“Pursuit of the Sublime” | Anthony Satori
The pursuit of the sublime is far too easily derailed by accepting the belief that some heights are, by their very nature, unattainable. How much better to proceed as if all heights can be reached? What new and exceptional elevations of mind, body and spirit are simply waiting to be attained by those who have the courage to adopt a posture of optimism, vision and faith, and then to engage in the purposeful behavior that derives from these qualities?
“On the Water” | Anthony Satori
“We have forgotten the age-old fact that God speaks chiefly through dreams and visions.”
— C. G. Jung
“Transcendent Light” | Anthony Satori
“Like the wind, like clouds, like thunder and lightning, which rise from space without physical shape and reach the transcendent light in their own form, those who rise above body-consciousness ascend to the transcendent light in their real form, the Self. In that state, free from attachment, they move at will, laughing, playing and rejoicing. They know that the Self is not the body, but only tied to it for a time… Whenever one sees, smells, speaks, hears or thinks, they know that it is the Self that sees, smells, speaks, hears and thinks; the senses are merely the Self’s instruments.” (The Chandogya Upanishad)
“Spring Moon” | Anthony Satori
Some nights, when everything is quiet and the air is warm, I go outside and simply experience how the world feels around me. I allow myself to become fully aware of the stillness, the silence, the way every object becomes transformed from its daylight appearance when it is differently lit by the moon and the stars. I breathe deeply of the air and allow the moonlight to wash over my eyes. The expansiveness of the heavens, the soft glow of the objects in my view, the light chill of the night air on my skin, it all feels peaceful and calming to my spirit. I focus on the beauty and depth of the soft, bluish moonlight, knowing that it is a gentle reflection of the Sun’s rays reaching from behind the shadow of the Earth, traveling millions of miles, bouncing off the surface of the moon, and then arriving, softened but not diminished, exactly where I stand. It is like a whisper, a quiet reminder that the Sun is still there, still shining, even though I cannot see it, in this moment. I breathe deeply. The mystical quality of the moonlight connects me with the still, silent, infinite space within my soul. I feel the deep echo of millions of years of human ancestry experiencing the same awe and wonder while standing beneath the same night sky, and I become more deeply connected to my humanity. I feel a deep inner resonance with the Creative Consciousness of the Universe, the Source of all good things, and I become more profoundly connected to my spirituality. I allow myself to just be, in this moment. A sense of inner calm and clarity gradually expands from within me, permeating my conscious mind, putting me in touch with my more subtle faculties, and heightening my ability to better perceive the beauty and goodness in everything around me.
“Prana (Inner Light)” | Anthony Satori
Ancient writings from the Indus Valley tell us that the universe within us is as vast as the universe outside of us.
“As great as the infinite space beyond, is the space within the lotus of the heart. Both heaven and earth are contained in that inner space, both fire and air, sun and moon, lightning and stars. Whether we know it in this world or know it not, everything is contained in that inner space.” (Chandogya Upanishad, 1.3)
I have always been fascinated by ancient texts, especially ones which strive to tell us something about the spiritual world. Such writings have always felt to me a bit like “messages in a bottle,” sent by people who lived millennia in the past, ancient seekers who discovered certain truths about life that they believed to be of such profound importance that they were willing to employ every means at their disposal to preserve them for later generations to discover.
In some of these texts, the Sanskrit term “Prana” is used to indicate Vital Energy, or Inner Light, referring to the spiritual energy field that vibrates within, around and through us. Prana is our own personal breath of the Divine, our own individual connection to the Source of Life. One of the realizations that these ancient seekers wished to share with us is that every human being holds the ability to connect with the Universal Spirit through meditation, introspection and study. What an insight! It is both empowering and humbling to realize that we each have the potential to explore the vastness of the Universe merely by quieting our thoughts, centering our minds, and remaining still long enough to discover it within ourselves.
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