Current Overview of the Credenza Method Publications for Astral Travel

Astral publishing deals became complex for awhile and was fraught with rumor and misconception. This writing is an attempt at explaining the history of Credenza Method field publications.

After the publication of the first ground breaking book, I CAN FLY MY CREDENZA TO SOUTH JERSEY IN MY SLEEP WITH MY EYES CLOSED by K, credenza air traffic was suddenly very congested over South Jersey. It had been nearly nonexistent prior to this time. This led to a lot of speculation and confusion resulting from the frustration of heavy stop and go traffic in areas that were relatively open before. Critics also pointed out that no one has ever written a descent book on getting out of South Jersey or ever mentioned why everyone should fly there in the first place.

I tried to fill at least part of this void and end the complications of thought with a simple two word non-fiction publication entitled, "Getting Out of South Jersey." It was a free publication, the contents of which I will share with you here:

Wake up.

This was distributed to every imaginable form of library across the country and was promptly enumerated, listed, and filed away. The result of this was it's loss. This is due to the one page the publication consisted of being permanently overlooked between the other larger books. I hear everyone finds it now and then, with a nice note from my very small group of unusual readers. Of course, everyone applies this rule to the extent that they are ready to, with variation in results.

My publisher called me and discussed a possible 2nd edition with the main idea being that the volume would be thicker. Critics of the 1st edition said it was too short and offered up the possible explanation that perhaps I did not actually know that many words. Anyone who actually knew me personally was unable to respond since they could not stop laughing for long enough to actually say anything . The new plan was that the book would have a cover including a picture of me on the back. This new edition would also have two blank end pages, author's dedication, title page, table of contents, removable cheat sheet, preface, foreword, note from the from the author, index, blank pages for notes, introduction and a final note and the usual recommendations of the book from other people in the field. It would be assigned an ISBN number too. The original body of the text at this writing remains the same for several reasons.

The 2nd edition has never actually been published due to many complications. My agent kept sending the submitted writings back for revisions. One of the notes on my manuscript stated that the readers want more details. I worked on the details for awhile but have still not really worked them out. The photo of me with the drawn on mustache and pointy little beard wearing a French cashmere beret was flat out rejected. I felt this would actually be a time saver for a small segment of the population if the graffiti was already included. I like to be proactive. I had many good ideas for additional chapters such as "Really Wiggle Your Toe." This discusses how physical movement can be magical in other realms. "Go to the Bathroom," was another. I thought that would be a good chapter going into basic functions and how they help prevent stagnation. A cultural specific chapter, aimed at the city reader entitled, "Just Forget About It," was also considered. I tossed around the idea of some actual photos to race up the publication with some demonstrations of toe wiggling methods and diagrams of positive energy bathrooms with the input of a feng shui expert. My favorite picture was a person in New York at that very moment of "Forgetting About It." I also want to mention that I really wanted to add the large, friendly words to the cover, "Don't Panic," but I was told by the publisher's legal staff that I cannot. This apparently is under copyright by The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and was one of that references chief selling points.

So many credenza driving method books with variations such as personal reflections, prayer methods, credenza styling, meditations and advanced thoughts came out, that the field became more un-navigatable than Boston during the highway reconstruction years. The information fallout was obvious with even the smallest of children drawing pictures of flying furniture being happily driven over the continent with no explanation. Notably, no one has presented the general reader with a specific Credenza Drive Method book to Boston, leaving that to the smaller groups that actually have a reason to go to Boston. Apparently, it is different every time and takes advanced preparation best left to the more experienced according to the self-published information available. Often the un-initiated end up circling Boston for some time without being talked down in some cases. One person, Wrong Way Sultan, appears to have landed smack in Boston center purely by accident by all accounts thinking he was in some area of Madagascar. Some very literary academic publications regarding this subject may come out in the near future for the upper level university students and professors.

Meanwhile, frustrations are building and the tensions may apparently drive people to become suspicious. Detractors of the "Credenza Method" recently accused K of purposely congesting South Jersey traffic while he flew straight into the Rivera in a blink of an eye with his agent to slurp down rays. Adding to this suspicion is the fact that no one has actually seen K in South Jersey for which several metaphysical explanations have been offered up. This has never been proven with his agent, believed to be the balancing opposite of Dan Rather, simply replying, "No comment," to all inquiries. Many of the detractors eventually were exposed due to their inability to imagine their own credenza or even simply describe where they actually sit on the unit while flying. K's supporters are still adamant about the methods used and stand 100 percent behind the "Credenza Method" insisting how far you take it, why, and where, is simply up to the practitioner.

Prime Time Mentalvision

She was a psychic, but she wanted to talk. The post-war psychic environment was dismal. That is only because the pre-war economy had been just as dismal and nothing had changed. The gleaming golden arches called out to her alchemical hunger from a distance.

Spirituality was on the decline, except for those who believed it was on an upswing. The "Pow-Wow Bones Report" was playing over the radio. It seems, just as many were buying as selling. It was getting too difficult for most people to get insider information before anyone else anymore. The time travelers could barely make more than any other sentient being on the planet. The Weatherman came on and was predicting the usual cliché of the dark and stormy night as the vehicle turned into the lot. He was always right, that was why they called him "The Weatherman."

