The Total Eclipse of (the Heart) Bonnie Tyler

(bonnietylerVEVO) Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (Top of the Pops, UK, 1984)

(ITV News)

Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around)" (official video) That raspy voice!

(Ass' Press) Bonnie Tyler, who topped charts with 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' dies at 75

Bonnie Tyler "It's a Heartache"

Can metal ruin a masterpiece?

(Napalm Records) Exit Eden: Operatic Bonnie Tyler "TEOTH" cover

One man show Tommy Johansson power metal cover of "TEOTH"

(Irene Belserion) Symphonic metal cover of Bonnie Tyler's TEOTH

Poem: Death, be not proud; Buddhism

Why Death is NOT the end – The Buddha’s Wisdom on Dying and Beyond
(Buddhism Podcast) Sept. 11, 2025: Buddhism Explained. Discover the historical Buddha’s timeless wisdom on life, death, and what lies beyond [rebirth in endless samsara]. In Buddhism, death is not the end—it is a transition in the endless cycle of rebirth. This video explores key teachings such as

• mindfulness of death (maraṇasati),
• the Five Remembrances, and
• the Path to Nirvana (Nibbana)—the ultimate freedom beyond rebirth and death.

Through the story of the mother Kisagotami, the Buddha’s “Three Knowledges,” and profound insights into impermanence, we learn how to transform fear into understanding and live with clarity, compassion, and purpose. Let Death become a teacher, not something to fear.

• 00:00 - Death in Buddhism: Teachings from the Awakened One
• 06:56 - Why the Buddha understood Death so deeply
• 13:08 - From doubt to understanding, from understanding to liberation
• 19:03 - Living with this understanding.

Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud

By John Donne

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

• "Death Be Not Proud," Wikipedia:

Mara's daughters: Craving, Lust, and Surfeit

"Sonnet X" is also known by its opening words as "Death Be Not Proud." It is a 14-line poem, a sonnet, by English poet John Donne (1572–1631), one of the leading figures in the metaphysical poets group of 17th-century English literature.

Written between February and August 1609, it was first published posthumously in 1633. The poem is included as one of the 19 sonnets that comprise Donne's Holy Sonnets or Divine Meditations, among his best-known works.

Most editions number the poem as the tenth in the sonnet sequence, which follows the order of poems in the Westmoreland Manuscript (c. 1620), the most complete arrangement of the cycle, discovered in the late 19th century.

However, two editions published shortly after Donne's death include the sonnets in a different order, where this poem appears as 11th in the Songs and Sonnets (published 1633) and sixth in Divine Meditations (published 1635).

What is it about?

What I meant was... (John Donne)

"Death Be Not Proud" presents an argument against the power of death. Addressing Death as a person, the speaker warns Death against pride in his power.

Such power is merely an illusion, and the end Death thinks it brings to men and women is in fact a rest from world-weariness for its alleged "victims."

The poet criticizes Death as a slave to other forces: fate, chance, kings, and desperate men. Death is not in control, for a variety of other powers exercise their volition in taking lives.

Even in the rest it brings, Death is inferior to drugs. Finally, the speaker predicts the end of Death itself, stating, "Death, thou shalt die." More

• Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud | The Poetry Foundation

If life is so short, what really matters?

If life is so short, what truly matters? Buddhist wisdom

(Buddhism Podcast) Buddhism Explained. In a world where everything fades—youth, success, even our own identity—what truly matters? This video explores the Buddhist teaching of impermanence (anicca, pronounced /AH-knee-chah/, that everything is in constant flux, hurtling towards destruction) and how it can help us live with clarity, peace, and freedom.

Drawing from the Noble Eightfold Path, the true nature of the self, and the roots of suffering, it offers not just reflection, but a way to live meaningfully—especially in the face of constant change.

• 00:00 - The One Truth No One Can Escape
• 03:32 - The Shadow We Mistake for Ourselves
• 07:46 - Why Letting Go Isn't Loss – It's Freedom
• 11:15 - The Noble Eightfold Path: Living with Clarity, Not Control
• 17:25 - What Truly Matters: Freedom from Suffering

#BuddhistWisdom #Impermanence #EndSuffering

• Buddhism Podcast, Aug. 3, 2025; Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Waiting for Hurricane Milton in hotel (live)

The mayor of Tampa said if you stay in Tampa, you will die. Dead. Evacuate now.

