There are perhaps fifteen in all, mostly females with a few young ones nearby. All have joeys in their pouches. I feed them macropod pellets. As the pellets fall into the tin bowls other roos come hopping into the feeding area, they have acute hearing. All up with the few wallabies there are around twenty-five kangaroos. I walk through them within arms reach, some brush up against me, I scratch a few wallabies underneath their chin – they are without fear.

My father played in a dance band when we were young. Our family moved from Redfern to a beachside suburb near Maroubra – my two younger sisters and mother and father. The suburban brick house had a big backyard. Dad would often go to Scone for the weekend and play music in the local hall for the farmers. One time he came back with a baby kangaroo – its mother had been shot. We named the roo Ambrose. He would hang in the house and when he felt like it hopped through the opened back door and out into the yard. We always kept the back door open – often he would come bolting in and hop around the house. On winters nights he would fall over in front of the radiator until his fur would start to smoke from the heat. Often he would sleep with us and he knew how to take the lid off the biscuit tin and help himself to the biscuits. We had an FJ Holden and when we needed supplies we’d drive into the nearby village. We always took Ambrose with us and when mum and dad went shopping we’d hang out in the car with the windows down and Ambrose would poke his head out at the people passing by. Not many people in Maroubra Junction had seen a kangaroo before. It was a pretty amazing time. He became one of the family. As he started to get bigger my father was concerned and decided to take him back out into the bush and release him on a friends property. It was the saddest days of our lives. We watched the FJ drive off with Ambrose – we were crying our eyes out.

I walk around the garden and pick a few flowers. There’s a late burst of frangipani and a few yellow roses in the garden and the two tibouchina trees are just about to burst open with a profusion of indigo flowers – their colour is striking. Miniature dahlias, roses, tibouchina and even lantana (which I love, though most farmers call it a weed) adorn my desk as I write this story.

I often think how much my grandfather would love this property. He was born in Malta. When he was fourteen he stowed away on a ship bound for Australia. I think he had Phoenician blood – “Falzon” is a Phoenician name. The Phoenicians were great seafarers and traders. Maybe that’s why I have a deep connection with the ocean and spend most of my time paddling around chasing and surfing waves. I feel at home in the sea. My grandfather would take a tram from Redfern down to Coogee beach every Saturday. One day he took me with him – it was the first time I saw the Pacific Ocean. It was incredible. A beautiful day and a wide blue horizon. He would swim in the ocean baths for hours – slowly up and down the pool – he had an amazing relaxed swimming stroke. Swimming was one of his great passions along with growing flowers and playing classical music. He had a wind-up gramophone and a bust of Mozart in his ground floor tenement apartment. When he went to the ocean pool he carried his towel, perfectly rolled up, under his arm.

The smell of coffee permeates the kitchen as I look out the window to see a white rabbit appearing for an early morning feed. I walk outside and call him, he runs over within throwing distance and I give him some grain bread. He runs off a few feet and seemingly hides from birds or other wallabies that may want to share his bread.

I phone a friend for an early morning eyes-on surf report. It is small and glassy, dropped off in size from the last few days of perfect autumn swell. Maybe I’ll go down for a look-see when the tide fills in a little. It’s such a beautiful day.

- Albe
8am Monday 12th March 2012

The Cosmic Sea

In love we find each other
Sows the seed of infinite kindness
The love that you see and feel, is that very you.
There is no other
It was never created
It will always be
It will never die
For it never began.
It sees you and I
Birth or death, it knows not,
Spinning infinitely, never at rest.
That’s the love you see and feel.
It calls you and me back to the cosmic sea.

In the early seventies, Mitchell and a few friends were sitting out at Kuta reef in Bali, waiting for the next set. Kuta was just a small coastal village with no paved roads, no tourists and just a handful of surfers. Idyllic beach breaks could be had all the way to Legian. It was a classic dry season day; trades fanned the overhead swell and the ocean was so transparent you could make out the colourful fish swimming around the reef. A large outrigger with Balinese paddlers approached. Sitting in the centre of the canoe was a white man, in a white suit and a Panama hat. After a few minutes observing the break he undressed, took a surfboard from the bottom of the boat, jumped off and paddled over to the line-up. He sat on the inside and took a set wave. It was Micky Dora. They had a friendly few hours surfing the reef together and, when Micky left, he invited them back to the Bali Beach hotel in Sanur – the only hotel at the time in Bali. He was staying on the top floor with two female companions, the view from the balcony overlooked Sanur reef and in the distance you could see another island, Nusa Lembongan. Micky treated them all on a “borrowed” credit card. Such were the mysterious travels of Micky Dora, one of the earliest surfers to taste the perfect waves of Bali.

Mitchell returned to Bali many times over the following years and honed his surfboard design skills surfing the reef waves there. Along with his mentor, Glenn Ritchie, Mitchell developed a fine eye for the subtle curves that make a surfboard blend perfectly with the curvature of each wave. His fine sleek boards, with the flex-tails that he developed, came to life on the flawless faces of the outer reef waves. Nusa Dua, Uluwatu and Padang Padang became the testing ground for his early surfboard developments.

Mitchell was so impressed by Bali and the Balinese that he incorporated the eyes, that adorn the fishing boats of Bali, to the rails and front of his own surfboard designs. “Balinese folklore instilled the belief that the ocean was filled with evil spirits, so the local fisherman, the majority of whom couldn’t swim, felt the eyes on the front of their canoes protected them from the spirits. – the spirit eyes I call them,” recalls Mitchell. “They encapsulate the quest for the higher level of the surfing experience. It also gives the board a bit of added life – sometimes you check them from different angles and they seem quite alive.”

