tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64475513495382315602024-03-05T22:33:36.490+11:00Life CenterPepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-34199007340824043012011-04-14T05:18:00.005+10:002011-04-14T05:32:44.168+10:00Moving OnWell. This has been a long time coming, I know! But it doesn't mean I haven't been doing anything. I have been starting a new, bigger, brighter blog here atHow to Happiness. This is a sight about practical ways to gain more happiness. Although I am very involved with my spiritual development, what I know is how to clear negative and unnecessary emotional baggage. I have done so much of it Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-66947665715105487032010-10-20T14:09:00.000+11:002010-10-20T14:09:00.375+11:00HappinessI know we are all looking for more happiness. How could you ever have enough? But, what I have learned from Buddhist teaching is that with happiness inevitably there is also unhappiness. Certainly, being aware of that can cause a slight dampening of spirits in connection with that happy making item, event, person. However, a slight reduction in intimate connection with this sensation Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-53842566310345189822010-10-19T13:53:00.003+11:002010-10-19T14:09:41.337+11:00Meditation PracticeFor a long time I had lost my meditation practice. Years ago I would daily practice a chakra meditation. However, I found having young children made meditation hard. They were always wanting you, or you were always cleaning up, or preparing food, and then you were just too tired.When I read Eckhart Tolle, I stopped even thinking of meditation. He doesn't talk a great deal about a meditation Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-88432120519463253572010-08-24T11:21:00.000+10:002010-08-24T11:21:00.368+10:00Communication Frustration!What frustration is this??!!Trying to communicate with others in another room of the house. Calling out, "I can't hear you", "what?" and other obvious and irritating time wasting statements.A friend (Bree) made a rule - "I am not going to answer you if there is a wall between us."I am making that rule now (and I'm going to try to keep it!) and see if I can limit the irritation and frustration ofPepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-20142341279807816262010-08-24T08:07:00.003+10:002010-08-24T08:21:48.345+10:00Meditation and KidsSo - I'm crying. I've just blown up at Samantha, I'm crashing around the house, and thinking this is just IMPOSSIBLE!I was given a book about meditation - I have several, but this one has pretty pictures - after putting out a question for meditation direction. The book has inspired me. I have meditated for the past three days morning and night. I am thinking, yesterday I was able to stay more Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-12106937429341225662010-08-19T21:50:00.002+10:002010-08-19T21:54:48.366+10:00A blessing.May the sun bring you new energy by day,may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries,may the breeze blow new strength into your being. Apache Blessing(Due to some sort of error, I believe to be a part of the Blogger system, I cannot Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-18824714331447397832010-07-31T13:48:00.001+10:002010-08-19T11:40:40.694+10:00Soul QuestionsLately I have had some questions about SELF. If we follow Eckhart Tolle, then I understand that we all need to find stillness, and access Being, the One, perhaps God, the Universal Life Force. A Oneness that links everything in the universe, big or small. It is the infinite, and eternal. At our essence, that is who we are. But. Doesn't that make us all the same, in essence. Clearly, we are not Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-48156159174116617612010-07-27T14:18:00.002+10:002010-07-28T21:46:18.778+10:00Shining like the sun.I still work toward seeing the light in others around me. Sometimes I see a glow in my children. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be to see the world in its full color, without interpretations, names, commentary, expectations and criticisms piled on top of it a lot of the time. However, I have had enough lovely moments of shining treasures that I can glimpse it. Below is Thomas Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-18862966218455288432010-07-22T14:02:00.000+10:002010-07-22T14:02:00.180+10:00The universe speaks!Can you hear the universe conversing with you? Do you spend time in quiet and stillness giving the universe the opportunity to let you know its secrets? What would you think if you heard its whisper? Would you take a step in a new direction if you heard the universe speak?"Every one of us is a mystic. We may or not realise it. But whether we know it or not, whether we accept it or not, mystical Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-75297793464143199882010-07-19T13:53:00.000+10:002010-07-19T13:53:00.242+10:00Christianity and The Power of Now 4Another entry by our guest blogger, Brad Harris.The next Bible verse quoted by Eckhart Tolle in ‘A New Earth’ is from the gospel of Matthew. It records Jesus as saying:‘ if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well’. Matthew 5:40This seems a simple piece of advice but the implications of it are enormous. It goes far beyond not taking people to court to rectify disputes. Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-296399964451042812010-07-13T12:01:00.007+10:002010-07-13T13:24:19.659+10:00The Gruen Transfer - AdvertisingYou may or not have seen a very successful show on the ABC called The Gruen Transfer. It is a 30 minute show devoted entirely to looking at advertising, most specifically television advertising. It is a fascinating insight into a world of attention grabbing, what triggers our interest and desires, and how that can be manipulated. It also looks occasionally at how advertising has developed, and inPepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-38067998233278352642010-07-11T08:14:00.000+10:002010-07-11T08:14:00.368+10:00The suffering of expectationSometimes when I tell people that I run an Eckhart Tolle Silent Meditation Group, I am told - "Oh, I need something like that" or "That would be really good for me."It jars a little to hear these words. I give details of the meetings and await their disappointment. I feel they will be expecting something from our gathering, to learn something or be given something. In fact, those in our group Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-65672926530380252302010-07-08T11:00:00.000+10:002010-07-08T11:00:00.765+10:00A Year of WondersIt is over a year ago that I read A New Earth, and a short time after that that I began the Silent Meditation Group in Sutherland. In a spiritual sense it has been a huge year.