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Living the Mystery |
by: Kristopher Raphael |
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“Until we accept the fact that life itself is founded in mystery, we shall
learn nothing.”
Henry Miller
“Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.”
Soren Kierkegaard
“Life is a mystery, not a problem, and the difference is vast. The problem
has to be solved, can be solved, must be solved, but the mystery is
insoluble; it has to be lived, experienced . . . Encountering a mystery, you
have to dissolve in it.”
Osho
From ancient times Toltecs realized that life was a mystery, and it is the
living of this mystery that leads to transformation. As spiritual beings
part of our journey here in the earth-life-system is to bring the unknown
into the known. Beyond the unknown is the infinite unknowable – a great
mystery.
Bringing the unknown into the known is widely misunderstood and is where
many stumble on their path. They believe the unknown is a problem to be
solved and they go about their lives trying to solve their problems. Solving
problems does not lead to growth and transformation. Neither does it lead to
freedom.
As Osho and Kerkegaard state, life is a mystery that must be lived. It must
be experienced. We cannot approach life as if it is a problem to be solved.
This applies to a spiritual path in general. Many approach a spiritual path
by trying to understand it. Or they try to accumulate more knowledge
believing that if they are able to find the right knowledge or enough
knowledge they will “get” it. They buy this book and that book, go to that
seminar and then another. As my non-physical teachers would often say, this
is a lot of motion but no movement. To make movement we must live the
mystery.
There is nothing wrong in and of itself being an armchair philosopher. It is
fun. The problem comes when we approach a spiritual path in the same way we
do philosophy. We simply will make no movement. It is similar to learning to
drive a car. We will never learn to drive a car being an armchair driver –
reading about driving, thinking about driving, discussing about driving, and
so on. We must actually sit in the car, step on the gas, brake, shift gears
– experience driving. Driving isn’t a problem to be solved, it is an
experience. As we experience driving our driving improves.
Accepting that there will always be an unknowable, a mystery, helps change
our approach from the improper problem solving approach to life, to the
experiencing life approach. We don’t need to figure everything out. The
traditional shaman couldn’t read, was uneducated, had no TV or radio. They
were given dreaming processes and journeys. Through the doing, living and
experiencing these processes and journeys, transformation occurred. In many
traditional mystery schools and temples, an aspirant was never given
answers. Instead they were given a question that could not be solved, and a
task. Through the experience of living the task they knew and growth
occurred.
Don’t let yourself be put to sleep by answers. Instead live the mystery in
your life. Transform through experiencing the processes. Answers feel good
to the mental body. It loves to know. But having more knowledge without
living the knowledge actually stops our spiritual growth. It is a common
belief that if we know more we have grown and evolved more. In Toltec terms,
all we have done is add to our already burgeoning inventory. It is inventory
that limits our perception. With limited perception we have limited freedom
and very little personal power.
Allow for mystery in your life, and live it.
“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious . . . Whosoever
does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as
dead, and his eyes are dimmed.”
Albert Einstein
Love and Light,
Kris
Read more great articles on the web at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toltecmysteryschool |
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Chac mool Power Journey:
The Beginning of a New Dream
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by: Mark Sutton |
The
following testimonial article was written July, 2001. I felt it only
fitting it be submitted with this month being the first anniversary of a
very magical trip that has since had a profound effect on my journey.
My name is Mark Sutton and I am an
apprentice to Kris Raphael a Toltec Teacher. On July 18, 2001, my
seventeen-year-old son Sam and I embarked on a journey to southern
Mexico with Kris, his wife Kalyn, and five others; two of which are also
apprentices. As we landed in the Yucatan, I had no idea what was in
store for me but a feeling deep inside told me that I was on the
threshold of a new world that would forever alter my life.
We stayed in the jungle on the beach in
cabanas that had a setting of magic sparked by the mysteries and
abundance of the animal and plant life. The pounding of the surf
continually announced the power of the sun and ocean. The energy in this
world is strong and fluid reaching backwards and forward far beyond the
realm of the first attention making it easily accessible to those who
have a desire to grow.
