Welcome to Issue 11 of Pure Inspiration.

Listed below are this issue's articles and features.
To view a brief summary, click on the name of the article.

Whether or not you are among the thirty million people who have read Louise Hay's best-seller, "You Can Heal Your Life," you will enjoy this upbeat interview. Louise conveys the feeling as well as anyone we've encountered that it is within the reach of everyone to live a richly rewarding life; the "price tag" for that life is a willingness to release feelings of not being good enough, of being "unworthy," and also a willingness to govern one's thoughts with a sincere effort toward keeping them positive. Louise's life is all about helping others — through books, a new movie, and personal appearances, and all I can say is, Louise, keep doing what you are doing; it's working!

Tama Kieves' message is to follow your heart — do what you love — because by doing that, the individual opens wide the door to their own inner Self, which is full of divine inspiration and qualities, such as courage, creativity, and love. In her own words, "Our desires are our doorways. They lead us into a new world, a new way of being in this world, and with new powers to bring to this world." She explains how living in this way led her to connect to the magic "presence" or power within herself, "who could guide me anywhere, into any territory, in a way that felt natural and unassailable to me." Discovering this "secret self" has certainly given Tama a fuller, more meaningful life, and her words will inspire you to look within and follow your own star of sincerity.

Paramahansa Yogananda takes a close look at prayer, and explains why some of us may have been disappointed in the past with our "lack of results" in this area; in short, he says that we must change our status from seeing ourselves as beggars to realizing that we are all children of God. This, he says, gives our prayers "both power and wisdom." Coupled with this acknowledgment, he advises us to develop our will power — which is God-given — to become continuously applied toward whatever worthy goal we set for ourselves and, of course, to never give up. He suggests starting with little things for the development of our will power, building up to bigger things gradually, and he also advises that to strengthen our will it is necessary to keep the company of others who share our ideals and make sincere efforts to improve themselves spiritually.

This article is comprised of a group of beautiful thoughts on the truth of the present moment. The author explores the idea that now is all there is -- even the past and future are recalled or anticipated in the present moment; he states about the Now, "Acknowledge it, honor it. When the Now is the foundation and primary focus of your life, then your life unfolds with ease." He distinguishes between the events that occur in one's life and that inner sense of being, or "I Am." He says "That sense of I Am is one with the Now. It always remains the same. In childhood and old age, in health or sickness, in success or failure, The I Am -- the space of Now -- remains unchanged at its deepest level."

In the context of Easter, Dr. Caliandro addresses "the strange power of Spirit over circumstance." Citing examples from his own life as well as the lives of people he personally knows, he reminds us of God's unfathomable ability to work things out on our behalf in a way that far transcends our mere human capabilities. He says "I always end up understanding that it is much better to abandon ourselves to the mysterious action of events, beneath which it is God who is acting." Perhaps the essence of Dr. Caliandro's essay is best summed up with his own words: "God is not only loving, caring, forgiving, and generous -- but is exciting. We can ask, what next? And how will the next appearance bless, enhance, and change my life?"

Sue has been painting for most of her life. Her father, Tony Pacheco, was an accomplished professional artist and served as his daughter's first mentor. About eighteen years ago, Sue lost her job as art director of an advertising agency, which was pretty scary, as she and her husband had just bought a home in northwestern New Jersey, making the lost income a pressing matter. After days and weeks of incessant prayer, Sue had a dream-vision, in which Mother Mary appeared and told her that her life was in God's hands, that everything was going to work out fine, and that she "should start painting angels." It turned out that Mary's advice was right-- everything has unfolded splendidly -- Sue has painted lots of lovely angels and fairies and has also run an art instruction studio out of her home which has inspired many children to express themselves through art under her encouraging supervision. Sue's artwork is a delight -- it takes you to "another place," a world which is pure and innocent, and which nurtures the soul.

