Leela Music Newsletter, January 2008Michael Stribling Here's an overview of what you'll find in this issue:
Another Day in Paradise moved up from the #4 spot to #2 in December. Also, this past month New Age Reporter announced the nominations for their 2007 Lifestyle Music Awards, and both Another Day in Paradise and Out of the Darkness, Into the Light (which was released January 2007) are nominated in four categories. At this point, I'm thinking of releasing two albums in 2008. One will be the result of the music I'm currently developing, while the other one will be a compilation of "all the mellow stuff" from the first four CDs. Hopefully, it will be useful for yoga, meditation, relaxation, massage, etc., and it may even be a two-CD set. We'll have to see how that develops.
It's about subtraction, not addition. Salvation, Enlightenment, or whatever one chooses to call it, is not about adding anything—-the attainment of knowledge, a long list of good works, etc.—-it is about removing the barriers that obscure or cover the Truth or Living Presence, which is always available to us, waiting to be revealed. Whether we metaphorically refer to this idea as a mud-covered gem, or the sun behind the clouds, the point is that the glory is always there, within everyone; it's just hidden, and we've forgotten our true nature. Everyone carries the Divine Spark (in fact, all of Creation carries the same Spark); everyone is a manifestation of the Creative Force in the Universe. Some call that Force God, Universe, Love . . . a rose by any other name . . . The idea is that we lose sight of the glory and perfection that lives within each of us. The task is to remember who we are, and uncover what has been hidden. Not everyone embraces the idea that each of us is perfect, but that's probably because we're only perceiving the mud/clouds that obscure the gem/sun that is right where it's always been. Maybe we need to develop x-ray vision so we can see beyond the mud/clouds. We might especially need to see ourselves that way, before we start looking for it in others. Unless we accept it in ourselves, it will be hard to see it in others. In any event, the path toward Enlightenment (I guess I prefer that word after all) is about taking things away, lightening the load, traveling lighter. The mud/clouds that obscure the Truth or Living Presence in each of us consists primarily of the ideas that we carry around in our heads. And we get pretty attached to some of them. Ideas about unworthiness, sin, guilt, etc. excel at covering over the gem/sun that lies within. Curiously, the idea is not so much to think a whole bunch of good thoughts (addition) as much as it is to stop thinking the bad thoughts (subtraction). The bottom line is that we don't need more ideas to flaunt, more causes to support, more judgments to make. We need less. The more of those things we subtract from our lives, the easier it is to see the gem/sun within. Most of us simply have too much activity in our lives. We're spread so thin that what energy we have left is dissipated in a hundred directions. The contemplative lifestyle is about simplifying life and focusing on the few things that really matter. In the end, it's about subtraction, not addition.
The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of small pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes". The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions--things that, if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes of golf! There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that, no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
Every issue, I give away a free CD (autographed, of course :-). If you're on the mailing list, you're automatically entered in every drawing. This month, the winner is David True. Congratulations! ============================================================ That's it for this issue. Feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you liked, or didn't like, in this issue, and any recommendations or requests you have for future editions. Thank you for your support. Please invite your friends to visit my website and sign the guestbook. Oh yeah, it's okay to order some CDs, too! They make wonderful gifts :-). I also have a page on MySpace.com. Have a look and join the list of friends at www.myspace.com/leelamusic I wish you peace, joy, and love. Namasté, Michael Stribling If you would like to be removed from my mailing list, please reply to this email and type the word "unsubscribe" in either the subject line or the body of your reply. Leela Music Newsletters
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