in Truth "We Are One".  When I thought of Buddha, Jesus Christ, and other Awakened Ones, I thought of their teaching, wisdom, and tireless travels to share what they knew.  Most of all, I thought of their love and compassion for humanity.  They came to show us the way to live our life, and they continued to shine their light on our path.  They wanted us to understand that 'we are responsible for our lives, and what matters the most is how we live, love, and treat other people'.  In other words, it would be erroneous for us to think that everything would be fine as long as we called Buddha or Jesus Christ our "Lord" without living responsibly.

It has been cold.  Please take care of yourself.  May the light of love keep you warm and safe wherever you are.

Many blessings,
Q of D

P.S.  This post was originally published on Feb. 1, 2014.  I publish it again because it is relevant to the post I am writing (i.e. my next post).
                                     

When The Sky Is Gray

Greetings!

I was watching short videos on YouTube.  Out of nowhere, the words 'when the sky is gray' came to my mind.  Then I happened to click on  

Tragedy into Triumph - Inky Johnson & Inspirational Video 

I realized the words that came to me were good for the title of this post.  In life, most of us wondered why this or that happened every now and then.  It helped to listen to other's true stories and inspirational insight about life such as Mr. Johnson's. 

Love and Peace
Q of D

On Angels Day I heard 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel'

Greetings!

Today is Jan. 11, a 111 day.  I honor the loving presence of the angels in my life.  I am very grateful for their love and support.  (I also regard Nov. 1 and Nov. 11 as Angels Day.)

This morning I woke up hearing 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' over and over in the air.  Meanwhile, I found myself in a wonderful, powerful field of energy.  It lasted for a long time.  I had heard the song before on YouTube, but this was the first time I heard it upon waking up.  Though I loved music, I was not into memorizing lyrics except if I really, really liked a song.  With most songs, I only knew a line or two.  Later in the day, I looked up the lyrics of the 'Emmanuel' song on YouTube.

This waking up hearing music phenomenon was beyond me.  I woke up hearing music only every now and then.  Sometimes I did not know the music or the song I heard.  I wrote down a few notes on my notebook, but could not hum the notes correctly later in the day.  There were times I knew they were American nursery rhymes.  I was not familiar with them since I did not grow up here.  I asked for my older son's help by humming the song.  He wondered why I did not know these simple nursery rhymes!  In a way, I understood he was annoyed to hear that I woke up hearing music.  (He did not want to hear anything mystical / spiritual.)  Therefore, I did not talk to him about the music I heard anymore.  If I did not know the music / song, I either let it go or tried to find an answer from YouTube.  My younger son had told me about the hum the tune app, but I had not tried it.

Here are two interesting music in the air incidents. 

One morning a few years ago, I had three short dreams.  After each short dream, I woke up hearing music.  Each dream came with a different song.  Strangely, I kind of understood what the dreams were telling me.  For example, I heard 'Old MacDonald Had A Farm'.  Immediately, I knew my younger son and his wife had found a house they liked.  From the song, I guessed it was an old house with a big backyard.  Later that day, my son called to let me know that they had put a down payment on a house.  I did not say anything about my dream and the song.  I also did not ask any question about the house.  About 2 or 3 months later, we helped them moved to their new house.  It was a good old house with a big backyard (or a backyard much bigger than their previous house).

Some months ago, I woke up hearing a nursery rhyme.  It went on and on in the air, yet I could not hear the words clearly.  Since I had no idea what it was, I began to chant ** to stop the music.  The next morning, I woke up hearing the same music again.  It was rare that I heard the same song two mornings in a row.  I tried my best to listen.  I could hum the tune.  It was a very pleasant, easy to sing song.  However, I just could not figure out the words.  In my heart, I wondered, "Why do I hear the song again?  I don't know the song."  Suddenly, I heard "Daisy, Daisy".  When I turned on the computer, I learned the song was 'A Bicycle Built For Two'.

Why did I hear 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' on this Angels Day?  I did not know.  The night before I had prayed for those that were greatly affected by the wildfires and mudslides in California.

The day is almost over.  The energy in me and around me is still very strong.  It is especially strong when I listen to the music 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel'.

Have a good night!

Many blessings,
Q of D

** I woke up hearing mantras more often than music.  They were mantras that I knew.  I supposed it happened because I had chanted those mantras on and off over the years.  However, I never knew which mantra I would hear when I came out of my sleep.

What if it is my son or daughter in a similar situation?

Greetings!

It was 6 pm.  The apartment manager had all the paper work ready.  Her assistants had left.  She stayed behind because a young man from another state had called that he would be there soon.  When he arrived, she would have him sign the lease.  She would give him the key to his apartment.  Then she could go home.

Early that morning, a mother saw her son drove off to another state.  It was the first time her son drove to another state all by himself.  Her son had gotten a TripTik from AAA (a print-out route plan), and he had given her a copy.  It was a 13 to 14-hour drive!  She could not sleep during the night, and knew her son was up most of the night too.  She knew her son was very stubborn that he would drive there without taking any time to rest.  There was nothing she could do other than praying for the angels to surround, energize and protect her son.

About two hours later, the mother got a call from her son.  He had stopped for gas.  When he got back on the road, a page or two of the print-out route plan were flown out of the car because he had left the window open.  He wrote down the information that his mother said over the phone, and continued his drive to another state.  It was a short delay due to the little drama.  The mother was grateful that her son had given her a copy of the TripTik.

Some time in the late afternoon, the son called to say that he was now in that state, and was on his way to the city where the apartment was.  The mother said, "It will take about two and a half hour for you to drive over there.  The office will be closed."  The son said, "Don't worry!  I'll be there much sooner than that.  Besides, the manager said she would wait for me."  The mother said, "You will probably be there around 8:30 pm.  The office must be closed by that time.  Please promise me you will get a hotel room ... "  The son said, "Don't worry!  I will be there before 7 pm.  Besides, I know how to take care of myself."  According to the TripTik, the mother knew there was no way her son would be there before 7 pm.  Knowing her son, she also knew her son might not get a hotel room; he might wait in his car for the office to open in the morning.  She could only pray and place her trust in the loving Divine that everything was going to be all right.

Forty minutes had gone by, the young man had not arrived.  The apartment manager decided to leave.  She thought he could come in the morning to sign the lease.  At home, she made dinner.  After dinner, she thought of her daughter who was at college.  She loved her and missed her.  Somehow, she thought, "What if it was my daughter in the young man's situation?  Would I want the apartment manager to wait for her?"  It was past 8 pm.  She decided to drive back to the office.

Some time before 9 pm., the son called the mother that he was now in his apartment.  The manager had waited for him.  He would go out to get some food for he had not bought lunch or dinner on his drive there.  That night the mother went to bed with a heart full of gratitude.

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

Please click to view The Amazing Dream of Moving - Story 1.

When I went to thank the manager, she told me the story.  She said, "In my 20 (?) years as the manager, I rarely stayed behind to wait for anybody to sign the lease not to mention 8:30 pm.  My daughter is a college student.  She lives on campus.  That night I kept thinking what if that was my daughter in a similar situation ..."  As we talked, we both felt the touch of the Loving Divine in what had happened.

                      What if it is my son or daughter in a similar situation?

Let us treat one another with kindness and compassion.  Let us look at others as if they are part of our family.

Many blessings,
Q of D

P.S.  Going places is easier than before.  My sons used their phones' GPS, and they bought me a GPS device to use in the car.