After our trip to the ruins at Tulum I
was told by Kris and Kalyn that my time had come to start gathering my
personal power. Upon leaving their cabana that evening my energy was so
high and light I knew I had gotten what I had come for or had I? For the
first time I had come face to face with my core and now I knew what
direction my power and growth would come from.
The next day we traveled to Chichen Itza
to the Pyramid of Kukulkan, which is actually two pyramids in one. The
outside is the Sun Pyramid and built inside is the Sacred Moon Pyramid.
Upon on entering the doorway to the chamber that lead to the top of the
Moon Pyramid I immediately felt the energy start to grow. Halfway up the
chamber I was hit by a force beyond my comprehension. My hands and knees
started shaking as my heart started to pound so loudly that it drowned
out the other noises around me. I wanted to turn and run but using the
processes Kris had taught me, I re-centered myself and realized I was in
a battle of power. As we reached the top and observed the Chac mool and
Jaguar that rest in the center, Kalyn and Linda could see that I had
been hit by something powerful. I was still shaking from the experience
although I knew I had come through it with a shift of energy. As I
exited the pyramid, I saw Kris and Curt standing outside and without
saying a word they could tell by the look in my eyes I had been touched
by the unseen powers.
The next night during a process called
breath work I went into dreaming and saw a sleeping Jaguar. Quietly I
heard a voice whisper it is time to awaken and I saw myself start
becoming one with the Jaguar. I felt the mouth of the Jaguar around my
stomach removing parts of my false self. Then my dream changed and I was
facing the Angel of Death. Next I embraced her and felt a peace and
happiness that I had never known before. Finally I saw an ancient place
with skulls and steps that had circles carved into them. Linda and Curt
then awakened me. I told them of my dreams and Linda responded what a
cleansing and healing experience. I went back to my cabana and laid down
on my bed where the dreaming started again. I sensed someone outside my
window and then next to my bed. I saw an ancient place and found myself
on steps that lead up to a building. In front of me was an ancient
warrior in armor and as I got closer I could see that he had the face of
Kris. The next morning I again shared my dreams with Linda and Curt my
fellow apprentices.
On our last day out we went to Coba one
of the more recently discovered ruins. As we entered on the pathway we
all felt the energy was strong but different from the other power places
we had explored. We met at the large pyramid where Kris instructed us on
how to perform a mini Vision Quest. As we each started walking on our
own quest, I was lead to the south side of the pyramid where I found
steps rising up to a familiar looking ruin. As I started up those steps,
I realized it was the place in my dream from the night before where I
had seen Kris as an ancient warrior. I was now catapulted into a world
where my asleep dreaming and awake dreaming had come together. As I
continued my quest, I walked to the north end of the pyramid and as I
rounded the corner I stopped dead in my tracks. I was facing a skull and
steps that had circles carved into them. It is what I had seen in
dreaming during the breath work the night before. If I had not told Curt
and Linda of these dreams, I would not have believed my own eyes. As I
focused on the wall with the skull, it started shimmering as in a dream.
This place was magic and I had been here before. I found Kris and told
him of my dreams of the skulls and of the warrior. When we ascended the
steps where I had seen him dressed in armor we were both hit with a
blast of energy as we came to the spot where he had stood in my dream. I
was left in a daze from the whole experience and felt as if I was
straddling two worlds.
Upon leaving the Yucatan I felt a sadness
that our journey had finally come to an end. So much had happened in the
eight days we were there and yet it felt like it had been no time at
all. I feel a lifetime connection with all who journeyed with us and I
know we will forever be connected. As my son and I started to land back
in Texas I knew that part of the old Mark had been buried and left
behind in the ruins of the Yucatan. A new Mark was now returning home
truly on the pathway to becoming a Warrior.
Thanks to Kris and Kalyn for such a
magical journey and also to Linda, Curt, Scott, Pam, Sula, and my son
Sam.