• VIDEO: Walt Disney World Resort livestreams Milton

LIVE: Hurricane Milton coverage

(USA TODAY) Already powerful Hurricane Milton was again gaining strength Tuesday and could double in size before slamming into west-central Florida in what could be one of the "most destructive hurricanes on record" late Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center issued the warning Tuesday, saying damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge [of over 12 feet], and heavy rainfall will extend well outside the forecast cone. Hurricane warning maps show Florida blanketed in red and orange alerts. "Air Force reserve hurricane hunters find that Milton's intensity has rebounded," the hurricane center said in an advisory Tuesday afternoon. Milton had undergone stunningly rapid intensification Monday, its sustained winds reaching 180 mph. By Tuesday the wind speed dropped dramatically although still a fierce Category 4 storm. It climbed back to 155 Tuesday afternoon, just below Category 5 status. Fluctuations were expected as the storm closes in on Florida, said John Cangialosi, a specialist with the National Hurricane Center. Audio provided in part by iHeartRadio iheart.com/live/247-news...

• Terrifying footage: weather.com
• Controversial influencer Caroline Calloway says she's going to die in Hurricane Milton for refusing to evacuate house
• Florida Democrat shuts down Marjorie Taylor Greene for telling everyone outside of government that we can control the weather by machine

Allison Gilgenbach is hunkering down ahead of the big, bad hurricane with her daughters Reagan, 11 (left) and 8-year-old Reagan (courtesy of Allison Gilgenbach)

.

I'm waiting out Hurricane Milton in a Universal Studios Hotel with my daughters. We're not scared.

How will we survive? The trick is to wait out Hurricane Milton in a city far, faraway, like one on vacation in Buddhist Asia, in this case Japan's second city of Osaka.

(INSIDER) My family of three paid $650 to enter early and skip the lines at Universal Studios. Similar perks would've cost us double back home in Florida.

For that price, my family and I got upgraded tickets to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Having early access to the park and express passes for rides saved us hours of waiting in lines. We're in no hurry to get back to Florida.

Shitennoji Temple, Osaka: Discover one the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan

(TT Travel Photography) Here are photos taken at Shitennoji Temple, the first and oldest Buddhist temple in Japan. It is one the most important sites to see here. Comment and contact for more info, always happy to share! #city #osaka #travelphotography Music: Modern Time - An Jone / Crazy - Patrick Patrikios.

Visible from "space" 20 miles up in low orbit

Tickets to Universal parks in the U.S. can cost twice as much, so it was a great value. As a longtime Florida resident, I've been to Universal Studios Orlando many times. So on a recent trip to Japan, my family decided to explore the Universal theme park in Osaka. We can watch the storm on TV.

We only had one day to see everything — and it's one of the most popular theme parks in the world — so we wanted to make the most of our vacation.

The best way to do that was splurging on early entry park tickets and express line passes for all of us. Here's everything we accomplished during our visit. I'm waiting out Hurricane Milton in a Universal Studios hotel with my daughters. We're not scared.

• YouTube mom’s child abuse scandal ends in $1.85 mil settlement
• This new camera could film it (shop.panasonic.com/pages/lumix-s9)
• Story by Jane Ridley (jridley@insider.com), Insider via MSN.com, Oct. 9, 2024; Ashley Wells, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Social media stars willing to DIE for views

Crime Dynasty, Feb. 23, 2024; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

YouTubers who died while filming videos

(Crime Dynasty) This video does not glorify violence. Violent words are bleeped or excluded. No harmful actions are explained nor covered in detail. All sensitive events are explained in an informational context for the documentary without being exploitative or dismissive. The history of drug trafficking is explained in an educational context. Such documentaries are made strictly for educational and informational purposes and do not in any way endorse this channels' views. Each video is thoroughly researched with new editing and narration.

#history #truestory #educationalpurposesonly #youtuber

ABOUT: Welcome to Crime Dynasty, which informs and educates about the most infamous cartel lords, most notorious prisoners, most infamous serial k*llers, and everything in between. Fans of TV shows like Narcos and true story documentaries, be sure to subscribe to the channel.

Not thrilled to be alive? Try Death Meditation

Deborah Netburn, LA Times, 7/20/23; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Wow, consciousness carries on into the afterlife. We're reborn over and over again!

.

Want to feel thrilled to be alive? Try death meditation

Deborah Netburn

On a recent Saturday night, the scene was serene inside Tac-tile Mountain, a small, carefully curated shop in Pasadena.