She pulled up to the psychic island of the drive through and thought, "Cheeseburger and fries," into the crystal embedded monitor. Everyone got cheeseburger and fries now, and it was heralded as proof of oneness in the worlds. There was the usual crackling response from the monitor. She wished they would fix that, but did not release the thought. There was the karma card still in the ashtray from the last burger universe trip. Her monk friend who often rode in the passenger seat was a chain smoker and the card stuck up through the ashes. She blew off the ashes, retrieving the phoenix-like card and scratched the ticket. "Free Supersizing!" it read. The karma cards kept people returning to the eternally golden arches again and again. Glancing back into the monitor, she sent the vision of the supersizing coupon to the cleric. There was another crackling response.

Her thoughts slipped away as she fixed her makeup in the scrying mirror on the overhead visor. Then, in what seemed less than a moment, one thought got away. "The same old shit…" drifted off echoing into many levels of universe. The plumber from Alchemical Burgers came out immediately before the thought had even settled down to rest. He was there with the toolbox and dressed for a messy job. Jazz was playing from the rideman style box. It was not easy being a plumber, but it was a very spiritual position and much appreciated. They had great taste in music too. Even so, she tried to roll up the windows before he reached the car. There was something in her mood today. The electrical system suddenly failed. "Damn!" she thought, trying to catch herself, but it was too late. That thought too had slipped through.

There were huge problems plaguing life and they were starting to come to the surface. "How could I think such things! I am so clumsy! I am such a jerk!" Thoughts were raging out of control and rolling like the dark, stormy clouds on the horizon. The plumber was trying to reach through the invisible waters and she wanted to bite him for helping her. The hand reached through the window as she tried again to roll them up. The windows would not work anymore. The storms were approaching quickly now with dark clouds tumbling in at an alarming rate. Streaks of light were flashing.

The cheeseburger and fries with the huge Coke arrived suddenly by fold space. She lurched away from the helping hand and gulped at the Coke trying to get the burger into her mouth and evade the helping touch. The struggle made the French fries tumble over onto the floor, dissolving back into the light they were created from. "@!# !$(#! It!" she cried. "My Ultimate Glowing Red Alchemical Charge Card paid for those!"

"It will be OK," the plumber stated with an air of authority. "You will be fine," he said. "There is so much in the world, but remember you will be wonderful," he continued. She glared at him. Still he went on. "I am just a humble spiritual comedian offering fast food solutions and the truth. If you want something slower, you may want to try the steakhouse or the all-you-can-eat buffet down the road. By not accepting the truth in those words, it will take much longer than the burger and fries, even with the extra-large soft drink." She rolled her eyes at the technical terms, "Soft drink…"

He took her hand and she could feel the warmth that was in every person and every thing. Once, she had a vision of oneness, but she thought about it and it did not work out just then. Who would cook? Who would issue the official postage for this island of special psychics and get a currency system that worked with the rest of the universe. How could they call themselves special and be one also? Her vision crumbled with people quickly getting voted off that island of one on prime time mentalvision (MTV). All she wanted was a place people could come to. How could anyone come if we cannot issue official postage and somehow come up with some sort of workable currency so that people can receive their mail to and from the island? That was where her vision led her… to red tape… barriers… walls.

Suddenly a rush of warmth filled her body. This was different… more penetrating than before. There was a small man running by yelling, "THE PLANE! THE PLANE!" Apparently Astral was opening up and it was time to go. The plumber stepped back. She smiled at him feeling relieved now. She started her vehicle and saw that her French fries had been restored to their pre-fall positions and there was still a whole lot of Coke left. As a matter of fact, despite the earlier gluttony, she had hardly touched her burger yet.

A man in the vehicle ahead of her made an unwise move. She flipped him off giving him a bird. The bird soared from her car, opening up its wings revealing multicolor glistening feathers. The light of the feathers internally sent a message to everyone that could see it that nothing is ever necessary. It is always there, waiting.

How I Chose a Martial Arts School

Lately I have been trying to understand kata. I got a really interesting response at this link: Repetition of Kata and Forms. It is a really interesting answer. Since this is in response to his post, you may want to read that first before going on.

In his response, Kellog askes this question of martial arts students:

I would personally like to hear from students because this is where the initial decision is made - and often it is made for them without their reflection on the long-term consequences of training.

Anyone is welcome to join at the link in order to answer the question. You can also send your response here if you would like me to forward your answer.

Personal Reflections on Selecting a Martial Arts School

The way I came about choosing my first school and teacher in the martial arts could be a book. It would not be that interesting of a book though, so I will try to make it short. What I should tell you right now is that I am not known for being brief.

Reflections of Childhood

I had been wanting to take karate for years as a child. My Mom was not so in favor of it though. She thought that karate was dangerous. I did things like swimming lessons because Mom says that practically "all" American's can swim. So by the time I actually could join a martial arts school because I had the funds to pay for it, had time to attend regularly being out of college, and was not traveling all the time, I was well into my adult years. By that time, I had done years of yoga, was involved with the metaphysical center, and was well on my way to becoming a Reiki Master. I was also sharing and teaching a little in the psychic arena. This definitely affected my view of what I wanted to get out of the arts.

