Enlightenment: a glorious timeline here, NOW
What a glorious timeline it is presently to chase the enlightenment carrot! Is the dance of enlightenment and surrender a wave racing through all of humanity, perhaps for all time? Mainstream science is fast catching up to timeless esoteric understandings with the recently discovered constructs of the brain’s neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity begins to explain spiritual principles of presence and enlightenment though bio-chemical functions of the brain’s neocortex and attachment bond theory, where attachment bonds tie in our heart-felt emotional states to our parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system of our bio-chemical functions.
“The devil [of enlightenment] is in the detail of finding that fine-line edge, where you push your previous boundary while also holding open potential for ‘new, previously unseen, unbelievable’ notions or experiences to emerge.”
Aspects of the very core of society are waking up to enlightenment with the “electrifying balance of male-female energy” which can be seen emerging in society in news stories and articles. These articles are plentiful on any given day, and openly promote more compassionate and loving relationships. There are also a multitude of how-to articles for achieving said compassion.
Are more hearts open to enlightenment constructs?
And at the personal level, any day’s viewing of Facebook will show a steady-stream of enlightenment thoughts and compassion of, and for, humanity: people with their pets, people with their children, people with each other, and even people compassionately defending the community at-large. It just seems as if more minds and hearts are open to enlightenment constructs than ever before.
The critical mass of enlightened beings on the planet seems to have arrived. There are even transformational comedians like Kevin Cease spreading “presence and bliss” by way of readily accessible and germane comedy. And while the musical community has always been on the front line of producing spiritual product to inform society at large, bards like DonnaLou Stevens, our guest Monday Music artist today, really up the ante.
“There is great symmetry between man and women, a great helpmate they both could be, one for the other.”
In September we heard from DonnaLou about the divinity of older ladies, in a very tongue-in-cheek way. But at the same time, the song clearly pointed to a very literal path that men must walk to find their feminine sides, with “divine older ladies” heralding the way. And conversely, the inherent strength of men and masculine energy, allows women to see and ingest how they hold that masculine strength within themselves as well.
There is great symmetry between man and women, a great helpmate they both could be, one for the other. In the very act of a woman standing strong in her masculine energy, man is informed. And in the act of man responding with connection to his feminine energy, woman is informed. The song “Older Ladies” teems with these glorious truths ripe for the picking. All of these constructs were presented in an easily accessed humorous song-story.
DonnaLou Stevens on enlightenment
And today we will hear DonnaLou Stevens’ astute take on enlightenment. One of the key principles seems to be the capacity to say, “If I were enlightened…but I am not. (Yet!)” In a very a Yes-AND! way, that statement names a desire and an intention, while also owning with truth and honesty, the reality as it is now: Not yet.
Why is this important? It’s basic intention setting. There are many steps on the way to realizing an intention. The very first step is that you have to know you have a desire. Seems simple enough, but hordes of us struggle with knowing what we want. And most of us should be able to admit that knowing what you actually want, is not as easy to know as you might think.
As singer in our Monday Music Challenge song today, DonnaLou desires to be enlightened. In order to know something about yourself, you have to have a certain amount of space and motility around your own egoic traps. Being able to name your desire is no small feat of accomplishment. It denotes a great deal of inner work that has already been accomplished.
The fine-line interplay of desire, intention and reality
After you know you have a desire, you have to be willing to name your desire. Not only do you have to be able to name a desire, but your body and your mind have to be able to believe the reliability of a named desire. If you name your desire to be a millionaire, and directly thereafter, some part of you says, “That will never happen!” it is a clear sign that you are not in-synch with your desire and your belief that you can have your desire. This scenario does not clearly encourage the Universe to provide.
DonnaLou’s song “If I Were Enlightened” offers the antidote to that poisonous thought with the phrase “But I’m not.” And the hope in the phrase “(YET!)” That’s how it is with intentions and desires. You have to hold them, own them, love them, accept them, all the while surrendering into the fears they create. And, you have to have good bit of patience, to watch, and wait, as things evolve.
“As DonnaLou’s song clearly indicates, the enlightenment and surrender dance is a process, borne of its own timing and space, with many adventures along the way. Efforting, irritation, confusion are all part of the process. They are divinely delivered options to practice your tenacity and holding a non-attachment orientation to outcome.”
