PEACE LOVE YOGA: Photography and Intuition

Burnt To Ash

"All Inquiry is meant for one purpose; to take you experientially into the unknown as efficiently as possible. Once you get there, simply be still because inquiry has delivered you to its destination. The rest is up to Grace. Do not hold onto any knowledge that comes your way. Even the greatest revelations much not be clung to, or you will end up with a head full of memories and a heart empty of substance. The truth is ever new, existing only in the now. The highest truth is beyond knowledge and experience. It is beyond time and space, and beyond beingness, consciousness, and oneness. Just remember that all direct path techniques are meant simply to undermine, to cut away, the one who is performing them. No matter what spiritual path you've walked or what teachings you've followed, they must lead you back to no path and no teaching. A true teaching is like a blazing fire that consumes the itself. The teaching must not only consume you, but consume itself as well. All must be burned to ash, and then the ash must be burned. The, and only then, is the Ultimate realized. True Enlightenment destroys enlightenment. As long as you can refer back to yourself and say, 'I'm enlightened', you not. Enlightenment is authentic only when there is no one left to be enlightened. Even to say 'I am nobody', is one too many. There's a point when you intuitively realize that to be Free you have to give up your attachment to Freedom. You have to quit asking yourself: Is it still there? Am I okay? You have to decide to never look over your shoulder again to see if you're free or if others know you're free. You just have to let yourself burn there - no matter what. This isn't something I can help you with. I can tell you what you need to do, but you have to do it. In the beginning, teachers can help a lot. But the deeper you go, all they can do is point, and clarify, and tell you what you need to do. Only you can take this step. Nobody can push you in to this place."

- Adyashanti

No Expectations

A spirit that lives in this world

and does not wear the shirt of love,

such an existence is a deep disgrace.

Be foolishly in love,

because love is all there is.

There is no way into presence

except through a love exchange.

If someone asks, But what is love?

answer, Dissolving the will.

True freedom comes to those

who have escaped the questions

of freewill and fate.

Love is an emperor.

The two worlds play across him.

He barely notices their tumbling game.

Love and lover live in eternity.

Other desires are substitutes

for that way of being.

How long do you lay embracing a corpse?

Love rather the soul, which cannot be held.

Anything born in spring dies in the fall,

but love is not seasonal.

With wine pressed from grapes,

expect a hangover.

But this love path has no expectations.

You are uneasy riding the body?

Dismount. Travel lighter.

Wings will be given.

Be clear like a mirror

reflecting nothing.

Be clean of pictures and the worry

that comes with images.

Gaze into what is not ashamed

or afraid of any truth.

Contain all human faces in your own

without any judgement of them.

Be pure emptiness.

What is inside that? you ask.

Silence is all I can say.

Lovers have some secrets

that they keep.

(Rumi)

24.12.12

Pic taken by Christine Love Hewitt

“Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph." – Matt Hardy

If you hadn't noticed I have a little hobby. Photography. It kinda snuck up on me. I've always enjoyed snapping photos, even at a young age. There's something about capturing a moment in time, or a beautiful scene, that has held joy for me over the years. I know what you are probably thinking . . . everyone is a photographer nowadays or touts themselves as one. So, yes, I have jumped on the bandwagon. It's an art I have huge respect for, and as an enthusiastic amateur, I welcome the opportunity to get my creative juices flowing as I learn something new.

Criticism . . . why take pictures during travels and miss being in the moment? I don't agree. In my experience, when taking photos you must be conscious and connected to your surroundings, especially when capturing the spirit and energy of a place. Photographers I admire are adept at tuning in, as they tune into their surrounding environment. You can't help but feel the emotion and vitality of their photos.

Can it really be an exercise in intuition? I think so. In many ways. Capturing a striking photo takes instinct, it takes practice, just like anything. I can't say I'm a natural, but I do know the more pictures I take, the more quality images I get. When I relax and change my point of view, another side of me takes over, especially when I let go and not over think it.

And, beyond all that, it's so much fun.

Credits: The top photo was taken by Christine Love Hewitt, a talented pro-photographer that hosts photography workshops in Mysore, India, as well as, organizes photo shoots with yoga practitioners. For more info: www.yogicphotos.com.

The photo below was taken by yours truly . . .

Linkbar

PEACE LOVE YOGA

R. Sharath Jois

Burnt To Ash

Popular Posts of The Week

About

Hamsa

No Expectations

Lots of Yoga

Blog Archive

Photography and Intuition

24.12.12

0 Insightful Comments:

Pages