When I "grew up" I did all sorts of things that my Mom thought was dangerous. I became certified in scuba diving, went skiing and participated in all sort of sports. It is really funny though. Since I grew up in the country, there were all sorts of activities I performed as a child that were potentially more dangerous than any of those things. The neighborhood game was Blitz, which is basically football without a ball. When you hit the ground, you have to stay there. The last person standing for the team, wins for the team. I operated large equipment and machinery and was called upon as part of a team when animals got dangerous. (If you have seen the statistics for those poor farm kids on injury, it is pretty darn high.) I was on the danger team because I was small, compared to the large men, had a reputation for being fearless (which, of course, is not true...) and could be counted on not let go of the ropes because I got scared, and I could leap into and over places no one else could. I was also on the gymnastic team which helped a lot in this activity. Thinking back, I have no idea why I would have done this. I certainly would not now. So I guess, if anything, I got smarter over the years.

Gains and Losses

My goal in choosing a martial arts school was to finally have a sport I could perform for my lifetime. I finally got too big to be a gymnast by eighth grade becoming even taller then the men on the team. I went to dancing but then dancing started turning too gymnastic with people doing flips and spinning on their heads. Although I am a strong swimmer and even worked out with a military frogman, I had to be careful about chemical exposure. I found out it was not great for me swimming in chlorine all the time. Some health problems cleared right up when I stopped this. By this time I was working out in a gym regularly and ended up not having anything to specifically train for and I missed it.

Positive Experiences

I had several friends that were in the martial arts. At one college graduation ceremony receiving special honors I sat next to my friend Walter. I was amazed at what they said about him because he never told me he was a Master in the martial arts. I turned to him and whispered, "I should beat you up right here." We both started laughing. He is a very nice, unassuming person and no one would ever have guessed. There were a lot of people in the arts that I have come across or that are my friends and I could see that they really lived (secretly) inspiring lives. I did not necessarily want to train the way they do though or expose myself to some of the dangers.

Distance, Teaching, Contact and What the Maitre d' Said

I did not want to be in a full-contact school or participate in activities where I would be regularly "choked out" of consciousness. At the time I was being paid to think at work, so I felt I might need those brain cells. I looked at schools for injuries and spoke to students to see how they felt about their classes. Meanwhile, I got the local paper. There were a few teachers from schools that could not stop fighting in local restaurants when they came across each other. I love my restaurants, so I did not want to participate in a school that would take me out of my social life. Believe it or not, that eliminated more schools than you would think. Some schools were simply too far away. There are schools with teaching requirements that I cannot meet because of career demands. For the best success, I wanted to attend some place closer so that I could go regularly but would allow me to be away when I had to.

Spirit and Personality, Hard and Soft

One of the schools I visited had a native American teacher that I really took to for some reason. Because of his background and variety of learning, he taught both "hard and soft." Not only did I get a chance to do more chi kung, but I could experience tai chi and do more energy work. Sometimes he would bring up some of this native ways and compare them according to his perspective. I learned sparring and did karate drills. We do not just experience the physical part but we are taught a little of the history and philosophy as we learn and apply the lessons. His teacher disallowed fighting in restaurants too. (He wanted to go visit the other guys when they were arrested and behind bars awaiting bail to see how they were doing. His teacher told him he better not.)

Special Considerations

The school had a special women's class. I thought that would be nice since I never had been in a karate school before. It gave me a ice comfortable feeling to start with. I was quickly moved from that class though and I found the other classes just as nice. The other students were gentlemen for the most part with any exceptions being nipped in the bud.

So my decision was based on a lot of information. I think there are still more that I left out... some of which involves sensitive matters that I would rather not mention. Mostly, it was an art I thought I could practice for my lifetime since I wanted something that I would not grow out of. There were a lot of older people still practicing as an example to me and I liked that. Then it was a blend of internal and physical practice giving me more experience for my healing and spiritual learning and also offering something to my physical life. It was a darn good workout and kept me in nice condition. It pointed out weaknesses that I would not have noticed otherwise and I could change my gym workouts to balance out these factors. The classes also offered something to my mind with a long history and wonderful philosophy.

The Challenging Work of Discovery

That is probably the end of answering the question about how I selected a school. I should probably add that my first teacher was a bit of a wild man and often did unexpected things. He was a bounty hunter for one thing. He always kept me on my toes. At one private class, it was only he and I in the school. He gave me specific instructions on how to block. I blocked and blocked, he hit me over and over again. I was becoming exhausted. Finally, my arms were starting to fail and I was really being pummeled. I kept saying, "Enough!" but he kept on going. My arm started to fall and I pushed him back by his face somehow and said, "Enough." I don't know how I got in there but it was definitely against the instructions. He got angry or acted angry and really started pummeling me and screaming, "DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!" I tried to block for awhile longer but finally my arms were so tired one flopped accidentally on his head. No one was more surprised than me that I hit him and then came another surprise... He knocked me through the wall.