Back in Australia, after an early stint building surfboards at Palm Beach, he and Glen moved to the open country space of Nana Glen, near Coffs Harbour, and that became their base for several years. The country soul lifestyle was blossoming – George Greenough, Chris Brock, Garry Keyes and Bob McTavish were living in an abandoned old farm house not far from Angourie, shaping their own boards in between surf sessions at the point. Nat Young had bought a farm not far from Broken Head. The exodus from the city was beginning as more surfers realised the incredible unridden point waves available on the north coast. Living was cheap and waves were plentiful. The hills of Byron were alive with the sound of surfers – all trading their conservative city lives for a “lifestyle” of country bliss.

The designs Mitchell and Glen developed in those early Nana Glen and Bali days, particularly the early exploration of concaves, are still relevant in board design today. They never tried to promote their designs, preferring to remain “underground” and rely on “tried and tested” and “word of mouth” to circulate their boards.

“My aim is to generate speed and to create a surfboard that has the ability to use it. The faster you go, the more you can do with your board. It’s about accessing more speed quickly. Concave flex-tails allow you to take off late on a wave, and just snap it around using the recoil energy of the flex – off one turn you can generate great speed,” says Mitchell.

Mitchell is probably one of the most underrated designers in the world today. His board are made to suit the individual surfer’s style – all are precisely hand-shaped and finished with loving care. To own and surf an Outer Island surfboard is equivalent to having a classic piece of art in your hands. Energetically, they are so far ahead of most factory boards produced today.

Recently, Mitchell hand-shaped a small, flex-tail fish, with a full iconic Buddha image on the bottom of the board, and Tibetan writing and the OM symbol on the top. Every aspect of the board was carefully and methodically made – even the hand-made fins had inlays of Tibetan writing in them. When checking the energetics of the board, its magnetic field reached out 14 metres from the board – most machine-shaped surfboards today would have a magnetic field closer to 2 metres. The subtle benefits of high-energy boards in the line-up are very healthy – not only for the surfers you are surfing with, but for your own well-being and enjoyment as well.

Over the past few years, Mitchell has moved more into painting canvases of tropical island scenes and perfectly shaped waves. Many of his boards are airbrushed with designs in keeping with the colours and flow of the ocean. He has maintained a high degree of spiritual integrity with his shaping and painting often under trying economic and financial restraints, and now is moving closer to his dream of shaping just a few boards each year – enough to keep his interest. He would be happy living in a grass shack somewhere in the tropics, painting images of waves breaking over coral reefs and beautiful Island vistas for the rest of his life, and somehow I think that dream is not far off. His family is growing up and moving out and it appears he will move out, as well. Or, rather, move back to the things he loves the most. God knows he deserves it.

Mitchell has spent the best part of his life shaping surfboards so that others could enjoy what he loves most – surfing. He has comprised many waves in doing so. How he has survived in one of the most toxic industries is way beyond me but, in doing so, he has unknowingly built up an abundance of karma in providing hundreds of thousands of hours of happiness for others. And I am one of those who can never thank him enough for the creativity, the beauty and pure joy I received from his boards. Some of the most memorable and beautiful waves I have ever ridden were on his boards, at Sanur in Bali. I wonder if he realised, when he was with Micky Dora many years ago and overlooking Sanur reef from the top floor of the Bali Beach hotel, that his boards would be speeding down the line of those perfect barrels… Maybe he did. Maybe he knew all along that that’s what his boards were made for. Thanks Mitchell for taking me there.

About the site:
Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us all as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world.

On the site:
What we need is love – No more war
As we made our way around the world we encountered love and hatred. We met people both rich and poor, black and white, and from innumerable religious groups and ideologies. Over the course of our journey it became very clear that as a human race we need to transcend from the darkness to the light, and that music will be our choice of the future. This Song around the World features musicians who have seen and overcome conflict and hatred with love and perseverance. “We don’t need no more trouble, what we need is love.” The spirit of Bob Marley always lives on.

Stand by Me
Four years ago while walking down the street in Santa Monica, California the Playing for Change crew heard roger Ridley singing “Stand by Me “ from a block away. His voice, soul and passion set us on a journey around the world to add other musicians to his performance. The song transformed Playing for Change from a small group of individuals into a global movement for peace and understanding. This track features over 35 musicians collaborating from all over the world; they have never met in person, but in this case, the music does the talking.

About the book:

Deep in Shamballa, in the Himalayas, the Dalai Lama prepares to move up to a higher plane of consciousness. An astral spirit answers his prayers and appears. Full of love, devotion and wisdom, she comes as a faithful Labrador dog, Chakra. A missionary, a seer who can see the soul’s essence, Chakra is pure and divine wisdom.

Travelling to Australia, she finds Sophie Crystal, an Internet TV reporter and Elsie, a palmist, and awakens their destinies together. Seeing the vibrations and invisible colours and essences of life and the world, Chakra guides them to a belief in a higher and better world. Elsie and Sophie’s deep bond of friendship strengthens when Elsie meets Professor Dee, an expert on Eastern mysticism, who discovers Elsie owns a Tanka box containing ancient wisdom that can only be revealed in Shamballa. Journeying through the perilous beauty of the Himalayas, will they find complete enlightenment and happiness that will change their lives forever?