Meditation cushions were laid out on the concrete floor. A sea of white candles was flickering in the window. And then the restaurant next door started blasting “Umbrella” by Rihanna.

The six of us who had gathered inside laughed nervously. We were already excited and a little hesitant. After all, we were there to contemplate our own deaths. Tac-tile Mountain was hosting “Death Reflections,” a two-hour, $55 workshop led by Marifel Catalig, a trained death doula [birthing assistant] and breathwork instructor.

I hoped death meditation would ease my fear of dying (Jeffrey Decoster/Los Angeles Times).

.

It had been advertised on Instagram as “a breath guided meditation intended to contemplate death in many forms.” The description ended there, so no one knew exactly what to expect.

Going into the workshop, I hoped that spending an hour meditating on my inevitable demise would ease my fear of dying. What I didn’t anticipate is that I would walk out feeling profoundly grateful for all the ordinary, messy, glittering life I’ve been blessed to live so far.

• Struggling to calm the mind? Buddhist monastics in Hacienda Heights offer meditation tips

.

This overwhelming feeling of gratitude is not unusual after a prolonged death exercise, said Ines Testoni, a social psychologist who directs a course on death studies and end of life at the University of Padova in Italy.

“What I have been seeing for 15 years now is that knowing one has to die allows one to value life and feel more grateful for what life allows us to do and enjoy,” she said.

Welcome

What I really need is Mind-Cleansing Meditation. But where to get it? (Meditation Town)

.

Marifel Catalig, 40, greeted us at the door wearing a white blouse and wide-legged jeans, then asked us to find our seats.

After lighting the candles that were placed at the head of each of our cushions, we began with a gentle movement to release the tension of the day, then focused on our senses — paying close attention to what we could see, hear, taste, feel and smell.

Death meditations are wildly variable. In the Buddhist tradition the practice of maraṇasati, or "mindfulness of death," is designed to remind practitioners that death might come as soon as the next morning, the next meal or even the next breath, and encourage them to act accordingly.

Another Buddhist practice focuses on a detailed visualization of the body’s eventual decay to help relinquish [clinging] attachment to the material world.

• 12 places to find solace for the soul in Los Angeles

I thought it would be scary.

Catalig once attended a death meditation at which participants were wrapped in a white sheet to mimic the shroud they might wear after they die. Another time she led a living funeral workshop where participants were asked to write a eulogy for themselves that she read out loud to the group.

The meditation I attended was simpler. The focus was primarily on the type of life review many people undertake before they die.

Accompanied by a playlist of instrumental music that was more evocative than annoying, Catalig asked us to imagine our earliest memories and consider where we were, who was there, what we felt like, what it smelled like, and what sounds we heard.

We did the same for our early childhood, pre-adolescence, adolescence, early adulthood, and so on. As she spoke, memories of the many lives I’ve lived flashed through my mind. Most of them were mundane, but they filled me with a sense of tenderness.

There I was playing with a Fisher-Price barn on a green carpet, walking to school in new saddle shoes, riding bikes on the sidewalk with my sister. I saw sleepovers and middle school dances, late summer nights wandering around my hometown, blissfully bored and aimless.

Nobody has lived your life but you. All of your experiences, everything that got you here,

that belongs to you

 — Marifel Catalig, breathwork instructor

I saw scenes from my adult life before kids, my life as a new parent, my life with small children and, finally, my life now — my husband, my teenage sons, my colleagues, my friends, all the different and distinct lives I’ve lived.

“Nobody has lived your life but you,” Catalig said. “All of your experiences, everything that got you here, that belongs to you.”

Then the music shifted, and she asked us to imagine that we were nearing death. Our eyesight was fading, our hearing becoming more muffled. Food didn’t taste as good as it once did, and we were eating less.

In my mind I felt myself receding from the immediacy of life — a fog of gray between me and the world. As my experience of the world became more muted, I felt less afraid of leaving it.

Then Catalig had us imagine our last days. Who would visit us? What would they say? And then we pictured our last breath.

The Buddha was right all along!

“What do you want to breathe in?” she asked. “And what do you want to breathe out?” We imagined hovering above our lifeless bodies, what they would look like, and who would tend to them. For a brief moment, we imagined what might be next. In a society that rarely encourages reflections on death and dying, many of us respond to our innate fear of death with denial, Testoni said.