Love & Light, Mark
Read more great articles
on the web at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toltecmysteryschool
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Read excerpts from Kristopher's
upcoming book:
"The Toltec Masteries, a Path
of The Heart."
Go to
http://www.toltecmasteries.com/
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Sun-sational Summer |
by Vessela Sadamori |
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For years at this time
of the year I kept having one and the same conversation with my mate. On a
bright summer day he would stretch himself luxuriously and sigh with a
great satisfaction. "It's hot!
How can you enjoy this?" I
would ask irritably, "It's suffocating me, it's so humid!"
"Well", he would answer, "It's
summer!"
Summer - the season I
dreaded the most. It turns Tokyo into a real steam bath, one could hardly
breathe, I hated it. The way my husband reacted was totally
incomprehensible to me. I couldn't believe he could actually enjoy it. A
few days ago I decided that my perception was worth looking at and I did a
little experiment with the summer's heat. I stopped resisting it. The
result was interesting: the heat stopped bothering me so much, it was hot
but I could just experience that without any negative judgment. That
opened my perception to many other things I found I actually liked about
the summers here. The sunlight stopped being a source of heat only and
turned into a source of brilliance instead: it enhanced the blueness of
the sky and the whiteness of the low, puffy clouds. It was full of energy
and life. The grass by the river, warmed by it smelled sweetly. The soft
breeze made the chime on my window sing with a cool, crisp sound. The
colorful cotton kimonos young girls wore made them look so pretty. Passing
by an old house I could smell the familiar scent of a burning repellent
incense and I thought "Ah, Japanese summer!" And the thought was a
pleasant one, not my usual whining anymore. By letting go of just one
negative agreement, that I hate the heat, I had opened the door to so many
enjoyable experiences.
For days now I not only
don't dread the summer but actually feel like a kid with a present in its
hands waiting to be opened. I know I am free to enjoy the fireworks, the
many festivals and that there will be much more, other unexpected fun to
come.
There's nothing that
dulls our tastes buds and prevents us from fully tasting life more than
the negative agreements we hold. By saying "I hate this" we literally
close ourselves to all positive aspects the object of our hate may have.
This applies very much to our growth process too. Sometimes what we have
to go through might be painful and unpleasant and we say "I hate it!" and
try to repel it. Or we compare our circumstances with that of other people
and feel sad or resentful. What we completely fail to see is that what we
hate is actually the perfect conditions life can offer us to work through
our wounds, clean and heal them. Instead of seizing the opportunity, what
could be a process of joy, turns into a process of suffering.
It is well worth it to
stalk all areas in our life to which we have an "I hate" label stuck to.
Much negative energy can be released and much new enjoyment can be found
by that. We say we want to leave the dream of hell behind and create a new
dream of heaven. What better way to start doing that than this?
Love and
Light, Vessela Read more
great articles on the web at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toltecmysteryschool |
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THE TOLTEC MASTERIES - AUDIO COURSE: An Alternative |
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For more information go to:
http://www.masteryofawareness.com/audioseries.htm |
For those who are unable to work directly with a teacher, or for those who wish the experience the energy of that comes through the dialog, Kris has created the Toltec Masteries Audio Course.
TESTIMONIAL:
Here is a
testimonial. (Thank you Stephanie!)
"I want to tell you how awesome the process at the end of the second CD is. I have never experienced anything like it.
What a miracle I am! Thank you so much for helping me to see this. Although I have been studying for over a year, there are many things on your CDs that bring understanding where I had been uncertain. What I see is your way of defining in a simple yet deeply clear manner,
many concepts that are new to the mind. You seem to do it in a way that causes no mental or emotional resistance.
Your manner of teaching reminds me of the facets of a crystal. Clear and sharp. Simple yet awesome." --Stephanie R. |
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Exploring the Unknown
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by
David Pawlak
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Many
have imagined that there is a God. I couldn’t begin to guess exactly why.
We’ve believed in God since childhood, because that’s what we’ve been
taught, but I’m sure in most, the concept is confirmed as we contemplate
the immensity and seeming mystery of existence.