Excerpt:

Chapter 1 – A Mysterious Visitor

In the deep heartland of mysterious Tibet, lonely windswept plains show their agonised faces through patches of frost, and the tattered prayer flags flap wildly in the eerie night to the mournful icy cry of the unrelenting Himalayan winds. A carpet of gleaming diamonds adorns the firmament. A billion Buddha lights give the harsh Tibetan Landscape a sense of purpose. Here, amongst the desolate, towering peaks, a secluded monastery stands silent, its form silhouetted by the few reddish butter lamps that hang nonchalantly around its cold, granite walls.

Yet, between the jeering, wild winds a soft drone is heard, its soft echo resounding in the depthless mountain canyons. The chanting leads into a huge, oblong-shaped hall, its massive stone walls decorated with images of golden Buddhas, looking down serenely onto a group of lamas and disciples huddled together for warmth. Huge, colourful paintings and banners of previous Buddhas gently sway and fold, giving them a surreal movement. Some of the paintings are so ancient that parts have withered away, leaving a bare brick wall – a sobering reminder that all is impermanent and transient.

To purchase this book, contact us.

The Buddha cracked the mystery of human suffering when he realised what he called “the three marks of existence” – three characteristics that apply to all human beings:

One, impermanence: nothing on earth endures in its present state forever: everything is temporary and changes.

Therefore, second, as long as we are attached to things and conditions that must inevitably change and cannot last, we will suffer.

And third, the cause of our suffering is craving that which is impermanent, including our desire to maintain our separated existence.

These three marks of existence, plus a map for finding our way out of this existence through the Eightfold Path, constitutes the Four Noble Truths. These are the essence of the Buddha’s teaching that he preached in his first sermon after he attained enlightenment, and they constitute the framework of his teaching over the remaining decades of his long life: that everything in manifestation is impermanent and therefore subject, some say, to decay – the ageless wisdom says to transformation; that to cling to, crave or desire the impermanent is to suffer; and the only release from suffering is to stop craving, clinging and desiring – anything and everything. The Buddha gave clear and precise instructions for how to accomplish this, and that’s why the religion that developed of his life teaching is called by its followers, not Buddhism, but “the dharma” – the law.

The Four Noble Truths

The pain of embodied existence, caused by constantly recurring births and deaths.

The cause of these sufferings lies in ignorance, in the thirst for self-gratification through earthly possessions, which drag after them the perpetual repetition of imperfect existence.

The cessation of suffering lies in the attainment of a state of enlightened all-inclusiveness, thus creating the possibility of conscious interception of the circle of earthly existence.

The path of cessation of these pains consists in gradual strengthening of the elements necessary for the annihilation of the causes of earthly existence and for approaching the great truth.

The Eightfold Path

Gotama divided the path to this truth into eight paths.

Right understanding (that which concerns the law of causes)
Right thinking
Right speech
Right action
Right living
Right labour
Right vigilance and self-discipline
Right concentration

His vibrant surrealist images not only delight and intrigue the viewer; they lead deep into one of the world’s most ancient cultures and beyond deep into ourselves.

When Ainslie Roberts met Charles P Mountford (who died in 1976), he soon became fascinated by the Aboriginal myths that the famous ethnologist had collected during his research expeditions into Central and Northern Australia. The territory is well known to Ainslie Roberts, who has made many painting trips to the Inland, and as Charles Mountford told him the myths he soon began to see them in terms of colour and design. He commenced a series of paintings, the first “Dreamtime” collection, in which he interpreted the myths about the men, women, and other creatures who created the world as it is seen by the Aboriginals. His imaginative depiction of Charles Mountford’s narrative of the myths, painted in a manner which captured the glowing colours of inland Australia, achieved instant success. In 1965, the myths and paintings were published as a book, The Dreamtime, which has been a steady bestseller ever since.

A million copies of The Dreamtime book series have since been sold in Australia alone – a publishing phenomenon! Why? Because the potent imagery bridges cultural gulfs, touches the ancient wisdom within each of us and arouses a sense of sacredness in all things.
Beyond The Dreamtime is a truly amazing film of breathtaking visual beauty, bringing to life the haunting imagery of dozens of Ainslie Roberts major works, weaving them into the artist’s personal life and illuminating his love of the land.

John Lind has created a masterful film of a gifted artist who painted extraordinary images of The Dreamtime. The film traces Ainslie’s life and travels as he returns to the desert to explore and reminisce on his life and love of the outback and Aboriginal mythology. His personal experiences are insightful and inspirational. The early footage of aboriginals is astounding and captures the natural beauty of these ancient people. The beauty of the Australian outback is captivating and enticing. The film captures beautifully Ainslie’s love of the desert.

Beyond the Dreamtime, through music and visuals, explores the spirit of the Aboriginal people and the land, which is so much a part of their life.

This award-winning film is one of those special jewels, which can be viewed again and again.

Truly inspirational.

The DVD is available through Ronin Films

Birth of the butterflies

When the world was young, the birds and animals had a common language and there was no death. No creature had any experience of death’s mystery, until one day a young cockatoo fell from a tree and broke its neck. The birds and animals could not wake it, and a meeting of the wise ones decided that the spirits had taken back the bird to change it into another form.

Everyone thought this a reasonable explanation, but to prove the theory the leaders called for volunteers who would imitate the dead cockatoo by going up into the sky for a whole winter. During this time, they would not be allowed to see, hear, smell, or taste anything. In the spring they were to return to earth to relate their experiences to others. The caterpillars offered to try the experiment, and went up into the sky in a huge cloud.

On the first warm day of spring a pair of excited dragonflies told the gathering that the caterpillars were returning with new bodies. Soon the dragonflies led back into the camp a great pageant of white, yellow, red, blue, and green creatures – the first butterflies, and proof that the spirits had changed the caterpillars’ bodies into another form.