You will enjoy reading about Mother Teresa's life journey, how even as a young girl she was fascinated by stories of missionaries serving in India. It becomes clear through Dr. Sorkhabi's article that Mother Teresa was destined to do the work she did, ministering to India's poorest of the poor, seeing God in each of them, and rejoicing in God's love through serving them. In 1950, the Pope officially recognized the order which Mother Teresa had founded, which was called the Missionaries of Charity. She established free homes for the dying and destitute, orphans and street children, patients suffering from leprosy, tuberculosis, AIDS, and much more. Although she received numerous global awards and recognition, she remained incredibly humble throughout her life, seeing herself as a "pencil in God's hand."

Martin Boroson explores the idea that it is indeed possible to meditate in just a moment. He explains that the great benefit of learning how to become proficient in what he terms the "Basic Minute" is that you can ultimately practice meditating wherever you are during the day's activities. He says "You can meditate in all the 'gap moments' that exist throughout your day, moments that once seemed insignificant, but now seem full of potential." Martin says that "the best way to understand a moment is as an experience of timelessness. When you are in the moment, it is like getting a furlough from the prison of time." Through his eyes, we begin to see that our "mundane" activities offer many opportunities to enter the great silence of the soul, by simply centering ourselves, being in the now, and paying attention to the joy of being.

Durga emphasizes the importance of sound sleep for both health and a feeling of well being. She acknowledges that sleep disorders are rampant in today's society, often causing depleted energy, a loss of zest for life, and many other problems. She goes on to say "The true 'I' is the pure light of consciousness, which is aware of all the states of consciousness -- waking, dreaming, and deep sleep....When we sleep deeply, we tune into that Silent Witness and rest in its natural bliss." The article presents a few yoga practices which, when practiced just before bedtime, can help you attain a deeper sleep; these include gentle spinal and leg stretching, half shoulder stand, half-fish pose, and certain breathing techniques. A must-read for insomniacs!

This account reminds us that when a person digs a really deep hole for themselves, the "blessing" in the situation is that they realize they cannot, of their own limited human consciousness, solve the problem. And so it is with alcoholism. The author pulls no punches in describing her out-of-control life; the good news is that she finally began adhering to the twelve steps which have been a light in the darkness to so many individuals and, as of the writing of this piece, has remained sober for a number of years. What strikes me most about the people I have encountered who have walked this path (and continue to walk it) is their deep humility -- they really seem to understand that they need God to heal; they look within themselves, not into the lives of others, to see what needs correction, and through Grace, they find the courage to face and overcome those imperfections.

William writes "Perhaps no single individual contributed more to the widespread proliferation of the wisdom of Sufism than Hazrat Inayat Khan." And the essence of that wisdom is like music to the "ears" of the soul -- it is all-inclusive, full of love, tolerant, and still resonates strongly today. He saw the oneness of the seemingly disparate voices of religion throughout the world -- one God, one Life, one Truth. Even as a child, Inayat showed extraordinary sensitivity, a strong love of truth, and marvelous musical talent. His growth as a musician was nothing less than meteoric -- he quickly began receiving widespread acclaim as a singer and player of the vina (an Indian stringed instrument), and by the time he was twenty years old he became a professor at Gayanshala, a music academy founded by his renowned grandfather. After finding and studying with his spiritual teacher, he became deeply engrossed in spiritual matters, and ultimately came to the west in 1910, where his beautiful music, combined with his love of the One, made a lasting impression upon thousands of truth seekers.

The Glance Photo of Hazrat Inayat Khan with the permission of the International Sufi Movement, The Hague, Netherlands, www.sufimovement.org. To learn more about the International Sufi Movement in the United States, visit www.sufimovement.us. Restoration of the photo by Picture Resurrection Project, www.pictureresurrectionproject.com. Conservator, Greg Alim Welch and Sue Alima Welch, Oaktree Press, www.oaktreeart.com.