How did
it all start? Where do we come from? How did existence begin? What came
before? If “nothing”, how is that possible, if “something”, how too is
that possible. It seems there HAD to be a “creator”, but it must be asked,
is this just not a desire to believe in imortality?
Humans
however, do seem to ask these questions. Whether it’s scientists,
philosophers or clergy, we want to know who we are and where we come
from.
The
question of the personal existence of each and every one of us is similar
to that of the Universe itself. At one point I just began existing. It
seems as though there was nothing before. Will there be nothing after?
Where did “I” come from? Do “I” have an imortal soul?
Before
“I” came here, it seems I could not ask these questions. It is my
physicality, my humaness which permits me to “feel”, “see” and “think”. A
realm of existence which can know about its presence. Vision extensive
enough, that leaves nothing but questions. And the extent of inquiry is
mind boggling, for most, it’s easier just to accept.
But
let’s for one moment imagine a single being, “The All”. Existence in itelf.
There it is, “BEING” and nothing more, no body, no mind, no substance,
just presence.
Existence in itself just IS, no WAS or WILL BE, seamless. It cannot have
begining or end, it is existence. We could say however, that outside of
existence is nothing, again, no begining, no end. The only seam if you
will, occurs at the boundary between the two, the begining of existence is
the end of nothing, the begining of nothing is the end of existence, yet
the two are mutually exclusive. You can have one or the other, but not
both…. We have existence, and pure existence is timeless.
Timeless
existence is beyond our capacity to understand. Perhaps it can be somewhat
imagined in contemplating “The All”. How does it feel? Could it not have
some similar questions? But without body and mind, where does it’s
consciousness reside? Is existence dependant on consciousness. Is it
consciousness that makes the difference between nothing and something.
Presence or no presence?
Within
consciousness, “The All” had to assume the immensity of “Existence”. This
would have to be the sole focus of the The All, would it not? After all,
what else is there?
Only we
know the answer to that.
Love and
Light - Dave |
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Handing Loss and Pain to the Angel of Death
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by Kalyn Raphael
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Loss and pain could practically be one word because
they so often come together. The pain from loss is very challenging to deal
with; it is one of the few emotions that cuts through your heart. This pain
won’t be avoided easily, it is pronounced, it is heavy and it is a sharp
voiceless scream inside.
The loss of a loved one causes us to want to close. It
feels like shutting down will dull the pain and will help us from avoiding a
future experience like this one. Why would we want to repeat this
experience? It feels debilitating; paralyzing the emotional body and it even
makes it hard to breathe deeply. This is the pain of loss.
And this is life. Death brings a new life, even if we
are unaware of what the new life is. Pain can be very crippling, it is very
true and is very often the result. However, pain can also be very healing.
Pain from loss asks that we provide the time and space
for us to mourn, to be sad and to be with the experience. In mourning we are
giving ourselves the chance to say good-bye to who or what we have lost, we
are giving ourselves the chance to express our gratitude for the connection
we had when the loved one was with us. Gratitude and mourning allow us to
end our connection well, even when the loved one will always be with us, be
in our hearts. Gratitude and mourning open us up to the energy that will
close this cycle well and that will touch that which is gone with our love.
This mourning and love gently hand that which is leaving us to the Angel of
Death, who takes out of our lives those things that are finished being in
life.
The healing comes in the opening, the mourning and the
gratitude; this is where we send our love and establish a new connection
beyond physicality. The Angel of Death has centuries of wisdom; he knows
what he is to take and he does his job so well. Trust him, take deep breaths
and trust your heart to feel the pain, the sorrow; to mourn and to be open
to the next birth that life is bringing your way.
Love & Light -
Kalyn
Read more great articles
on the web at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toltecmysteryschool |
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Visit the Toltec Mystery School Click
here
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Don't miss next month's
issue when The Toltec Mystery School
of Light will be introducing a new web site, the Counsel of Light's. The
Counsel are a collective of non-physical entities who refer to themselves as the caretakers of
humanity.