They clustered in large groups on the trees and bushes, and everything looked so gay and colourful that the wise ones decided that this was a good and happy thing that had happened, and decreed that it must always be so. Since then caterpillars always spend winter hidden in cocoons, preparing for their dramatic change into one of spring’s most beautiful symbols.

From DREAMTIME The Aboriginal Heritage published by Rigby.

Dreamtime books are available online.

John Lind can be contacted by email:

From an exhibition at the Rubin Museum of Art, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe

More info:
www.amnh.org/news/2009/12/the-known-universe/

Film credits
Data: Digital Universe, American Museum of Natural History
www.haydenplanetarium.org/universe/
Visualization Software: Uniview by SCISS
Director: Carter Emmart
Curator: Ben R. Oppenheimer
Producer: Michael Hoffman
Executive Producer: Ro Kinzler
Co-Executive Producer: Martin Brauen
Manager, Digital Universe Atlas: Brian Abbott
Music: Suke Cerulo

“OM MANI PADME HUM”

A mantram is a combination of sounds, of words and of phrases that, through virtue of certain rhythmic effects, achieves results that would not be possible apart from them.

The most sacred of all the eastern mantrams given out as yet to the public is the one embodied in the words:
OM MANI PADME HUM

There are various mantric forms based upon this formula and upon the sacred word which, sounded rhythmically and in different keys, accomplish certain desired ends, such as the invoking of protective angels, or devas, and definite work, either constructive or destructive, upon the planes.

The potency of a mantram depends upon the point of evolution of the man who employs it. Uttered by an ordinary man it serves to stimulate the good within his bodies, to protect him, and it will also prove of beneficent influence upon his environment. Uttered by an adept or initiate its possibilities for good are infinite and far reaching.

In Ladakh, in Northern India, Mani stones are made into walls, usually near temples – sometimes in the middle of scorched barren landscapes. Prayer flags and Mani stones are left throughout the country in remembrance of what is important – for blessings and unification with their inner world of spiritual beliefs.

In the early eighties we travelled to India to film the great Indian festival The Kumbha Mela on the banks of the Ganges River in the state of Hardwar. This extraordinary event is held every twelve years and is the biggest gathering of humans at any festival on the planet. During the month long celebrations up to twenty million people, many of them pilgrims, attend the Kumbha Mela festival. With so many Indians it’s very rare to see western tourists amongst the crowded streets or along the riverbanks.

The temperature during this festival was consistently around forty degrees and the dry desert wind added to the intensity of the heat. Late one afternoon after a days filming with the Saddhus – the holy men of India – we noticed a man standing very still not far from us, as if just observing or waiting for us to catch his attention. He appeared of western origin but, on closer observation, was more Eurasian in appearance. He was impeccably dressed, most unusual considering the dust and extreme temperatures. He emitted an unusual coolness and calmness about him. We were staying in a small garden hotel about twenty minutes drive from the centre of the festival activities, a great respite considering the vast number of people and conditions surrounding the festival. We hailed a taxi and, as we were leaving, asked if we could give our newfound acquaintance a lift to wherever he was staying. Coincidentally, he happened to be staying at the same hotel. The late afternoon light was golden and almost immediately when he entered the taxi, he turned and said to me: “You shall be known as Jyoti” – a name I had not heard of before.

The days at the festival were full of wonderment and excitement. The energy levels were very high, as all who attended were there for spiritual nourishment, and the vibration amongst the pilgrims and the hundreds of thousands of Saddhus was magnified by the presence of so many people. As each day passed and moved closer to the full moon day of blessing, that energy intensified.

We arrived back at the hotel and our friend thanked us and disappeared. That evening when we went for dinner, we noticed he was sitting in the garden and asked him if he would like to join us for dinner. He politely accepted and, as we were the only guests in the hotel, the friendly kitchen staff served us a beautiful meal.

It turned out that he was a healer and when asked where he lived, he was dismissive and replied that it was somewhere in the mountains. He also seemed to know about my brother’s acute back problems and, after an enjoyable meal and evening, he suggested that he would do some work on my brothers back.

The next day we headed back to the festival. Our friend had checked out early and we never sighted him again. We filmed the Kumbha Mela festival for another two weeks until the climax of this great event and went back to Australia.

Sometime afterwards I was in The Theosophical Bookstore in Sydney, browsing through their vast collection of spiritual books, when I noticed a shelf with a number of deep blue covered books. Drawn to these books, I began to browse through the collection and bought two books: The Light of the Soul and A Treatise on White Magic, by Alice Bailey. When reading The Light of the Soul, I came across the word Jyoti – which means “Light of the Soul”. Several years later I joined the Arcane School founded by the Lucis Trust, publishers of the Alice Bailey books.

Shortly afterwards, we found ourselves in a valley in Tibet, filming the Wesak Festival – the great Buddhist festival near Mt Kailas, in the western region of Tibet. Near Mt Kailas is the sacred Manasarova Lake, the highest freshwater lake in the world. The name means “the most beautiful of lakes”. Manasa means “created by the soul” – for the lake was created by the soul of Buddha. At the edge of the lake on a small mountain lies a temple, the only building in the vicinity. As we walked up the incline towards this small and remote temple with a spectacular view, my brother said that this was the home our friend at the Kumbha Mela described to him as he was doing the healing work on his back. These were the mountains he referred to when he said that he lived in the mountains.