I have actually gone through a few walls before but I had never been through a wall like this, so I did not really know what to expect. I passed through the plaster easily making a whole body print but the harder outside structures held firm against my back. I felt a few fast in and out vibrations from the wood and bounced out of the wall. I could see I was going to hit my instructor again as I got flung out of the wall so I tried to pull my weight down. There was not enough room and I only managed to pull my weight down enough to whack him with my full body weight. Maybe he was only acting angry but there was now a whole wall to repair and plaster everywhere. He was roaring and threw me down to the floor. He grabbed my legs as they flew up and started running with me across the room sliding my back across the floor. This gave me the distinct impression that I was about to be flung into another wall. I don't really know why, but I put my arms up for the one second of strength they had left and yelled, "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!" He suddenly dropped my legs and I then yelled something that my little niece taught me. When you just had an experience so great and you would always like to do this wonderful thing, you simply yell, "AGAIN!" He turned suddenly to look at me and my arms flopped back down to the floor. The weak short recharge was quickly spent. I was exhausted and could hardly move. He started laughing and said, "You are intrepid!" The next class started piling in and then stopped suddenly looking at me still on the floor, my teacher bent over laughing, and the cartoonish body print in the wall.

My teacher left the body print in the wall and never patched it up. I became a legend about that. Everyone talked about out of all the people to leave an impression on the wall, it was me. This teacher left, moving across the country leaving with my hole in the wall still standing and a new teacher arrived. The new teacher had us line up and had some questions for us and was telling us what to expect. One of the first matters was the wall. "Who did this?" he asked. There was some nervous shifting of weight and I was not exactly sure what to say. "Ummmm.... that is... me.... (small gesture towards the wall) but.... it was an accident." There was stunned silence and I saw his look of surprise and he stared at me with his eyebrows up. The silence went on for awhile. "You know... I couldn't have done that by myself... right?" He never said anything much more about it really, but occasionally did made a vague reference or joke about it and finally had the wall patched up. Although I don't think you need to worry if this story makes you hesitant. Most people don't get the opportunity to be thrown through a wall at school.

I suppose the lesson here is you don't actually have to know what you are doing to be a legend. Ok... so that is not really the lesson here. Did I learn something else from this experience? I think it was the first time I really had the opportunity to see my natural fighting style, although I did not recognize the energy until years later. Although I was in what seemed to be a confrontational event, it is the energy of humor that came through when I was being squeezed hard and far over my head. It has nothing to do with hitting people or being an enemy.

I actually like to spar and normally it is against people whose company I enjoy. It is as fun as a game with fast decision making like speed chess. Although I don't normally find sparring to be confrontational, I do find it is a learning experience. I have had many breakthroughs in the ring although many more of them have been outside anything that can be considered combat. Some of them have been amazing to little me.

Nighmares and Energetic Response

I chuckled a little at a post where someone who watches lots of horror movies has nightmares half the night ... Jeremy Taylor, the author of Dream Work: Techniques for Discovering the Creative Power of Dreams talks specifically about people engaged in spiritual development. They must clear humanity's worst case archetypal bad dreams out! Why? "...the only place where evil can truly be faced and overcome is within." The problem is, some people keep getting the newest nightmares available on the planet though.

I have nightmares sometimes, but normally they do not have anything to do with what I have been watching. I am a big fan of horror and have had special guests like Vincent Price play the devil, etc. I sort of like that. Most of the time horror has an element of humor in it even in my dreams. It is about time that Freddy and Jason met up... Don't you think so! Anyway... often horror is sort of silly. War movies get to me and stories that might be or are horribly true. So I see the guy with all the nails out of his head and think that is pretty funny that people are scared because I don't see that in even the worst neighborhoods. War is real though. We even learned that torture happens too... recently.

You will notice in all the myths and great stories, the energy the character has going into the adventure has a lot to do with the energy he or she is faced with. For instance, if they go into a realm hiding as thieves escaping, the responses of the people they run into will be tricky. Lots of things will be hidden from them and they will not be able trust others. This is especially true when traveling the "realms." Your energy will determine where the dream goes and what you meet. The energetic response of the dreamer has a lot to do with the direction the dream turns to or continues in. If the reaction is fear, then that is the energy that will be played out in the dream. You might be running, paralyzed, heavy, cold, hungry, and hiding in dark places. I find that if I can do something nice in response to something that could go horrible, the whole dream changes! I call this, "Cooking a Nice Meal for a Hungry Monster."

Why not feed the monster if it is hungry? It is tough to do, but if you can eek out even a nice, small, pleasant response in a dream (such as a nice bit of poetry in the form of a spell which someone mentions in another post that changes her nightmare into a beautiful sunrise), you will find the whole dream will turn around. It is difficult to get past fear in dreams or in real life. Some say the reason we are "here" is to work though fear energetically. Often nice, or even unexpected funny responses will work in real life too. I can have several life experiences where they got me or other friends out of jams. And don't think this is fluff bunnyish, I try everything before losing my teeth especially when there is a lot of them and one of me. It is just great to walk away with everything like a happy holy trickster of myth where everyone gets something out of the deal.

