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November 2008
Spiritual Tools – the HU Song
Thought for the Week -
The HU song is one of my basic spiritual tools and it would be wrong of me not to share it with you. It is something anyone of any religion, belief system or spiritual path can use. I have found it really helpful in every aspect of my life and I use it a number of times a day.
You may be aware of the Buddhist mantra, Aum. This is an excellent sound for bringing you to the mental level of your inner being. Our inner being consists of our emotions, our memories, our mind, our intuition or sub consciousness and our true selves, Soul.
A spiritual being, Soul
As we struggle in the physical world we often forget that we are really a spiritual being, Soul, having a physical and human experience. We are looking at our physical world and believe that this is all that matters in life. Our mind and its logic have convinced us that this life is all there is, all we have is all that we can hold and see in our physical world. But, for a lot of us there is a feeling that there is something more than this, more than all the physical stuff around us. We can feel it, a knowingness, an ache, a hunch that says there is more to life than work, play, eat, drink and sleep.
This inner nudge is coming from Soul into our intuition and being kept in the background by the logical blocks of the mind. It can be hard for the message to come through the roadblocks, arguments and censoring of the mind.
Because HU is a sound from the heavenly worlds, where Soul is positioned, it can help us link up with It. This is not something that will work instantly, although it may for some, this needs a consistent effort to get your spiritual muscles back to some level of fitness.
By singing HU on a regular basis we will begin to re-establish the link and communications between our lower elements and our higher self, Soul. Singing HU will open a path to Soul’s wisdom. The longer we practice it, the better we get to know the path and a greater flow of spiritual wisdom comes into our lives.
How to sing HU
Get yourself into a comfortable position with your back straight. It should be a time and place where you won’t be disturbed for 20 minutes or so. Take a few deep breaths to relax. Then, with your eyes closed, begin to chant HU on your outgoing breath. It is pronounced like, hue or the name Hugh and as hu in human, You can take a rest from chanting whenever it is comfortable for you.
While you are doing this, watch for changes in the light you see on your inner screen. You may see a glow or sparkles and occasionally flashes. Also listen to the sounds around you and eliminate them until you begin to hear a sound within yourself. Do this by becoming aware of each individual sound and acknowledging its presence. For example, there may be traffic in the distance, a machine running nearby, the wind blowing outside, animals or birds making noise. Acknowledge the presence of these sounds and listen for other sounds. Acknowledge them all. Now that you have eliminated these sounds, is there a subtle sound lingering in the background, can you hear it?
This sound can be like a wind, running water, bells tinkling, buzzing bees or a single note on a flute or whistle. The way you know it is an inner sound, is by recognising that there is no physical source for the sound. Some people have heard the sound of running water and after checking their taps and plumbing finally realised the sound was coming from within themselves and not from their water works.
As you sit there being aware of the light and sound you may notice that some subjects cross your mind. The light and sound blend together to create a scene. The scene is familiar to you but you may be seeing it from a different viewpoint. Try and not get too distracted by the scene and return your focus to the light and sound. Other scenes and subjects may develop with different insights being revealed. Continue this for about 20 minutes.
Don’t worry if you cannot see the light or hear the sound. With enough practice of singing HU these will develop in time. If singing HU brings you any level of comfort or peace, then it is working.
Make it a habit
Try and make a habit of singing HU at a set time each day. Some people like to do it first thing in the morning, or mid morning when they have time to themselves or in the evening before they go to bed. Pick a time that suits you and your lifestyle and let it develop into a habit.
Once you get used to the word HU, as part of your spiritual tool box, you may find yourself using it at any time. During the day when I’m out and about or working and I come to a challenging situation, I’ll begin to chant HU within myself. It helps me connect with Soul and brings peace to my thoughts. It may even open the way for Soul to suggest a solution to the current situation.
Background
HU has been around for a very long time. The Druids and Egyptians had gods named Hu. The word God can be attributed to the Sanskrit word HU. HU is also an ancient name for God. Eckankar, a spiritual path, promote HU as a love song to God. They have a page dedicated to HU on their web site which may be worth checking out.
Another Tool
So there you have it. The one spiritual tool I’ve found to be the most useful as I go through life. I’ve been using it for over thirty years now, and it is the one that has proved itself to be a reliable and consistent companion on my spiritual journey. I hope you discover the value of it too.
May the HU be with you.
*Ed P
Spiritual City
Spiritual City has been getting some attention this week. Despite the downturn in the building industry, I’m building some high rise buildings in the city. Thankfully I won’t have get a mortgage for these.
Spiritual tools - patience
Thought for the Week –
Patience can be a really useful tool in our road to happiness. It's not easy to master but if we make an effort, we will notice benefits.
How do we use patience during times like an argument, stuck in a bad situation or waiting in a queue?
Arguments
The argument scenario can be difficult if we let our emotions take over. Once they get a hold of us it can be a real challenge regaining control of ourselves. The trick is to get our attitude sorted out, at the very beginning. If we can take the view that the other person has a right to their opinion but so do we, it will help calm our eotions. They may have something relevant to say and it may even be valuable. If we can detach ourselves from the emotions stirred up by the topic, we can see the other person's point of view and make an overall appraisal of the subject.