There are no coincidences in life; things are as they are meant to be. It is often only afterwards, when we reflect back on experiences, do we realise that the great unseen hand that guides us along the way sees all and knows all, and life – all life – unfolds as part of a great plan – a plan that we are all deeply connected to.

Meditation is primarily a self-initiated process of education, calling forth all the powers of the will, basing itself upon the equipment present, but producing at the end a new type, the soul type, with its own internal apparatus, and holding within itself again the seeds of still greater unfoldment.

From being something imposed from without, the new educational process wells up from within, and becomes that self- imposed mental discipline, which we cover by those much-misunderstood words – concentration, meditation, and contemplation. From being a process of memory training, and the development of a quick handling of the response apparatus which puts us in touch with the external world, the educational technique becomes a system of mind control, leading eventually to an inner awareness of a new state of being. It produces at length a rapid reaction and responsiveness to a world, intangible and unseen, and to a new series of instinctual recognitions, which have their seat in a subtler response apparatus. The soul type imposes itself upon the human type, as the human has done upon the animal, and just as the human type is the product of mass training and instinct and has been tremendously unfolded by our modern educational systems, so the soul type is the product of a new method of mental training, imposed on the individual by his soul, and called forth by the urgency of the quest and by the act of his will. This soul is always latent in the human form, but is drawn into demonstrated activity through the practice of meditation.

It might be stated that meditation is the science, which enables us to arrive at direct experience of God. That in which we live and move and have our being is no longer the object of aspiration, or a symbol to us of divine possibility. We know God as the Eternal Cause and the source of all that is, including ourselves. We recognise the whole. We become one with God by becoming one with our own immortal soul, and when that tremendous event takes place we find that the consciousness of the individual soul is the consciousness of the whole, and that seperativeness and division, divisions and the concepts of me and thee, of God and a child of God, have faded away in the knowledge and realization of unity.

Rene Guenon, in his book Man and His Becoming, makes the following interesting comments on the word “union” which have a place here.

“The realisation of this identity is effected by Yoga, that is, the intimate and essential union of being with the Divine Principle, or, if preferred, with the Universal. The proper meaning of this word Yoga is in fact “union” and nothing else… It should be noted that this realization ought not strictly to be regarded as an “achievement,” or as “the production of a non-pre-existent result,” for the union in question, although not actually realized in the sense in which we here intend it, exists non the less potentially, or rather virtually; what is involved is merely the effectual attainment by the individual being … of the consciousness of that which truly is from all eternity.”

Through the ordered stages of the meditation process, a relationship is gradually and steadily established between the soul and its instruments until the time comes when they are literally one. Then the sheaths serve simply to reveal the light of the indwelling Son of God.

The whole object of the science of meditation is, therefore, to enable man to become in outer manifestation what he is in his inner reality, and to make him identify himself with his soul aspect and not simply his lower characteristics. It is a quick process for the unfolding of the reasoning consciousness, but in this instance must be self-applied and self initiated. Through meditation, the mind is used as an instrument for observing the eternal states, and becomes in time and instrument for illumination, and through it the soul or Self transmits knowledge to the physical brain.

The heart of the world is light and in that light shall we see God. In that light we find ourselves. In that light all things are revealed. Patanjali tells us that “when the means to union have been steadily practised and when impurity has been overcome, enlightenment takes place, leading up to full illumination. The mind then tends towards increasing illumination as to the true nature of the Self.”

As a result of meditation comes the shining forth of the light. This “illumination” is gradual and is developed stage by stage.

Intellect to Intuition
Alice Bailey

Published by The Lucis Publishing Company
Available at www.sydneygoodwill.org.au

The Ageless Wisdom is presented as a practical and contemporary way of life and as a guide to the merging of spiritual values and goals with the challenges of modern living. The emphasis of the Alice Bailey writings is on service, through the development of the contribution which each individual, guided by the soul, can make to the enlightenment of planetary consciousness during this time of momentous change and transition into a new age and new millennium.

An extract from the Tibetan teacher, written in 1934, briefly explains the intent of these teachings:

“The books that I have written are sent out with no claim for their acceptance. They may, or may not, be correct, true and useful. It is for you to ascertain their truth by right practice and by the exercise of the intuition. Neither I nor A.A.B. are the least interested in having them acclaimed as inspired writing. If they present the truth in such a way that it follows sequentially upon that already offered in the world teachings, if the information given raises the aspiration and the will-to-serve from the plane of the emotions to that of the mind then they will have served their purpose. If the teaching conveyed calls forth a response from the illumined mind of the worker in the world, and brings a flashing forth of the intuition, then let that teaching be accepted.”

Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949)
From her conservative British background, Alice Bailey’s life led her in many directions, but always in one direction – towards the time when through drastic personal experience of many kinds she had acquired a synthesis of outlook and understanding, and an absolute conviction that one divine life pervades and animates the one humanity; that the Plan for humanity requires the cooperation of dedicated human beings, intelligently informed about world affairs, in collaboration with those who form the spiritual Hierarchy, the inner government of the planet.

Basically her work developed as a duality – her discipleship service, which included the establishment of an esoteric school; and her initially reluctant agreement to work with the Tibetan, Djwhal Khul, in the writing of a series of books presenting the next phase in the continuity of the Ageless Wisdom, teaching for the recent and the immediate future.

This information is from www.lucistrust.org/en/books/alice_bailey_books where the books may be ordered online.

The books are also available at:
www.sydneygoodwill.org.au

Money and Morality
by Satish Kumar
Resurgence Magazine
January/February 2012

Money was a clever and convenient invention; it was designed as a means of exchange and a measure of wealth. But somehow that has changed; what was once solely a means to an end has become the end in itself; and what was a measure of wealth has become wealth itself.

