The special face of Hong Kong

It is so easy to socialize through technology and with machines in Hong Kong. In a way, I feel this option of virtual socializing, has made it more comfortable with a lot of people, than having true communication with real people here in this amazing city.

Personally, I have been “spoken to” in the same house with family through texts and emails rather than through speaking. Most significant expressions within my family have been conducted to me through whatsapp, rather than face to face.

Is this truly what communication has come to, or rather, not come to?

Have socializing through a virtual platform made it easier for people to avoid rather than commit to true communications? Where every “uncomfortable” topic or detail they feel can be made more comfortable by expressing it through a way that does not require us to see or have eye contact with the people we wish to communicate to, and perhaps then words expressed do not bear as much responsibility?

We all have to express. Expression is everything.  Everyone knows when expression is repressed, how much stress and strain we put our physical, emotional and other bodies under. But what is true expression? And have we taken an advancement in technology to perpetuate something which has the immense potential to connect people, and abused it in a way that is actually separative rather than unifying?

Texting apps available on smart phones as well as meeting through social platforms can definitely create a more convenient type of communication, where people can be brought together even when they are miles apart and in different time zones; or even within the same time zones, when the physical limitation of not being able to be at more than one place at a time (yet), we can multitask such as holding a meeting through skype while at the same time purchasing groceries for a dinner party. More than any time, we are now in a world where boundaries are no longer solid, family, work and life have the possibility of becoming one and unifying rather than completely separate ideas.

Hong Kong has a special flair of embracing technology. Here technology is welcomed rather than shunned because of fear. Everywhere in the city, people are seen serenading their hand-held machines. No fret, when we have no real socializing going on, there is always our friend, the machine, who can comfort us with a feel-good movie or excite us in a video game. Could it be that we have already felt sufficient that an inanimate object can ease our loneliness, with the added benefit that it does not come with all the messiness of relating and intimacy with people?

It may “work”, for a time. What I mean here is, untrue and unreal relating may distract us from the emptiness and the yearning to truly relate most of us feel.  But in what expense does this distraction brings?  And, what about the long term consequences? Personally, I have experienced an almost complete reliance on technology to even “see” another human being (apart from my child) during one year of my life, and that is even not regular or reception is never reliable. Honestly, how can reception through these unreal intimacies ever be smooth, when it is exactly a true intimacy that we fear? If I was not even willing to let people in who are physically close to me, how do I expect to nurture a true relationship that is miles apart? Geographic proximity is not the key, my choice to love out as well as loving in, is.

In a city where high rises decorate the skyline, it may be sad, but necessary to acknowledge that we are not a city that is built in true love. To maximize space for the highest financial return could not be a choice that is made out of true love. Yet, we are all loving human beings in the city, every single one of us. True, it may be harder for us to realize this for ourselves, with the circumstance and environment that is conditioning and running through us (if we do not choose otherwise for ourselves) every moment, but that does not refute the fact that, we are all love.

Everyone who allows themselves to truly feel, will know the essence of every single human being in this planet is unequivocally the same, and equal.

When technology is used not with the intention of true love, very easily it can become a tool for us to perpetuate lovelessness whether we are aware of it or not. Is loveless relating better than no relating? Is relating that is not out of true love, even relating at all? Perhaps it should be called separating, instead.

In the depths of our hearts, we all know the importance of true intimacy and true relating. We all feel our emptiness from time to time, even here in this sleepless “Pearl of the Orient”. Emptiness simply cannot be filled by more lovelessness. In-truth, our own emptiness cannot even be relieved by another person, or by our numbing or avoidance tactics. True intimacy and true relating have to first begin with ourselves. Emptiness can only be truly filled when we remember and consistently connect to and live our own love. With true relating with oneself, there will be the possibility of true relating with another, and another, and eventually, with the world.

In this present day, we seem to confine “intimacy” and “relationship” to only physical and romantic ones. Every single relationship, whether romantic or not, begins with the relationship to ourselves. True intimacy between a couple, does not magically happen with closing the bedroom door, but with each and every moment, both parties choosing to connect with themselves that extend to the sharing of this connection within the bedroom. Similarly, every other relationship that is not romantic, happens in the same way (just without the bedroom part).