Carving out time to visualize and imagine our own passing can help us face that fear in a productive way. “Reflection makes us realize that we are afraid of something we do not know,” she said. “Knowing that we don’t know but we can know a lot is definitely reassuring.”

Sharing

When the meditation was over, Catalig invited us to share about the experience. One participant said the meditation helped her reframe the times in her life when she thought she was a bad person. Instead, she saw herself with more compassion.

Another participant said she felt that her higher self had been with her all along and was still with her. This brought her great comfort.

As for me, I walked out of the store in a state of elation. I was less afraid of dying, but mostly I felt so thrilled to be alive.

ABOUT: Deborah Netburn covers spirituality, joy, and faith for the Los Angeles Times. She started in 2006 and has worked across a wide range of sections including entertainment, home and garden, national news, technology, and science.

Curious to try one of Catalig’s death meditations? Find future offerings on her Instagram page or contact her through her website breathtodeath.com. More + VIDEO

Day of the Dead in L.A. and Mexico (video)

Trippy Food; CBS LA; Crystal Quintero, Pfc. Sandoval, CC Liu, Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

(Trippy Food, Nov. 2, 2022) Here we are live at the 2022 Dia de los Muertos ("Day of the Dead") at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles ("The Angels"), Sur de California (Southern Cali). #DayOfTheDead #DiaDeLosMuertos

On this special 2022 Dia de los Muertos episode, Val and Juli spend a day and night at Hollywood Forever in LA for their annual Lady of the Dead event. Website: ladayofthedead.com/event...

• Hollywood Forever on Twitter: @HwdForever
• Follow Juli Coots on Twitter: @Julicoots
• Trippy Food on Twitter: @TrippyFood
• Enjoy the Trippy Food blog at trippyfood.com
• Instagram at instagram.com/Val_TrippyFood
• Facebook at facebook.com/TrippyFoood
• Check out on TikTok at @Val_TrippyFood

Mexico City Day of the Dead

Annual Dia De Los Muertos event at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

(CBS Los Angeles) Oct. 29, 2022. Dia De Los Muertos is a tradition deeply rooted in Mexican culture that goes back centuries. It is a day for both the living and the dead to share time together once again. CBSLA's Lauren Pozen reports from Hollywood, California: Transcript

Oh, the dead, the dead! What a pity!

MEXICO CITY, Mexico - 2022 Día de los Muertos, Oct. 31, 2022. This video tracks a tick off the bucket list, participation in Día de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead” festival in Mexico. Check ✅ The Day of the Dead is a holiday for remembering and celebrating those who have passed on from this world. It’s almost a week of festivities, holding different events across the country, showcasing the best of calacas (“skeletons”), ofrendas (“altar offerings”), calavera (deadly “skull candy”), colors, lights, marigold flowers, and much more! It’s a festival not to be missed while visiting Mexico. This video was filmed on Oct. 29, 2022, during the main Mexico City parade around Zócalo (the historical town center). It is truly incredible to see all the participants marching down the streets of Mexico City, wearing colorful costumes and putting on an amazing show. 💀

Religion lied: NDE showed no Hell (video)

Alex Ferrari (Next Level Soul); Pat Macpherson, Sheldon S., Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

My religion lied to me: NDE showed no religion and no hell with Nanci L. Danison

(Next Level Soul) Premiered Oct. 11, 2022. Welcome to the Next Level Soul Podcast with Alex Ferrari where the big questions about life get asked: Who am I? Why am I here? Is that all there is? What is my soul’s mission? The attempt is to answer these and other questions by bringing raw and inspiring conversations with fascinating and thought-provoking guests.

New podcast episodes of Next Level Soul air Fridays everywhere. Let's take SOUL to the next level. Links to guest's books and official site 👉 nextlevelsoul.com/130

• Is the human soul immortal? What scientists say

.

ABOUT: Dr. Nanci L. Danison is a retired attorney and current spiritual author who has written five books so far on the experiences she had and the information she received in the afterlife. She holds a BS degree with a double major in biology (anatomy and physiology) and chemistry, a BA degree in psychology, and a doctorate in jurisprudence.

She had three NDE-OOB experiences during which she left her body in hospitals during surgery or when very close to death. She had what she calls two “pop in” NDEs, where [she] popped into the afterlife for a particular purpose while still alive. During one [she] had a life review.

During the other she received a huge download of information about everything that has ever been written in Earth’s history.