So you name a desire, and your mind or body hollers: “No way!” What then? Discernment and some time spent finding the edge where your mind or body whimpers: “Could that work? Maybe that could work? Let’s try it?”
The devil is in the detail of finding that fine-line edge, where you push your previous boundary while also holding open potential for “new, previously unseen, unbelievable” notions or experiences to emerge. Curiosity can help a great deal to open to that potential. Naming where you are already, or where you are stuck, also helps to relieve the pressure of “being found out” or being found “wanting,” or lacking. When you name your fear—“I am not yet enlightened”—there is space, not just fear. There is space to breathe in what else might be needed, or necessary for the journey to enlightenment.
Please enjoy DonnaLou Stevens’ inspiring take on the enlightenment and surrender dance of life with “If I Were Enlightened” as posted by DonnaLou Stevens on YouTube:
Surrender and love: primary tenets of enlightenment
Another lesson from DonnaLou’s song is that the search for enlightenment can frequently become a race of trying many modalities, working, racing, efforting, feeling: “Om, Om, Omigawd,” will I ever reach the finish line of enlightenment? And that is just part of the process. We all have had many “processes” in our life, already. We were born, had the toddler process, the cute young child process, and the awkward teen process. Then there was the dating process and the finding your passion or a career process.
The act of living is replete with process, trial and error development; why wouldn’t the search for enlightenment also be a process of trial and error? And for the record, enlightenment can also be instantaneous, it’s true; but that usually doesn’t happen for the masses. If It happened for you, GREAT! Shine your light on the rest of us!
Oh I meditate and contemplate, sometimes I even levitate
In hopes that you won’t irritate the heaven out of me.
I take yoga in a toga that I got in Calistoga
I even went and bought a Bodhi tree.
Om, Om, Omigawd. Om, Om, Omigawd.
If I could just surrender and learn to love what is
The central phrase or message in this song might just be: “If I could just surrender and learn to love what is.” That is the trick, isn’t it? To love what is in this moment, in that moment, and in this next moment, without attachment to outcome. As DonnaLou’s song clearly indicates, the enlightenment and surrender dance is a process, borne of its own timing and space, with many adventures along the way. Efforting, irritation, confusion are all part of the process. They are divinely delivered options to practice your tenacity and holding a non-attachment orientation to outcome. And, as in any race, everyone’s mileage will vary, but the course is the same. And eventually we will all reach the enlightenment finish line.
Enjoy the race and the music, and use the Grounded Relating Monday Music Challenge to stay present to your own chasing of enlightenment today. Full lyrics for “If I were enlightened” by DonnaLou Stevens, as posted on YouTube:
If I Were Enlightened
Oh, if I were enlightened, you wouldn’t bother me
You could leave your socks and underwear from here to infinity.
You could come in anytime you like, no fear of getting caught.
If I were enlightened…But she’s not….(Yet!)
If I were more like Buddha, you could do just what you like.
I’d embrace all other women that came straight down your pike.
‘Cuz I’d recall my Oneness and forgive like I was taught.
If I were more like Buddha…
But she’s not (YET!)
Oh I meditate and contemplate, sometimes I even levitate
In hopes that you won’t irritate the heaven out of me.
I take tantra and say mantras, a lot more than I want’a
I even went and bought a Bodhi tree.
She even went and bought a Bodhi tree.
If everything were perfect, I’d be the greatest wife
I would not obsess about beginning your next life.
I’d see your karma as my dharma and forget we’ve ever fought.
If everything were perfect.
But it’s not. (YET!)
Oh I meditate and contemplate, sometimes I even levitate
In hopes that you won’t irritate the heaven out of me.
I take yoga in a toga that I got in Calistoga.
I even went and bought a Bodhi tree.
She even went and bought a Bodhi tree.
Om, Om, Omigawd.
Om, Om, Omigawd.
If I could just surrender and learn to love what is,
I wouldn’t care my toilet seat is covered with your whiz.
I wouldn’t care I caught you in my bra and underpants.
If I could just surrender….But she can’t. Yet.
Oh I meditate and contemplate, sometimes I even levitate
In hopes that you won’t irritate the heaven out of me.
Well, my aura was a horror, so I memorized the Torah.
I even went and bought a Bodhi tree.
Now she’s got a frickin’ Bodhi tree.
Om, Om, Omigawd. Om, Om, Omigawd.
Om, Om, Omigawd, Omigawd.
Ohhh?
Or is it?