Caroline writes beautifully about the importance of stilling ourselves, so that we may see, hear, and be more. In the busy-ness of daily life, how easily we overlook the magnificent quietness that is always the backdrop of the present moment. Just as in music, where the spaces between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves, the quiet moments in our lives are very important and valuable -- they renew us and give us perspective, allowing us space to reflect and understand that which we need to know. Learning to listen with a quiet mind, Caroline points out, is also very important for human relationships -- when our minds are racing, how can we possibly honor the presence of another? To sum up this feature's theme, I will quote Caroline's quote of Father Thomas Keating: "Silence is the language God speaks. Everything else is a bad translation."

Emmet Fox is widely considered to be one of the world's great exponents of spiritual wisdom, and this short feature confirms this lofty status. In language that is refreshingly simple and easy to understand, he points out the majestic beauty of the pathway of love, which is open to everyone at all times. However, while the path may be simple, it is not necessarily easy, as it requires that we forgive others as well as ourselves, and that we are willing to let go of resentment, anger, and hate. Of course, we do not need to condone wrong behavior; rather, we must train ourselves to distinguish between the behavior and the individual. With this distinction firmly in mind, we are free to love the sinner as much as the saint, for we are really loving that within each person which is divine, their spiritual essence.

This one's a charming, true story about a four year old girl (Michelle) who was in the hospital for throat surgery. While under anesthesia, she has an experience of meeting a wonderful, magical lady named Lorri. For some reason, Lorri knows all about Michelle, and says "I've come here to play with you." She also teaches Michelle to fly, brushes her hair, and overall is very loving. There's a lovely twist to the story, but since it is a short feature, I will not give away the ending....you'll just have to read it for yourself!

This is another true story from the holocaust -- how a simple, illiterate "peasant farmer" named Sidor hid and sheltered an entire Jewish family under his chicken coop. Risking his own life for a period of two and a half years, Sidor underwent many hardships simply to do what his conscience told him was right. This is a very short story with a powerful message, one that will etch itself into your memory.

This is a fascinating true story about an eccentric, dedicated man who made some very pure soap; he also used the soap bottles as mediums for expressing his personal spiritual philosophy, an outlook on life which inspired thousands of people. The company, now run by Dr. Bronner's son, Ralph, does a great deal of good for the planet on many levels, and is a model of compassionate, conscious capitalism at its best. A surprisingly interesting story!

Dr. Walker explores the deeper meaning of the statement from Matthew 7:7, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find." She explains that while this is true, in order for this law to operate, we must ask with faith that our request will be answered, "believing to the degree that we firmly expect to receive what we are asking for." She also points out that if we have been asking God for something but have not received it, it is possible that what we are asking for may not be "right;" i.e., we may need to more carefully examine the motives behind our request. She points out that this is addressed by James 4:3 -- "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." Once we are certain that what we want is in agreement with what is good for ourselves and others, and we have faith and the expectation that our request is being fulfilled, the unfailing law of asking and receiving goes to work to produce for us the object of our desire.

The author delves deeply into "what makes us tick." He addresses the true, divine Self, which is who we really are, yet which is encased in various "sheaths," as they are referred to in the ancient Hindu scriptures. The upshot of all the knowledge in this article is that it helps you be more of a witness to the various activities taking place within you as a human being, thus increasing your identification with the true, eternal part of yourself.

Dr. Menahem's article, while decidedly lighthearted and funny, is also profound -- it addresses the truth that humor is often the best way to rise above our problems. In his personal psychotherapy practice, Dr. Menahem has found old sitcoms to be a treasure trove of humorous devices which have helped many of his patients live fuller lives. For example, one of his clients had a phobia about driving "too far" from home; to help him overcome his fear, the doctor put on a pair of Groucho glasses just when his client was beginning to panic, and as he put it "I suddenly realized that he (the client) couldn't be both laughing and afraid at the same time." At any rate, it worked. A very entertaining article!