Lastly, she was privileged to share her mother’s out-of- body adventure and death via an empathic or shared NDE. For a number of years, Danison was the group leader of Central Ohio International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), a chapter she founded. She spoke at an IANDS conference and various IANDS chapter meetings over the years.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Next Level Soul, its subsidiaries, or any entities they represent.

Official Next Level Soul website 🌎 nextlevelsoul.com 📚 Alex Ferrari's Shooting for the Mob book: ➡️ nextlevelsoul.com/book 🌟 Listen to podcast: Apple Podcasts ➡️ nextlevelsoul.com/apple Spotify ➡️ nextlevelsoul.com/spotify Google Podcasts ➡️ nextlevelsoul.com/google Donate to Feed America 🙏 feedingamerica.org #nextlevelsoul #spirituality #neardeathexperience #neardeath #stories #nde

I died to find out Earth is just a school (NDE)

Dorothy Shelton, Jane Thompson;, 9/16/22. Pat Macpherson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Woman dies, learns powerful lessons about our (soul's) purpose, healing, and oneness | Inspiring NDE

(Dorothy Shelton) This is the near-death experience (NDE) of Jane Thompson (safehandshealing.com). During her out-of-body experience, while she was on the "other side" of this life, she learned many lessons about oneness, healing, our purpose, and ultimately how to live a fuller life. She also learned that death is nothing to fear but only the next step in our evolution as (undying continuations or what we common call "souls."

There is a path to liberation from samsara.

[EDITORIAL NOTE: Ultimately, we are not immortal or permanent "souls" (attas) in any way, but conventionally speaking, because there is continuation after death and death is not the end, this is how many religions interpret reality. Our experience as living beings is all about passing away as impermanent, unsatisfactory, and impersonal mental and physical phenomena, "beings" who are in fact constantly becoming. This impersonal nature of reality is a unique teaching of supreme buddhas, fully awakened teachers. The historical Buddha Gautama (the Sage of the Scythians) explained this liberating-truth in terms of Dependent Origination.]

ABOUT; Jane Thompson had a profound near-death experience in 2008. Leaving her body, entering the light, and being in spirit [sublte material] form dramatically changed her life. Her focus is now on helping others who are seeking peace, healing, and a larger perspective. She serves worldwide as an intuitive healer, spiritual gifts coach, and international speaker. Website: safehandshealing.com

DISCLAIMER: This video is from an interview with Jane Thompson by Dorothy Shelton, not taken from another channel, and it is all original content.

#afterlife #idied #neardeathexperience #nde

★☆★ RECOMMENDED ★☆★ 1) The books of Wayne Dyer 2) Dying To Be Me by Anita Moorjani 3) Angels in My Hair by Lorna Byrne 4) Your Soul's Plan by Robert Schwartz 5) A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle 6) All books by Dolores Cannon.

Suicide becomes a Near-Death Experience

Woman crosses over and gets told our role on earth (near death experience)

(The Other Side NDE, Aug. 6, 2022) Having had an NDE in February of 2008, Kelly’s life was shifted and forever changed. During her near-death experience, she was witness to many things and shared in many experiences that allowed her to return to her physical body with all of her senses awakened. As a psychic, medium, and intuitive channeler, she now works towards walking beside others and walking others home as a soul guide.

⭐Check out more of Kelly's NDE story on her channel ▶️ youtube.com/user/NurtureSoul. 🔴 Listen to Skyline on Spotify 👉 spoti.fi/3u33fvC 🎵 Listen to Skyline on Apple Music 👉 apple.co/3NuimVA ▶ Listen to Skyline on YouTube ▶️ youtu.be/P6pd5vGQDmQ ⭐ Kelly's website 👉 nurtureyoursoul.net. 

Music from this video is from the independent record label Akashic Records here ▶️ youtube.com/channel... #nde #neardeathexperience #neardeathexperiences near death experiences NDE

🎵 Background music licensed through AudioJungle and Epidemic Sound

🎥FOOTAGE licensed through VideoBlocks and Filmpac, except parts about the topic that have been used under fair use.

DISCLAIMER: This video is taken from an interview by this channel (The Other Side NDE) and is not taken from another channel, and it is all original content.