If you take the Hungry Monster theme back into real life, it might me nice to have responses that help the world. Perhaps we are all afraid of poverty and starvation but we think more about our personal fear of public speaking. If you can do something to help feed people, I think that is very nice and sorely needed. It is so much better than turning away. We certainly have a lot of opportunity to do that here. Poor people are not monsters, but in the darkness of our minds that we cannot see, we may find it a difficult and unpleasant reality to really see. There may be a hidden fear response gone unrecognized.

This is not to say that nightmares are not very useful. The author of the book mentioned previously also says that nightmares often call attention to survival issues. In a dream state, these issues can be worked out authentically. I interpret that as meaning it is what we really are like without the masks we wear in everyday life.

I was told that Stephen King gets his inspiration from his dreams. That is saying a lot! Wow. He must sleep like a pointy toothed little baby. Grrrrrr!

Storytellers' Telling

Now.

Filtered ray enters,
Gentle,
Sun face appears,
Glowing softly within,
Without.

Thrown stone waters,
Ripple,
and redone calm,
Tossing it once again,
Again.

Storytellers'
Telling,
Is to have cake,
Eaten present or past,
Infinitely.

Now.

---Evonne

Working with Falling in Dreams

The original dream question is posted over at Ask a Witch.


***

I have weird dreams all the time.

...dark murky water that I was in: This can represent not seeing clearly or just beginning to see into realms. You are in the water, an environment you may be unaccustomed to. Are you actually under the water? This can be the underworld, which is common in dreams, or represent something in the physical environment. There are many ways we can be unfamiliar with our new environment. Are you in a new job or place where you have to learn about your surroundings socially? don't know where things are yet? ...wondering were everyone shops? ...are in a new living place? ...wondering what people are like in the new neighborhood?

...weird looking fish were all around me swimming some were like a dark brown prehistoric looking thing and others looked similar to normal fish but they were this pale color with red spots all over, then I saw some creatures that resembled leeches but they were green in color and they possibly could have been maggots, but I tend to think leeches because they were crawling out of the water in masse when I came out of the water I had large blisters or welts on my legs and inner thighs. There is a lot in the physical world that we take for granted. Some people see into "the two worlds" at once. We walk about in the physical world and do not see the subtle world in many cases. It is there though. Many of us know this. Remember fear of a new environment shapes the energy that you will come into contact with as far as how you view it. Think of an example of a man running at you with great speed and carrying a club that he obviously intends to use. If that is all you see, then you will believe he is an attacker and will see him as a horrible and frightening brute. Now widen the picture to see danger behind you and this man in front of you running with a club. You may still be afraid of him and see him as trapping you in danger. Another idea may be that he sees the danger too and will help you. In any case your body will showing all the stress of the situation. (Thanks Spiderman! Woooo! Love that outfit! Who was that many legged being? This is that sexy scene where it starts raining and the upside down kiss...)

Then two nights ago I also had a dream about a building falling sideways and the elevator falling out of it and freefalling (I was in the elevator): Things in your life are off balance and you have some anxiety or fear. You do not feel "right." A medical checkup is not a bad idea at all. Buildings and other solid structures sometimes represent the physical world rather than non-physical existence such as spirit or soul (depending upon the terms you use). The building could be the community you are a part of, where you live, learn, work, etc., The elevator itself may represent your body. The body is your vehicle for this world that you move around in although you can leave it for other kinds of travel. An elevator takes you up and down in a tall building from where you are to upper worlds and lower worlds to visit. Either direction has great value with lots to learn and see, just like where you are now.

If you are in great health, and care to look at other areas of what falling means, you have a lot to work with. Falling is a very common in dreams. When we fall, we do not believe we have control during the fall. I read once, that it is a great fear of the middle class person that they will fall socially instead of continuing to climb. Falling can represent our fears and anxieties in a physical way. Failure to let go of anxiety and fear, weighs a person down, for instance. You sink like a rock. Going in a downward direction can mean a visit to the underworlds. It can simply be a way of navigation to places where things hidden can be seen that feels scary right now.

The work of the dream is with the dreamer. The most important thing you need to see in a dream is opportunity. My teacher (Kellog from The Spiritual Learning Center) tells me that a dream can give us the portent leading us to an opening for soul travel.

You know best for yourself and have the great opportunity of discovery in dreams. Work in your dreams to make them more lucid. That puts you in a position to offer more control of the falling elevator and enjoy a visit to the underworld. Talk to the fish. Often, if you succeed in letting go of the fear, the dream will change. I always suggest a kind act in a dream to change the energy of it. If you say something nice to a fish, the fish may have some excellent news for you that will clear that murky water right up. In the underworld the frogs always point the way much more obviously than you are accustomed to and the animals often have voices that are very comprehendible. If you are nice to the frogs you might find out that they easily transform into princes. Happens every day.

I heard a great and comforting quote in the opening of a documentary, "Trembling Before G-d," I saw this weekend:

"When one falls, they fall right into the lap of God.* That is how one falls."

*Use your personal word here: Goddess, the Gods, etc.