Take for example agriculture, the purpose of which was to produce nutritious food whilst ensuring that the land remained in good heart for all future generations and for good health of biotic communities. Agriculture was a way of life that gave farmers their dignity, and in turn they cultivated the crops with tender loving care and considered their work intrinsically good.

Then came money, which changed everything: agriculture turned into agribusiness and the paramount purpose of it became the making of money. Food became a commodity and yet another means of making large profits. As a result British farmers – even those with 2000 acres of land – cannot make a living, and farm labourers are paid ten pounds an hour whilst bankers are paid one thousand pounds an hour.

The example of agriculture turned to agribusiness is only one illustration of how our society has lost sight of right and wrong. We can cut down the rainforest to make money, we can pollute the rivers and over-fish the oceans for profit, we can destroy the local economy in search of cheaper goods, no matter how much CO2 is omitted in the process. The bottom line always comes first. We can hire and fire people at will for the sake of boosting the economy; people have become little more than the instruments of making money. GM crops, nuclear energy, cloning and animal experimentation – nothing is forbidden, just as long as it adds to the GNP and increases the share value of corporations and companies.

Ethics, moral and human dignity are all secondary and subservient to the profit margin. Bankrupt bankers have to be bailed out even though we can all see that they and other business leaders are utterly incapable of solving the economic crises. Politicians and policymakers have to obey their desires.

No wonder then that our governments are completely incapable of creating conditions for the stability and wellbeing of people – because all social, political, educational and communal values exist solely to serve economic growth, which simply means growth in money supply, in GNP and consumption.

As long as we are wedded to this financial paradigm and its money model, the strong will exploit the weak, and our social and environmental fabric (and morals) will continue to fall apart.

The current economic crises gives us an opportunity to look deeper and examine the consequences of confusing the means with the ends. Money has a place, of course, but we must keep it in its place and not allow it to dominate our lives in such a manner that we lose all our bearings and become its slaves. Money was made to serve people, not the other way around. Unfortunately, we have allowed money to become the master and override all other moral, ethical and ecological values. There is more to life than an endless pursuit of money and profit.

Money is not wealth; real wealth is land, forest, rivers, animals and people. Wealth is created by the imagination, creativity and skill. Bankers and business leaders in search of ever-increasing profit are not the wealth creators; at best they are wealth counters, and at worse wealth destroyers. So let’s honour the true wealth creators: the skilled workers, architects and artists, craftsmen and women, teachers and doctors, builders and farmers; the economy is safe in their hands. Let us respect the generous Earth and wild Nature, the eternal source of well-being and prosperity. If we take care of people and Nature, then the economy will take care of itself.

Some people might say that this is too idealistic; but what have the realists done? They have made a complete mess of the world economy. Normally, we need idealism and realism in equal measure, but for the time being a little extra idealism will be helpful. We have had far too much realism.

Money must be guided by morality. And we are delighted to present this ideal in this issue of Resurgence, the first of a brand new year.

Satish Kumar
Editor-in-Chief
Resurgence Magazine

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This book is a classic for anyone interested in adventure, mythology and spiritual development. Written by Edwin Bernbaum who while teaching in the Peace Corps in Nepal in the mid-late seventies studied Tibetan religion, mythology and art and became interested in Shambhala – a mythical kingdom somewhere beyond the snow mountains north of the Himalayas.

“For centuries the people of Tibet and Mongolia have believed in the existence of Shambhala where a line of enlightened kings is said to be guarding the highest wisdom for a time when all spiritual values in the world outside will be lost in war and destruction. Then, according to prophecy, a great king will come out of this sanctuary to defeat the forces of evil and establish a golden age.

“Drawing on Tibetan and Sanskrit texts, interviews with lamas in Nepal and India, and his own experiences in the Himalayas, Edwin Bernbaum gives a detailed account of this fascination tradition, examining its basis in religion and history and its connection to the archetypal myths that have influenced both Eastern and Western cultures. As he explores the myth of Shambhala, showing how it symbolises an inner, spiritual journey to enlightenment, Bernbaum leads the reader through the actual terrain of the Himalayas, the mist-filled valleys and snow-covered peaks that have helped to inspire the idea of a mysterious sanctuary hidden in the remote mountains of Central Asia.

When filming in the Himis Monastery in Ladakh in the mid eighties we had the opportunity to visit the head lama. After speaking quietly with him and an interpreter for an hour he asked if we had any questions. I asked him, “where is Shambhala?” He waved his hands in a northward direction and indicated it was beyond the Himalayas, somewhere in the Gobi Desert region.

“Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges -
Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting to be found. Go!”
Rudyard Kipling

“Behind the ice walls of the Himalayas lie the empty deserts and remote mountains of Cental Asia. There, blown clear of habitation by the harsh winds of high altitude, the plateau of Tibet extends north over thousands of square miles up to the Kunluns, a range of unexplored peaks longer than the Himalayas and nearly as high. Beyond its little known valleys are two of the most barren deserts in the world; the Taklan Makan and the Gobi. Sparsely populated and cut off by geographical and political barriers, this vast region remains the most mysterious part of Asia, an empty immensity in which almost anything could be lost and waiting to be found.”
Edwin Bernbaum

Although there are differing opinions as to where Shambhala actually is, the lamas all agree that it is a place of majestic beauty. They are more specific about the kingdom itself and give a remarkably clear and detailed picture of it. According to their descriptions, a great ring of snow mountains glistening with ice completely surrounds Shambhala and keeps out all those not fit to enter. The texts imply that one can cross the snow mountains only by flying over them, but the lamas point out that this must be done through spiritual powers and not by material means.