Eckhart Tolle: Accept unhappiness to be happy

Accepting Your Unhappiness to Be Happy

(Eckhart Tolle, Aug. 2, 2022) It can be hard to accept our unhappiness (or as the Buddha calls it, the dukkha, "disappointment" or "suffering") and not resist the present moment beset by pain. Fortunately, when we ACCEPT this moment as it is, unhappiness does not last long in us. It simply cannot last long. It cannot tolerate complete acceptance. It cannot coexist with radical acceptance.

(The Buddha taught that we habitually, mindlessly, grasp and cling to anything pleasant, push away and feel revulsion to anything unpleasant, or are bored and confused with neutral stimuli.)

Subscribe to find greater fulfillment in life: EckhartYT. Watch and hear more of Eckhart Tolle's teachings: become a member today and join a growing YouTube community: ETmembership. Find this short preview video helpful? Want more peace of mind? Bring more Presence into the day, work, and other areas of life. Join Eckhart Tolle Now, his online community, and get access to his new in-depth teachings every month, practical Q&A sessions, and member-only discounts on his online programs. Enjoy a FREE 10-DAY TRIAL to Eckhart Tolle Now: members.eckharttolle.com/10-day...

Remembering Ram Dass (Insight LA)

Trudy Goodman (insightLA); Ninad Music; Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Ram Dass wrote Be Here Now and Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying.

Hey, man, be here now. Then go.

In Ram Dass’s room this past Sunday [Dec. 22, 2019], amidst quiet chanting and harmonium, with his devoted companion Dassima and caregivers nearby, Ram Dass took two deep breaths and was gone from his body.

• Ram Dass dead at 88

In the days that have followed in his household, there is nowhere he is not. Maybe you, too, can find him as you open your heart.

I’m grateful for the silent retreats I took in the little cottage next to Ram Dass’s house. He would be wheeled over in his chair every couple days, and I would make tea for him. Sometimes, we’d sit together for hours.

Years ago, I poured out my distress about a rough patch we were going through at InsightLA and Ram Dass listened intently. He smiled sagely, said one word, “attachment” -- and my upset faded. His capacity for detachment [letting go] was one of his superpowers. When detachment is enfolded in attentive presence and unconditional love, this is wisdom.

Ram Dass (left) as I marry Jack Kornfield.

His house on Maui was a temple, an ashram. This summer I spent many happy days there. Like many beings, I just loved being around him. In his presence, everyone felt loved and accepted [as he had felt from his guru, Maharaji]. After his big stroke in 1997, Ram Dass learned how to transmute his pain into quiet presence, yours and mine, and radiate love -- a blanket of love he would wrap around the whole cosmos as he meditated.

Still Here (Ram Dass)

He said, “We have to get out of our minds, our thinking minds. I’ll tell you how I do it: by using a mantra, a phrase: ‘I am loving awareness.’ Loving awareness is a name for what you really are. Doing this leads you to love everything you are aware of – the sky, the room, your body, other people. I ride the mantra into my heart. And in my heart I see a doorway to the next plane so that I am loving awareness everywhere. I am loving awareness. I am loving awareness....”

During this past year, it often seemed that Ram Dass both was and wasn’t with us as he sat in his wheelchair or his big armchair. He was with his guru Maharaji whose love always sustained and inspired him. We hung out where all there is to do is sit in silence, tasting pure love -- nothing to do but look at the Hawaiian sky, admire the clouds, enjoy the soaring birds and ocean in the distance over the papaya trees, watch time pass in full consciousness of oneness, nowhere else to be.

After he died, I felt his spirit soar and was in complete joy with and for him, imagining him unencumbered by his body, free. I heard the words he would call out during his community swims in the ocean, “Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy.” His spirit seems to dance, walk on water, make love with the cosmos, “Oh Joy Oh Joy Oh Joy.”

The jewel is in the lotus as is the precious...

Today sadness spills into my being like last night’s rainwater flooding the sidewalk where we live. Ram Dass passed away on the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, the first night of [this year's] Hanukkah. Although he famously said he was “only Jewish on his parents’ side,” I will always think of his radiant love when we light that first candle celebrating light coming into the world as miracle.

Just as we trust that sunlit days will lengthen after the winter solstice, in his books and podcasts, Ram Dass reminds each one of us to trust that we can dissolve the illusion of separation and fall into love. He is still teaching.

InsightLA.org Founder Trudy Goodman

Touch your heart gently, and whisper to yourself with each intimate breath, “I am loving awareness.”

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

LOVE, TRUDY GOODMAN

Founder of InsightLA.org