Perhaps this will give you the comfort to fall with the grace of a wonderful dancer in a great ballet. It will be right at the part of the dance where she is supposed to fall with great beauty, charming the audience and capturing their hearts. All their energies will be bursting forth on her side to help her. BRAVA! (And "Bravo!" as the case may be.)

Vibrations from Monks; Tibetan Music and the Hidden Secret

If bullfrogs became magical creatures complete with musical instruments and would play for us, they would perform like the Tibetan monks of the Guyuto or Gyume monasteries. I mean this is a delighted way! I would not be at all surprised if they had a lot of bullfrog influence in one of their past lives. These monks sing in such bass notes with the deepest resonation imaginable. Bullfrogs, and monks, make the most beautiful music that projects through the air. The monk's voices overtones occur naturally as a by-product of their practices such as yoga and visualization.

I heard something else about this particular kind of music. The music is disguised with the words not being perceptible due to the sometimes great elongation of syllables! I am told that even the native Tibetan speakers cannot decipher the meanings hidden in the music. Being able to hear and understand the chants is considered harmful to the uninitiated listener!

The Dalai Lama considered the question about the public performances of the monks and the meaning of the music being performed to audiences around the world. Many of the places where the monks perform are full of not only uninitiated, but not even Buddhist in many cases. This is how he answered:

Although it is not possible to witness the interior processes that are the substantial realities underlying these rites, one can observe the exterior aspects.... We feel there is a beneficial result from seeing these creations since they create a subconscious affinity with the practices and they purify one's instincts....Based on their inner achievement, the Yogis can unfold energies which serve the benefit of the entire country, such as in ceremonies which consecrate images and icons, exorcise negative forces, prevent natural disasters and epidemics, and uplift the spirit of the times." (Parabola, Volume X, Number 3)


I picked out some samples of the music from Amazon.



Tibetan Tantric Choir The Gyuto Monks

1. Guhyasamaja Tantra, Chapter II Windows Media Listen, Real One Player Listen

2. Melody for Mahakala Windows Media Listen, Real One Player Listen





Tantras of Gyuto Various Artists - International - Far East - General

1. Sangwa Düpa Windows Media Listen, Real One Player Listen

2. Mahakala Windows Media Listen, Real One Player Listen



Sacred Tibet Gyume Monks

1. Guhyasamja (Esoteric Communion) Windows Media Listen, Real One Player Listen

2. Kalarupa (Dharma Victor) Windows Media Listen, Real One Player Listen







Other Notes:
Radio Free Tibet is a one hour long show, Mondays 1-2pm, on 91.7 FM Radio KO.OP in Austin, Texas dedicated solely to the Tibetan issue. It will include music, news, interviews and live performances. Tune in if you are in the area.


Directory of Tibetan Music, songs, mp3 downloads
The above link includes these links:
http://www.tibet.com/audio/ - Browse Tibetan Songs for Official Ceremonies.
http://www.musictibet.com/ - Web site of Tibetan Music Awards. Flash recommended.
http://www.uni-muenster.de/Musikwissenschaft/Hauptbiblio.htm - learn about Tibetan Music And Its Cultural Background

Tibetan Nuns of Kathmandu 1999 North American Tour Interesting Excerpt: Traditionally, ritual arts and scholastic study have been a prerogative of Tibetan Buddhist monks. In the Tibetan community-in-exile, this is changing. Nuns are now training in classical Tibetan debate, the performance of ritual music, the creation of sand mandalas, and other ritual arts. This tour will be the first opportunity for most North Americans to see the accomplishments of this first generation of newly-trained young, Tibetan nuns. In addition, the tour has been organized to raise money to support the nuns of Khachoe Ghakyil, most of whom are refugees from Tibet. The nunnery started when five nuns arrived at Kopan Monastery. Eventually so many nuns arrived that a new facility, Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery, was built especially for them. However, there are more and more nuns requesting permission to join the nunnery. Plans are now being made to arrange facilities and accommodations for another 100 residents.

Where Normalcy Lurks

Looks Can be Deceiving

I had an interesting experience today. My presence was requested on the local psyc ward. I have not visited one for business or pleasure for a long time... years. I suppose today was personal. Unexpectedly, I could not go last night in the ice storm we experienced during regular visiting hours. The physician left an order that I could come to visit someone in the morning. This is an unexpected exception to the usual rule for visitors.

The person I went to visit greeted me happily, hugged me and said, "It must be nice to be normal." This comment really surprised me. No one, in my whole life ever called me "normal" that I can think of. I responded that "normal" was a very unusual word when it came to me personally, and a very difficult measurement for anyone to live up to. My left eyebrow refused to lower back into the usual (normal?) position for awhile due to the surprise of the expression. My mouth had a funny smiling curve. Eventually, I told this person that I would make a list of people that consider me normal. "You are the only person on my list so far," I added. I gave over the protein bar and a Christmas Get Well card.