The inhabitants of the kingdom live in peace and harmony, free of sickness and hunger. They all have a healthy appearance, with beautiful features, and wear graceful robes of white cloth. They speak a sacred language and all have great wealth but never have to use it. Tibetans have, in fact, taken the Sanskrit name Shambhala to mean “the source of happiness.”

Many Tibetans insist on the necessity of purifying the mind in order to go to Shambhala. Most forms of meditation used for this purpose tend to cut off, or silence, the habitual thoughts and preconceptions that block the kind of mystic vision, the vision that may actually penetrate into other worlds as solid and as concrete as ours. By clarifying his mind in this way, ridding himself of the mental conditioning that limits his awareness, the traveller to Shambhala may be gaining the ability to see into the fourth dimension and take an actual journey through a strange, but real, landscape of fantastic deserts and mountains that lie parallel to the ones we find on maps of Central Asia.

If the high lamas of Tibet consider this majestic paradise to be symbolic then a powerful symbol like Shambhala can do more than stand for some hidden truth or aspect of reality; it can also act as a window that opens up a view of something beyond itself.

Maybe the “hidden valley” exists in the inner consciousness of the mind, reached only through the practise of disciplined meditation. According to one high priest, reaching Shambhala mentally means that one has reached the innermost mind locked in the heart centre. According to prophecy, the future king of Shambhala will come not only to deliver the world from the external tyranny, but also to liberate its inhabitants from the internal bondage of their own delusions. The main purpose of the final battle and the golden age is to bring about the conditions and teachings needed to attain enlightenment, to help people awaken the innermost mind and know the true nature of reality.

The prophecy implies that the solution of the world’s problems will come from an inner source hidden within each of us. Some of these myths exert a considerable influence on our lives, affecting not only what happens to us as individuals, but also what happens to society and the course of history itself…..the modern myth of progress…..the conviction that science and industry will transform the earth into a material paradise and establish a golden age of prosperity for all. This conviction lies behind much of the push for social reform and economic development that now determines the policies, as well as the fate, of governments throughout the world, regardless of their particular ideology. The myth of progress seems in fact, to have led us into the degenerate period of materialism that is supposed to precede the golden age of Shambhala.

We have come to this quandary in large part because we have lost sight of the inner side of the myth of progress. In striving to create an earthly paradise, we have overlooked the needs and nature of those who must live in it. A fascination with the problem of ever increasing material prosperity has led us to develop a one sided view of the myth that emphasises external progress at the expense of inner development…

We need to recover a balance and perspective that will enable us to use, rather than be used by, the power of the myth of progress. The kind of insights we have gleaned from the Tibetan myth of Shambhala may be able to help us do this by redirecting our attention toward the inner meaning of the myths that shape our lives. We may even be able to use the myths of progress itself as a symbol to awaken the deeper mind and liberate ourselves from the bondage of our illusions.

Ultimately, however, each one of us needs to find and seek his own equivalent of Shambhala, that place, thing, person, or even idea that has the power to inspire us to take the inner journey to greater freedom and awareness. The myth of Shambhala is meant to encourage us to find a form of our own that reveals, rather than replaces, the essence of the kingdom itself.

In seeking the essence of Shambhala through whichever form we find to be ours, we come to realise that it lies hidden right here in the world around us. This realisation opens us to a growing sense of the sacred in everything we see. People and things that we had regarded with scorn or indifference becomes sources of wonder and awe. As we become aware of the sacred nature of all that surrounds us, we cease to see people and things to be abused and exploited. We come, instead, to cherish them for what they are, and to treat them with the utmost care and respect. If we can awaken this sense of the sacred in the world around us, then we may have a chance of bringing about the golden age of so many myths and dreams.

Only exaltation of spirit
Enables one to cross the radiant bridge
Let each one who is illumined by spirit
Walk boldly into the temple

The opening mantra from the exquisite voice of Yuki Tasogare, who played the tambura, along with Shen Flindell on tabla, formed a beautiful and unforgettable introduction to the evening. Her classical mantra set the tone for what was to become, not so much a performance by highly talented artists, but more a meditation that would be remembered long after the evening finished.

Following Tasogare’s delicate subtle chanting, classical flautist Taro Terahara performed what surely was one of the longest flute recitals of all time, producing a melodic and haunting sound that echoed to the deepest reaches of the mind. Taro has had many years of yoga training, which enables him to play the flute with such precision and beauty. His recital required a deep concentration on the breath – only a yogi with years of training and meditation could hold notes to such a degree of perfection. The ebb and flow of his breath and the sounds that followed transported the audience to a place beyond their normal day to day ponderings – to a state of deep meditation – where the mind resonates to the sounds of other worlds, far beyond the mountains of Tibet.

An intermission of chai and sweet chocolate macadamia brownies brought everyone back to earth, accompanied by an on-screen display of wonderful images of the Sahara Desert, the Dogon people in Mali and the sacred Mount Kailas in Tibet. When we resumed our seats, the performance of Tibet2Timbuktu2 began with a fusion of the best music from both worlds.