~Last year I could sense the life tingle in my hand, as directed by Tolle. Now I can stop and feel my whole body alive. ~12 months ago I might have the odd moment of peace, and now can have entire days of presence (school Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-25058518820392521772010-07-05T07:34:00.000+10:002010-07-05T09:37:23.087+10:00Christianity and The Power of Now 3Our guest blogger, Brad Harris, continues with his series, A New Way of Seeing God.This time we take a look at the two verses in the Bible from which Eckhart Tolle takes the title of his book ‘A New Earth’. They are both prophecies relating to a transformation of the earth. One is from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and one is from the New Testament book of Revelation. “Then I saw a new heaven Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-29198801363801442952010-07-02T09:35:00.000+10:002010-07-02T11:46:47.808+10:00Head SpaceWhen you hear Eckhart Tolle speak, or read his words, you often hear him say that if his words are not resonating with you, or are meaningless to you, then you may yet to have had your first glimpse of consciousness without thought. This first moment of consciousness is an act of grace, and can happen to anyone, in any circumstances, at anytime. You can't DO anything to bring it about.But, for soPepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-40320391231822286592010-06-29T06:34:00.004+10:002010-06-29T06:49:03.533+10:00Christianity and The Power of Now 2Brad Harris is our guest blogger continuing his theme - A New Way of Seeing God. In my last blog, I said that ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle had totally changed my way of thinking about God, Jesus and the Bible. Whilst this may not be totally true (I have been reading lots of books in this area, and can’t always remember where ideas come from) Eckhart did ‘kick start’ a radical change in my Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-87074635921121347772010-06-25T11:59:00.000+10:002010-06-25T11:59:00.523+10:00God is for Everyone'Through the present moment, you have access to the power of life itself, that which has traditionally been called "God". As soon as you turn away from it, God ceases to be a reality in your life, and all you are left with is the mental concept of God, which some people believe in and others deny. Even belief in God is only a poor substitute for the living reality of God manifesting every moment Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-84664887012000624352010-06-22T11:16:00.001+10:002010-06-22T11:16:00.253+10:00TwilightEscapism doesn't get much better than the Twilight book series. Written by Stephanie Meyer, this young adult story has become massively popular with younger and older women alike. It is the story of a vampire, Edward, falling in love with Bella, a non-vampire.A friend talked me into starting the series, and I did not stop until I had read all 4 books. Her mother overheard us talking about the Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-78186202692746391842010-06-20T09:23:00.000+10:002010-06-20T09:34:54.189+10:00Christianity and The Power of NowA guest post by Brad HarrisAlthough I can’t quite remember exactly when I first read The Power of Now, I do remember the circumstances in which I became aware of the book and how it just ‘jumped into my lap’ in my favourite bookstore in Bowral. Having just been told about Eckhart Tolle and the concept of ‘living in the Now’ by a counsellor, I went looking for the book soon after when my wife and Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-46785930915325596792010-06-19T11:23:00.001+10:002010-06-19T11:23:00.530+10:00The NOW - an escapist pursuit?I sometimes wonder if the enjoyment of the Now is just another escapist pursuit, like a reading a good book, or being involved in a movie. Is it just another way to avoid reality? Am I just being taken for a ride by the soft, quiet tones of Eckhart Tolle's words?But, unlike other escapist past times, the Now wont end, wont become a disappointment somehow, or an annoyance over time. It will Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-66128196552781811172010-06-16T10:58:00.001+10:002010-06-16T10:58:00.863+10:00The CanvasI have been thinking that being present in the Now, our stillness, awareness, just being-ness is the canvas on which life comes and goes. When you can stay aware of the canvas, feel the space in which life is evolving, and the silence into which sound is playing, and the stillness in which life moves, well, then you can see how it is all spiritual, for the canvas is spiritual.Eckhart Tolle Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-77306712864328911042010-06-06T10:35:00.007+10:002010-06-13T11:04:10.692+10:00Fantasy FutureI have always been big on planning. Mapping out the path to success, riches, secruity, grand holidays and different lifestyles. Ideas of excitment and change and growth. I have always been prepared to work toward them, motivated by the end goal. This has kept my head, and thoughts, firmly in the future.So, when Eckhart Tolle says to remain present, have your thoughts only in the Now, or ratherPepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-37777760050240339352010-06-06T08:34:00.008+10:002010-06-11T11:44:29.412+10:00Introducing Rob BellI think in many ways christian beliefs and Eckhart Tolle's teaching are compatible. However, I have struggled to find a church that I am able to sit comfortably in with my Tolle ideas in my head. So, it seems, in theory I could be both a christian and spiritualist, but in reality I feel I need to choose. That was until I was introduced to Rob bell. It is my good fortune to have met a man Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-29580840557896254072010-02-20T07:17:00.003+11:002010-02-20T07:28:10.427+11:00Spiritual Practice and WorkSometimes it can seem hard to maintain our spiritual practice when we are engaged in activity work or relationships. Eckhart Tolle states that it is those times that are our practice, however.We need to focus our inner attention on the body, and the vibrations there that become stronger and stronger with practice. Then we need to keep some of that attention on the inner body as we go about our Pepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447551349538231560.post-43554549865584368832009-09-29T05:52:00.002+10:002009-09-29T06:05:41.907+10:00SurrenderEckhart Tolle has several themes that run constantly through his teachings. To reach our spiritual selves we need to overcome the ego, which includes the story of "me". We need to leave behind ideas of past and future. We need to recognise the emptiness and meaninglessness of deriving pleasure from objects.I have come to understand that being part of the natural peace and joy within each of usPepper The Salon Dog!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04005962077418414990noreply@blogger.com1