Although this is not someone I see very often, this person had a lot of questions for me. "How did you lose that great job?" they asked me. Well, the frankness level was right up there with that of small children. They never hold back the real questions... do they?! I find them very lucky in that respect. My usual response is that I joined the circus during a mid-life career change, but I have not tried this out with any one over age 10 yet. I mentioned the "Big Truck" incident with my small car as well as some other interesting stuff that happened before that. I did not go in depth into these difficult occurrences, since I did not want to frighten anyone, but they wanted to know everything. It was someone else's turn to fall silent with surprise. "Could you walk after the accident?" they wanted to know. "A little, but not too well for awhile," I responded. This person had been in one of my classes about self discovery a few years ago and had a special note for me about the class. "You were right about what I wanted to do," she said, "And I did not do it." For some reason the individual was pleased to tell me this. I think that life is full of many difficult challenges for all of us.


More Views of the Strange and Normal

Today, after I was called normal, I thought about a man I often see in town. He never seemed normal to me. I did not actually "see" him well for awhile but I knew that he was in that blur somewhere. He is a fellow roller blader that is always traveling at high speeds, yelling, and going by in a fuzz of odd movement. He is never traveling slowly enough for me to get a good look at him, and for awhile I wondered if he was not a crazy old man screaming by. He is my opposite in rollerblading. I am always armored up and ready for some risk taking to go bad. This man wears hardly anything besides the smallest shorts you ever saw and has a lot of swinging motions even on a simple cruise level. If he is wearing anything besides those little shorts, I can only guess that there are socks in the roller boots somewhere. He is buried in an amazing array of tattoos.

One day I did get a full glimpse of the man. Just before Christmas, I got a letter that it was time to take care of my car. I decided to go right up and have everything done , rather than taking the chance of being featherheaded. There he was! He was behind the counter and standing still! Finally I could see the speedy roller demon!

To my surprise, and close to shock of the unexpected, this is actually a very young man who was very badly burned in an accident at some time in his life. He was not screaming or acting strange at his work. I might expect strange behavior from someone I have only seen as a speedy blur? He was quite the opposite that day. He greeted me with the air of a small town Maitre de and wished me a happy holiday promising to take nice care of my car. It appears that even his eyelids had been burned and I tried not to stare. I wanted to ask, but I did not. Inside, I still have that child like curiosity but I am too careful to wield my frankness.This burn scarring is what I mistook for age in that blur on wheels! Perhaps the tattoos help cover up some of the more noticeable damage? I spoke to him for a little while. He had nephews and nieces and was doing some special things for them for the holiday. His cheery personality is quite the opposite of what I expected from someone who I thought was probably a hellion.




Who knows what normalcy or bizarreness lurks within anyone? You will receive lessons. You will be tested. You might find out.

Creeds and Building a Path in the World

I did not make any New Year's resolutions. Like some other people, I started off this new year by looking over my personal creed. Over the years, I have learned how important a creed is. I put it into words years ago before I even met Kellog, who I call a spiritual teacher but who refers to himself as a "plumber." He is a teacher in the martial arts, KCD and sometimes emphasizes the importance of a creed. It is all about how you build your path in the world.

I remember why I first put my own personal beliefs into words. There was a community class I would teach. It was exploring childhood with exercises designed to bring out elements about yourself that you forget as an adult. These childhood tendencies often have great values. Because of the nature of the teachings, as a basis for the class, I would present my rules.

My rules are not about other people. These are my rules, although anyone is welcome to use them. I would make it clear that the rules were "for me" and as time went by each student would probably develop their own creeds to live by. Even if a creed is not formalized in writing, chances are it is somewhere inside of each person.

I found my rules had value in being shared. The students know by looking at the rules I live by that I was am not about to hold them down in any way. This set my teachings into perspective and also is intended to encourage people to explore their own mind fully. I also encouraged people to eventually record their own "Golden Rules." I know plenty of people out there have their own creeds too. Maybe you would care to share?

I posted my creed on the internet for awhile and laughed at the notes that came up in the search engines. It was short and sweet... something like:

Golden Rules?

(I find the question mark very special.)

I never changed my rules or rewrote them for many years now. They could probably use a little tweaking and to be worded better, but I thought that I would leave them the way they are for remembrance.

Well here they are! (Feel free to skip to the bottom of the link if it is too much yada-yada for ya!)

Golden Values

EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEMSELVES, ESPECIALLY THEMSELVES! When everything is going well, be happy for good fortune. When problems occur, take responsibility for actions, past, present and future. Face the problems knowing that they have occurred because of decisions you made. This is even if the mistake occurred because of someone else’s mistake that affected you. Deal with problems directly.

OBSTACLES ARE REALLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES. Approach obstacles as learning experiences. Learning from errors and obstacles will bring more satisfaction than making the same mistakes over and over again.

GIVE, GIVE, GIVE, THEN GIVE SOME MORE! Being responsible for yourself does not mean not to help others! The more given, the more received. (A rule dating back to the bible!) This is a lesson easily learned by experience.

DON’T EXPECT TO RECEIVE FROM THE SAME SOURCE GIVEN TO! Most discover the unexpected outcome is experiencing benefits in unexpected ways. The more people who give, the better place we all are. Be an angel. Help someone secretly, do a good, anonymous deed. Enjoy the sweetness of life, letting everyday contain surprises for you and others. Consider the quality of your life its own reward.