Hong Kong, the magic is not out there . All the love, the beauty, the connection, the joy, the glory, the harmony are all right there, inside your heart.  You are so special Hong Kong, truly, in SO much more than you realize.

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Love and only (true) love

There has been many years when I did not allow what is natural to flow. Until one day, I decided to write, not just write, but share what I have written. Then I realized, not only was I holding myself back for all those years, I was also holding back every single person in this world.

I had to share life. Life as how I have chosen and how it has been my teacher, my medicine. Did I always do life right? Hardly. What I wish to share about life is, it could have hardened me, and I have chosen many experiences that point to the road of big time hardening.

There was a spark, at times although so dimly felt, not because it is small, but because of my own self neglect and choice to not want to feel it, yet throughout my life it is always there within my heart. This spark, is my connection to love.

Did I always know love? I have always known love, but I did not always live it. Knowing love and witnessing myself not living it, is one of the greatest pains I have ever felt. Did I give up on myself? Almost, I almost bought into the guilt that does not fail to debilitate and cripple, because I have given my power to it.

What I did not envision after that was the beginning of truly living love. Not speaking or fantasizing or intellectualizing about love. But truly, responsibility, seriously, playfully, commitedly, consistently living love. This has nothing to do with being flirtatious or sexual with anyone else, but it is about being love and making love with myself every moment (again, nothing sexual is implied here). Making love every moment of my every day, what does that even mean? Imagine waking up, the first thought and the accompanying action—is that me being love, first and foremost to me? Am I being gentle to myself from the every mouthful I put in my body, to every word uttered to another, to the choices of what to select and put in my shopping basket and consequently carrying home? Am I putting love first when in a situation where emotions attempt to take over? Do I feel and honor every being in this world knowing we are all equal? Are any of my subtle expressions conveying separation that even I am unaware of? Can I continue to be love if everyone else chooses differently?

Am I being “hard” on myself for attempting not to harden in life, you may ask. There are no rules in how I live. I do not abstain from eating any foods because I don’t allow myself to. I do not go to bed early because I have to. There is nothing in life I have to do. Every single action though is a choice from my heart, knowing it would support me in being love. Why is love so important? Who would even notice if we slip once or twice, and not be love to ourselves or to others? My body would register every choice of love and lovelessness I have ever made, and I am always responsible for all the choices I have ever made and will ever make. All diseases as well as incidents/accidents in life are a result of all the choices I have made. I cannot avoid the consequences of my past choices but I can always choose new choices from now on.

Why I am sharing this is, life is constantly a learning. I have not mastered anything in perfection, and I never will. Every day I may make an unconscious choice or I may override the knowing in my heart for convenience, but it is also I who has to suffer ultimately, sooner or later. And writing while living life in love, knowing it is surely and truly a discipline, in steadiness and consistency. And the first love we show ourselves is to be more accepting and less critical in what we have missed. In-truth, we are already there. We are already enough. We are ready. Don’t let the imperfections of what entails a human experience cloud truth. Truth can only be felt within the heart.

Without honesty and responsibility, there is no true love. And knowing love, and allowing ourselves to feel the love within us, the spark which I mentioned earlier, is actually a blazing flame. And no matter how far from it we have tread, its warmth and light will always be there for us to feel, if we decide to return.

Keep coming back to you

A tragedy happens in the world.

How would we feel?

Would we feel unaffected because the event is geographically very far from where we are, where life is still safe?  Would we feel concerned because that is a place we are familiar with, and have friends or family who reside there?  Would we feel particularly worried because we are where the tragedy is, and panic is running our senses?

How would we react?

Would we be calling forth with heavy emotion to “save” the people or this place?  Would we be pointing a finger to those who are “evil”?  Would we be pouring our emotions to the innocent?

Or…

Would we even in such tragic circumstances, be able to remember that this is a lesson, not a test, for us to come back to ourselves?  And it is by coming back to ourselves, that we will not be led away by emotions, which would add more destruction to what is already tragic.  It is also by coming back to ourselves, that we realize that there is no separation between humanity, whether we reside in the same geographical place or whether we are a part of the tragedy or not, for WE ARE ALL AFFECTED.  If we can hold the stillness within ourselves, this, would also affect everyone else, by not adding more panic into what is already terrifying.

On this day, let us especially remember, to keep coming back to who we truly are.

One Love

I would not fight for any skin color anymore, I am certain I have righteously done so before.