The band members Tenzin Choegyal, Marcello Milani, Shen Findell and Taro Terahara were in perfect harmony with each other, joking in a relaxed way about Karma and Lamas. Tenzing Choegyal, the lead singer, sang with such control and strength it was as if he was calling the spirit of Tibet into our presence. His voice was powerful and vibrant. In a spontaneous moment, Shen Findell, the tabla player, suggested to Tensing Choegyal that he might like to perform a tune he did some years ago in Japan, when he first met Taro Terahara. At first he seemed a little confused, as though he wasn’t sure – then, in a precise moment, he had the flute to his lips; for around 10 seconds, in absolute silence from the stage and audience, with one deep breath he sounded a note of such high key and beauty that he instantly transported everyone to a heightened state. It was almost as if Tenzin Choegyal was channelling this music from a master flautist somewhere in the mountains of Tibet. Along with the classical sound of Taro Terahara, they formed what was, for most in the audience, an exceptional musical experience. This unrehearsed flute recital was the highlight of the performance and, I’m sure, redefined the concept of flute music for an appreciative audience.

The evening ended with a Tibetan chant. The audience were asked to join in with the words “OM MANI PADME OM” – “the jewel in the lotus”. Softly they began the mantra, sounding it over and over, ending the show on a blissful note. An evening not to be forgotten.

www.tibet2timbuk2.com
  

“This day at Teahupoo – Aug 27th 2011 during the Billabong Pro waiting period is what many are calling the biggest and gnarliest Teahupoo ever ridden. Chris Bryan was fortunate enough to be there working for Billabong on a day that will go down in the history of big wave surfing. The French Navy labeled this day a double code red prohibiting and threatening to arrest anyone that entered the water.
Kelly Slater described the day by saying “witnessing this was a draining feeling being terrified for other people’s lives all day long, it’s life or death. Letting go of that rope one time can change your life and not many people will ever experience that in their life.”

All images where shot by Chris Bryan using the Phantom HD Gold camera. To see more of Chris’ work check out his website www.chrisbryanfilms.com
Music: ‘Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun’ by M83

There’s a scene in the opening of Andrew Kidman’s Glass Love, of Daize Shayne surfing a longboard through a blaze of light, that is so intense that, for a moment, she completely disappears – and then emerges on the other side to continue riding the wave. She is drifting – floating – the surfboard just a vehicle to transport her to an ethereal world. In the early morning light it can be like that sometimes. The brightness can be so intense that, after a while, it will burn out all colour, leaving just a blaze of whiteness. Andrew sent me a photograph of Daize soon after the film came out – it is a constant reminder of the incredible aesthetics in surfing. It captures perfectly the formless, in a metaphysical sense, and is a reminder that behind every form is light.

Glass Love

“In the film I wanted to feature the generational link and love of surfing that gets passed down through families, in particular the Curren and Purchase families. The sons are surfers and their fathers are surfers/shapers. It was nice to peek in on a small part of their relationships and how surfing makes them special. This, and the continued experimentation with board design, were the highlights for me in making this film.”
Andrew Kidman

Andrew Kidman lives near Mount Warning, on the far north coast of New South Wales. He has a three hundred and sixty degree view of the hinterland surrounding the mountain. It is one of the most picturesque sights on the entire coast and one that you will never get tired of looking at. The mountain is on the western outlook of the house and the late afternoon and early evening colours leave a lasting impression. On a moonless night, the grand Milky Way overshadows the house and the constellations are clearly visible. All is quiet and peaceful, with only the sounds of nature to be heard. You couldn’t ask for a nicer place to live.

When you walk inside the house there is an array of colourful surfboards in racks against the wall. Boards of all sizes and descriptions, with a history that could fill a book. Some he’s made himself, others are from friends and surfers who are close to him. They are all works of art. Made with love, they are filled with memories and energies of great waves and beautiful days. And like all works of great art, they are inspiring.

Here are a few photos and technical details for the boards….

Lost in the Ether

Riding Michael Peterson’s board on a shallow Northern New South Wales boulder point…

“I was nervous pulling into this tube. As the wave moved onto the bank, the bottom dropped out of the barrel. The board could easily have broken as it only has a glue stringer. These frame grabs from Lost in the Ether were taken from footage shot by Steve Sherer.”
Andrew Kidman

More on Andrew and Lost in the Ether film & book…
www.andrewkidman.com

Jack loves photographing waves so much so that a few years back at Teahupo’o he was swimming dangerously close to the reef in the water filming Andy Irons. A set loomed and Andy dropped in on a moderately big wave – “moderately” being large in most surfers reference frame….. with his focus on Andy, the wave pulled back off the reef and then when it exploded took Jack over – camera and all – with it. He hit the reef, got heavily wacked on the head – fortunately he was wearing a helmet – and dragged over the reef. In a semi-conscious state, he said later, that he was enjoying the sensation so much that he wanted to stay there. Realising that he was on the verge of unconsciousness he pulled himself back around and eventually came up on the shallow reef. In a dazed state and standing in waist deep water another bomb wave drained off the reef and exploded on top of him. He was dragged along the reef for a hundred meters and eventually pulled on board a jet ski. Five minutes later he passed out and was unconsciousness for thirty minutes.

Most people after an experience like that would probably not return to the ocean. Jack did – many times – and continued his exploratory techniques of filming the beautiful waves of Teahupo’o and Tahiti. A few years ago he designed an underwater propeller driven torpedo-shaped platform to support his camera and continued to test and film the beautiful waves and surfing in Tahiti.

Jack’s footage caught the attention of Paul McCartney and the result is the clip Blue Sway below.

McCartney’s music – with a beautiful string orchestra backing – combined with Jack’s amazing images have created an exceptionally beautiful creative masterpiece of space and sound.

More on Jack…
http://adeepershadeofblue.com