ALWAYS TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT. We teach our children not to talk to strangers. The bible says, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 (NIV). One day you may be the "angel." This does not mean to enter into dangerous situations. It does mean that everyone should be responded to as a real person no matter who they are, who there were, or who they are going to be. So often, who someone really is, is a wonderful secret.

THINK ABOUT QUALITIES OTHERS POSSESS. You may discover a quality within yourself that you are quick to notice in others. Another discovery could be that you do not possess enough of this quality. These characteristics may be ones that attract you or bother you, but they stand out for some reason. Look at others as a mirror of yourself. A different kind of mirror. A mirror of what you are and what you are not. Everyone has the potential to feel the same things and learned to feel the way they do now.

USE POSITIVE EXPRESSION. Individuals tend not to respond to negativity. Think back to times in your own life when, although someone was giving you good advice, it was not done in a pleasant way. When you are positive, individuals wish to respond to you and will consider more what you say. They will also be drawn to you because everyone loves a winner!

DO NOT LET OTHERS MAKE MISTAKES. When an error occurs or is about to happen, stop it or undo it gracefully. Never obviously correct someone unless there is danger involved. These actions build trust and friendship.

GIVE AND RECEIVE PRAISE EASILY. No matter how little, every good deed should receive acknowledgement. Say thanks! Praise also keeps people responding to you and keeps the cycle of give, give, give going! Accept praise graciously.

LEARN THE RULES. Many societies have very complex rules for behavior that everyone must learn and follow. In our culture individuals tend to have more freedom. However, equally complex rules, that we must learn and follow, remain. However, these rules are not as well defined as they are in some other cultures. Many times someone is doing everything almost perfectly, but it is the "almost" part that is preventing success. When you discover an obstacle, try to learn all about the values and unwritten "rules" surrounding it.

WHEN YOU WIN, MAKE SURE EVERYONE WINS. If everyone wins when you win, the more you win. The more everyone wins. The more people will let you win!

LEARNING THE RULES DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL OF THEM. Like chess, the more rules you learn, the more you can win. Also, remember-- not every rule may be right for you. Sometimes success is found because someone is "unconventional" and is able to try a new way. Learning the "rules" and the dynamics around them, explains reactions and gives an individual more information to deal with.

EXPERIMENT AND EXPLORE!!! Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Weigh the possible outcomes: The best and the worst of what can happen. If the possible outcome is terrible, don't try it if it is too much for you to overcome!!! Studies have shown that when people experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them, the more successful they tend to become. (Economic Studies: "Games in Economics and Business," by Roy Gardner, "Thinking Strategically, " by Dixit and Nalebuff.)

ASK FOR HELP. Special people enjoy being recognized for what they have to give, and are often very willing to spread their wealth of knowledge. Ask people you know that can help you. Networking is a very positive experience for both parties if it is sincere.

FIND BALANCE. Prioritize so that you find a balance between mind, spirit, and body for yourself. There is always time for everything that is important. Find outlets for self-expression, health, career success, and spiritual happiness measured by your own criteria.

LEARN FROM OTHERS. It is easier to learn from others than to make the same mistakes yourself (in theory). If you believe that everything happens for a reason, think about why you may be hearing about this problem. Use the information positively. Perhaps you can avoid making the same errors.

BE A TEACHER. Teach others around you indirectly by being a role model. Isn’t that how we learned to love? Teach directly, when you feel that others are ready to learn or when in the position of teacher. There is great value in being a teacher. The teacher teachers, and the teacher learns by teaching. Do not forget to learn by teaching. As Joe Hyams states in his book "Zen and the Martial Arts", "Even masters have masters and are all learners."

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO EXCEL. Be happy for every successful person around you. Be happy for their successes. If you have taught someone to excel, do not try to remain "the best" by holding someone back. Let others grow to their full abilities. The most skillful masters in the world have proud teachers. Savor the joyful feeling like a proud parent. Give everyone around you your support.

I would like to thank everyone who gives me what I need even when it is yuccy.

My cat, for teaching everyone that it does not matter if you are a cat and you want to live your life as a dog.

Every teacher I ever had, whether they are called a teacher or not.

***

Kellog's Creed Kellog posts and has a lot of his writings on the group called "The Spiritual Learning Center" or simply SLC. He has ten parts of his creed posted at the link. The Yellow Brick Road Series also at that link speaks about the creed and its value according to Kellog, which I have found to be true. If you are interested in philosophies, it is great! (No one has to actually join in order to read the site information. Everyone is welcome to join and participate too!)

Do You Have a Creed? This is a related post on Witangemot (another site) related to the same subject. Most of the people who responded have been Kellog's students at one time or another, or at least know him. (I am not sure if one must be a member at this particular site to see this link)

These teachings have been great for me, and helped me out a lot through my injuries after my car accident. It is also good to know, that one of the rules is not to "let anyone rule over your mind." This means no groupies allowed. I have found a personal creed enhances development in every way by recognizing my own personal values and ways.

Perhaps you are interested in sharing your personal creed or just one or two really good ways that you live by?