To end an argument gracefully can be tricky. If we try to say “Thanks for your opinion, I’ll think about it.” That is easier said than done, but if we then leave the person, there is no further communication possible and we can get away from the conflict.
Difficult Situations
In a difficult situation using patience can often mean just waiting for time to pass or taking time to learn from and make the most of the situation. For example I had a stand at a fair recently which after a few hours it became apparent that it hadn't been advertised well. There were very few people coming to the show. There were two options, pack up and go home or just wait it out and see what happens. I choose to wait it out and was rewarded with a sale late in day. I was able to do some work while I was there so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
Learning from a situation can be difficult as we can suffer a lot as we learn to deal with the challenge. For example, a good friend decided to do a training course away from home in a foreign city. She lived in Dublin, Ireland and moved to London, England to do the course. She was now in a place she had never been before, had no friends there, and had a challenging course to get through. She could have thrown in the towel at any time and go back to Dublin but she stuck it out and completed the course. As a result she made lots of new friends, discovered and explored a new city, and got honours studying the subject she loved.
In a queue
So now we are standing in a queue for, what seems like ages. It could be anywhere. In the post office, at the doctor’s, in the airport or bus station. There is no logical reason for how the length of time we are waiting here. How do we get out of this mood of impatience?
If we can make contact with our imagination, it can bring us to some wonderful places, while our body waits in the queue. Our holidays were great, remember the sunshine, the fun we had, the craic at night? Or what if we could meet a friend or relative for a short time. What would we talk about, how would we greet each other, wouldn’t it be great to see them again?
If we’re anxious to get moving to finish a project by a certain time it is helpful to be aware that everything is in its proper place right now. If we’re being delayed, it is for a reason. We can use the time usefully by imagining our selves at work completing the project. If we go through the various steps to complete the job, we will know exactly what to do when we get there and we’ll do it a lot faster, as we will have rehearsed it previously.
Chant a good word
Is there a word which makes you feel good, brings you to a positive place. The one I use a lot is HU. It connects me with my higher self, Soul. With a bit of practice it can work for you. There are more detail about it here. It is something I’d use to help me remain calm and centred it all the challenges mentioned above, arguments, difficult situations and while waiting in queues.
The Tool Box
So there we have a few techniques in our tool box of patience. In an argument, keep our emotions under control and thank the other person for their opinion. In a difficult situation let time sort it out or take time to learn from the situation and reap the benefits. In a queue, use our imaginations to travel back to our holidays, meet a friend or work out a job to be done. Use a positive word like HU, to keep you calm and centred.
If you have a story on using patience, we’d love to read it. Click on ‘Comments’ below and start telling us.
News:
Art Ireland
Last weekend I was at the Art Ireland fair. It was a great show with lots of beautiful art. There were lots of people at the show but most of them are believing what the media is telling them – “We’re in a recession, so don’t spend any money”. Sales were well down on last year by all reports from other artists at the fair but my folder of images The Journey of Soul sold well.
The picture above shows Ed with Kathyrn and David, his brother and sister in law, who called by the stand over the weekend.
Nora Dunne Gallery
Ben Dunne’s gallery, The Nora Dunne Gallery, opened for business over the weekend. It is a lovely space with a selection of great art for sale, curated by Karen Harper. It is well worth a look. It is beside the Carlisle Fitness Centre near the KCR (Kimmage Cross Roads), Dublin 12.
Marley Crafts Fair
The next gig on the calendar for me will be the Marley Crafts Fair which happens at the end of the month in Marley House, Marley Park in Dublin. It has a great reputation for quality crafts and arts and an excellent place to pick up a unique Christmas Present.
There is a preview evening on Friday 28th November 6 pm until 9 pm. Admission is free that night and you can get a glass of wine, free, plus 10% discounts on all the stands. They even have Christmas carols. The Saturday and Sunday, 29th and 30th of November will have the carols again and is open from 10 am until 5 pm. Admission id €3 per adult, and accompanied children are free. There will be 50 stands featuring crafts from all over Ireland in the wonderful setting of Marley House.
Family Tapestry
Finally it is finished and on its way to the guys who produce the photographic prints for me. This is probably the longest time I’ve spent on any picture, as far as I can remember. I started working on it at the end of April this year. It’s taken about 120 hours or three weeks of solid work to complete. Why? you may ask.
Well there are 126 different individuals in the piece. Each had to be posed, clothed and an appropriate background placed around them. The ribbons which link the different lives together had to be worked out and at the same time kept flowing in a pleasing manner. There was fun with the figures and getting them into positions which would connect with the ribbons. There were perplexing problems with perspective to get around. There were lots of other things that I do not wish to think of now. It is complete, it’s finished, yipeeeee :->
Can we be happy now?
Thought for the Week -
Can we be happy in the future? Were we happy in the past? Can we be happy now?