I would not strive for any religion anymore, I am sure I have relentlessly killed for this cause before.

I would not uphold any group anymore, I am sure I have had to just to survive before.

I would not hang onto any ideals anymore, I know I have preferred them over Love before.

I would not hide anymore, I have perpetuated this illusion long enough.

I am here to live a one-unifed Love through One Brotherhood where every single Soul is precious and equal as who they are. I am here to express this Love, to allow it to be visible and accessible, so that any brother who feels inspired to walk this path of return, can do so. I am here to sing the heart song of the Mother, through her Stillness, that which is lived becomes the Father. I am here.

A journey of livingness

I am a terrible tourist.

I do not like to travel as a tourist, where one cramps many activities into a short time just to be able to say I have been there, seen that, done that.

I enjoy to live. In a pace where life takes me, sometimes leisurely, savoring each moment with lusciousness; other times reminding myself to simply take a breath lest I forget to inhale amidst chaos.

I enjoy to feel. Simply because this is the way I am. I am disinterested in superficial appearances, be it a person, a place, an object; and external realities do not convince me in any way, unless I have felt into the hearts of all. I will listen to words and poems, but language only touch my heart when the intention is spoken with love.

I am here because of love. The love which is within me and you to begin with. It is not something separate from us, although we were brought up to believe that. It cannot be given to us by a third party, neither man nor God. When we remember the love within us, then we can share it constantly in a special synergy between another and with God.

It is with love that I journey, simply and always.

And it is with the intention to remember love, to be love, to be in livingness, that I journey.

My journey can be mundane every day beingness, or it could be travelling to the other side of the planet; however and wherever, alone or with company, each moment is lived with the intention to remember who I am, who we are.

Six weeks I have been here, in Peru. My dear brother said, this is the trip you have truly enjoyed. I have experienced the tourist parts in joy simply for the experience of navigating another reality, albeit one a little less accustomed for me. I lived with my heart connected to this land, by feeling this land, its people, its culture, its ways. Its energies run through my blood, I am one with them, their idiosyncrasies, their food, their hearts.

This is the trip I have truly enjoyed, because this time I had the opportunity to see who I am. I have been blessed by the universe to have the chance to navigate many unexpected and challenging situations. And with the land and the elements as my guide, with the support of its people and their big hearts, I have come a step closer to seeing my own heart, and the strength within. I am not alone, and I have never been. What is strength is a unity within hearts, those hearts which have recognized one another. What is strength is also the impulse to serve in further connection with other hearts.

The land, her people have opened their hearts in connection with mine, impulsing me with a deep strength to carry on, to continue to share with those afar. And it is my service to simply continue to be who I am. To carry on to travel as how my soul knows, to be in livingness, in patience and with more patience. A connection happens when there is deep understanding, we simply understand without needing to try. Then we simply be and shine and connect as who we are.

Trees

Have you ever connected with a tree?

The first time it happened for me, it was a complete spontaneous impulse.

One tree and I, we found each other.  It was like a knowing, similar to how you know your lovers.  Or how I knew mine.

We hugged, the tree and myself.  The exchange of unconditional love was so immense.  Without realizing, tears were streaming down my face because the depths of my heart was so touched.  Without even opening my mouth, all the burdens created and carried in my body was taken from me by the tree.  Never, ever have I felt so safe.

Recently, with more awareness, I re-visited the trees on the island.  That particular tree whom I connected with, was still deep in my consciousness.  It is still calling me.  Yet I have got to know a few other trees in more depth as well.  Much more time was spent this time around, with these different trees; and I got to know each one of them personally.  Each of them play a different role, some are like fathers, some are friends, some are lovers; but all of them resonated something within myself.

Each one of them connected me within and harmonized me with the core of my Essence, that which is pure love.  When silence and motion met and united, its alchemy is stillness.  The inner heart was thrusted open by this alchemy,  there was no mistake of this energy and where it resided.  It was a deep exchange, without any holding back or compromise.  The tree and I were exchanging all of who we are in essence, in deep love.  In-truth, all human beings have the same essence, we are all pure love.  If we would only experience our true essence again, all of the illusions of separation would begin to dissolve.

If a tree and I can exchange in such an unreserved and heart-open manner, why aren’t human beings exchanging as such more frequently in the experience of life?