We can dream of how things could be in the future and those thoughts can bring us happiness, while we dwell on them. Similarly, if we think of a happy event in the past, we can be happy while thinking of it. These are ways of grasping a little happiness. Is there a way of being happy now? This minute, now!
If you look at what we’ve been talking about, being happy in the future or in the past or even in the present, it all happens in the now. We think of something in the future but we experience the happiness now, while we think of it. We look back to something in the past that makes us happy and we feel that happiness now. We don’t get happy in the different times we think of, we get happy now when we think of those times.
If we can realise that we can only experience happiness now, we begin to get to the realisation that we should seize the moment. When happiness drifts into our lives we should grab it and make the most of it. Whether it is a smile from a passer by on the street or a loving hug from a good friend, enjoy it, love it and appreciate the gift we have received.
There are several techniques we can use:
Focus on the positive not the negative. What we put our attention on is attracted toward us. So if we keep it on the positive and good things in life, those are the things most likely to appear in our lives. If we are in a bad mood or place at the moment, by thinking of someone or something we love, enjoy being with or having fun with, this will bring a glint of lightness into our mood.
Chanting a positive word like HU can centre us and connect us with our inner selves, bringing harmony and balance to our inner emotions and thoughts.
There is also the attitude of gratitude. Try listing all the things we can be grateful for.
Live in the now, appreciate where we are and how we are. Make the most of here, the place and condition we are in now. We can learn and make progress to a better place by making the most of what we have now.
Develop an awareness of our life as just one part of our path of exploration and learning. We are on our journey as Soul to find our way home to Love and/or God.
Last week we spoke about enjoying the beauty around us. It might be worth re-reading.
Can we be happy now? We have six simple techniques listed above to help us get started but it is up to us to work at it and be happy now. Yes, with a bit of work, we can be happy now.
News
Art Ireland
Art Ireland, the art fair which takes place at RDS, Dublin, from the 14th- 16th November 2008 (Next weekend), is Ireland’s biggest (over 200 exhibitors), longest running (9 years) and most popular (13,500 art buying visitors) with a diverse and exciting collection of art- ranging from fine art to photography to sculpture. I’ll be there on strand R22 which is in the area to the right of the main hall.
Below is a ticket which will give you Free entry. It’ll save you €10 or €15. Click on the image and then print it. See you there.
Free Folder with 12 digital prints
The Journey of Soul folder with the 12 digital prints and the explanatory text will be on sale at the Art Ireland fair for €25. If you buy any print you get it for Free! Here’s a PDF file of it if you’d like to have a look. Please bear in mind this is a low resolution file but the printed sheets are professionally printed.
If you can’t get to the fair the cost is €30 including postage and If you’d like a copy, click on the word ‘Comments’ below and send me note. I’ll email a PayPal invoice which you can pay using your credit card. As soon as payment arrives I’ll put your folder in the post to you.
Article in the Village Quarter
It was nice to be the featured artist in an article published about artists displaying art on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. It appeared in Life in the Village Quarter, which produces 22,000 copies each issue and is distributed around central Dublin.
Family Tapestry
I’m back working on Family Tapestry. Below is the main family of the piece. This has to be the longest time I’ve spent on a piece. I gave up recording the hours at 80 but I’d guess there will be 120 hours work in it by the time I’m finished.
Enjoy the beauty around you
Thought for the Week -
If you find yourself in a beautiful situation, take time to enjoy the beauty around you. Grab any opportunity you come across to appreciate the gift that has presented itself to you.
For example if the sun comes out as you walk or drive, take a few moments to feel the sun's warmth on your skin. If you are having a coffee and a cake, breathe in the aroma of the coffee. Let the flavours of the coffee and the cake roll around in your mouth. Be happy in this moment.
At the moment I'm sitting in my kitchen having a bread roll with butter. The sun is on my face as I savour the flavours of the butter and bread in my mouth. I close my eyes and enjoy the moment. In my mouth the butter melts and so does the bread. They calm my stomach's gnawing desire to be fed. In this moment I am calm and at peace. All is well, here and now. I linger here for a while because I know all too soon there will be an interruption. That is the way of this world, but we can occasionally snatch a moment of peace. I am grateful for this blessing, this gift of calm in a busy life.
Of course there are lots of times where I don't see the beauty around me. The times when I'm too preoccupied with my own thoughts to be aware of things like:
A sunrise
A flower
The embrace of friends
The company of good people
A graceful plant or tree
The rain nourishing the soil and giving life to all it touches
The clouds and the shapes they make
A sunset
Watch for the beauty around us and add it to our awareness. These moments will help make our lives more beautiful.
News:
Art Ireland is coming up in a few weeks> It is Ireland’s premier art fair with lots of quality artists and galleries exhibiting their work. I’ll be there on strand R22 which is in the area o the right of the main hall in the RDS, Dublin. Below is a ticket which will give you Free entry. It’ll save you €10 or €15. Click on the image and then print it. See you there.
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