The Cross as a Message of Christian Non-Duality

We are well into what is considered the Holy weekend for Christians, and so what better time to post this contemplation?

Since I experienced what some would call a paradigm shift, a change in perspective in how I see God and spirituality, I am reluctant to give catharsis to any specific religious culture, including and perhaps even  more so the one that I was raised in and practiced most of my life.   Yet I pondered this more, especially after hearing a message that resonated with my inner being and experiences.

A few weeks ago, the diocese Bishop visited our church community and talked about how we have all been guilty of labeling people and thinking of others as being less than ourselves.  He went further to clarify that we are to have compassion and be careful to not condemn individuals, even those who have extreme behaviors and views that seem to be detrimental to society.   Not to say we do not speak truth of harmful actions or are not to take action  to ensure the safety and health of those around us.   But we are called not be slanderous, as we have all been guilty of holding ideas or even behaviors that are not any better than those we would criticize.  This was a refreshing message-- a message that is rarely preached or heard in Christendom, whether from the conservative or liberal view of those who would call themselves followers of Jesus.  And this is a message of non-duality.

What is non-duality?   It is the notion that there is no separateness--there are none any better nor none any less.   There is no "us" versus "them". There are no Christians versus non-Christians.   This concept is clearly mentioned in the Upanisads of the ancient Hindi  teachings.... "That is the Whole, this is Whole, from the Whole, the Whole becomes manifest.  From the Whole, when the Whole is negated, what remains  again is the Whole." (Isavasya Upanisad).  Yet when one takes a step back from traditions, theological discussions and culture, this message also resonates in the Judea-Christian words:  "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One."

Jesus began with this scripture and went on to quote, "You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all of your mind and all of your strength (aka body[sic]) ".  He went on further to quote "Love your neighbor as yourself,"   If one truly loves another as his or herself is there any room to consider another as different or higher or lower in status?   Does this not take us to the non-dualistic conclusion that all are equal and are to be loved equally?

So what of the cross?  How is it significant as a message of non-duality?  Jesus was convicted and hung to die for crimes he did not commit.  Yet even so, while undergoing the brutal torture of crucifixion, Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."    If Jesus asked this of the Father, does it not mean ALL are forgiven?  Is one able to ask for forgiveness, if one does not know what one is doing?  We all are plagued by a lack of awareness, and it seems contrary to what Jesus said on the cross that anyone would be condemned to an eternal hell for the only "sin" mentioned, which is ignorance.  If all are forgiven, there is no duality nor notion that one has a higher standing aka bound for heaven than any other.

So perhaps, one meaning of the resurrection was knowing we are all elevated to be called sons of God.  We are all equal, we are all one.  And above all of the condemnations, rantings, and labels, we are risen indeed.


And that's Penny's two cents.



So what are your thoughts on the notion of non-duality?   Please share your comments, as I would love to hear from you!

The Big Win

A couple of months ago, there was a lot of excitement over the prospect of the Power Ball lottery jackpot reaching an all-time high of $1.5 billion,  I repeat 1.5  BILLION dollars!  And like most optimistic Americans, I went out and purchased one of the tickets, thinking why not me?   And amazingly, I was a winner--I  matched the Power number which meant I won a total of $4, which doubled my $2 investment.

Yet even if one does not win the jackpot, one does imagine what one would do with all of that money.  As far as myself, I know I would NOT spend it on $1,000 dollar purses or Jimmy Choo shoes because I am way too practical and I already see a chiropractor.   So what good use could I put to that kind of money?  There's the everyday things.  Perhaps I would buy a modest size home but in an expensive neighborhood because I'd want it on a beach.  It would be nice to have a brand new plug-in hybrid car, because I really don't like wasting my millions on something that contributes to air pollution.

Then, I would spend a little for something a bit more radical.   I could send my daughter with her Dad to Europe.  I could stay in the South of France for a year.  I could send my daughter who I did not give birth to with her family out here to visit and go to Disneyland.   I could get a weekly massage a a at a nice day spa.

But what is the primary thing one considers of doing most of all when one has the possibility of having so much money?  Helping others of course!  I could help that friend or two or three who has been really struggling for so long.  I could finance the church so that it can sustain and expand it's outreach to the community.    I could help others I know who struggle with chronic illnhouess get the healthcare items they need that insurance companies don't cover.  Heck, with a billion dollars I could feed and clothe all of the homeless in the county for 10 years!!!

So, why then, is it that a well-intentioned person such as myself did not win the jackpot?  Perhaps because G-d and the Universe knew that some of these people I would help would be hindered. Perhaps they need the struggle for their own personal growth.  Maybe that friend will rise above himself and allow G-d to show him a path he never imagined possible.  Maybe the members of the church need to stretch themselves as a community so that they can fully demonstrate their faith and practice G-d's love as they never would have dreamed.  Maybe as a society we will decide that it is worth it to give every person the healthcare they really need, because it saves more money in the long run.

Should I ever win big, G-d grant me the discretion to dispense the wealth that was given me in a way that is healthy for all.  And may I do that now with the abundance I already have.

And that's Penny's two cents.


So what are your two cents?  What would you do if you won 1.5 billion dollars?  Please do comment.  I would love to hear from you.

Loving My Legs - Part Two

In the winter of 2013, the body I live in was diagnosed with yet another chronic condition, called lipedema.  This is a fat disorder that causes disproportionate distribution of fat that is most often located in the legs. This type of fat holds onto fluid, and is an edema condition.  The lipedema fat is purported to be"unlose-able" through diet, exercise, etc.    I am fortunate that in my case, this lipedema fat distribution has been confined to the upper thighs. And I can still walk among the many and pass as relatively "normal".  Yet my gait was distorted and my right  knee was starting to turn from the large concentration of fat that retained fluid in my inner thighs.  I  would get fluid up to my abdomen that would throw off my balance and cause pain..   And another unfortunate problem was that I had been unable to lose much weight in almost 3 years. Until now...

So what changed?   This past September, I was able to go see Dr. Karen Herbst in Tuscon, Arizona, the premiere fat disorder doctor in the country.   She was able to determine that the lipedema fat in my body was limited and restricted to the inner and outer upper thigh at this time.  She also confirmed that there was lymphedema in my left limb and that this body had idiopathic edema as well.   Dr. Herbst was very concerned about the great deal of swelling / edema and documented several recommended treatments. This information was concise and given to me to take back to my primary health care source: The Veteran's Administration.

Shortly after this visit, my VA primary care provider started processing requests.  The first therapeutic item I received was a lymph pump.  The vendor's therapist showed me how to use this device and so I began doing two hourly treatments each day.   Next the VA scheduled me for two weeks of intense decongestive therapy with compression wrapping.  A wonderful Occupational Therapist with lymph drainage training worked with me and taught me quite concisely how to do manual lymph drainage on myself.   And the fluid started to move, and I started to lose weight.

All of these things were helpful and cathartic in my health improvement.  In fact, my right knee is no longer turning inward and my gait has returned to normal!  Yet perhaps there was something deeper responsible for this inertia.   The treatments were helping as the content, but there was a context I was operating under as well.

As a spiritual sojourner, I have become aware that much of these body conditions are either inherited through karma and often perpetuated by my own mind.  I do not wish to minimize or suggest anyone else's suffering or diagnoses are not real.  Yet the great faiths have a common thread/premise of sowing and reaping, blessing and cursing, and karma.   So I thought to myself, what if this extra hard lipedema fat was born from the thoughts and words that originated by others, and even more ironic, myself?  What if  I programmed my body every time I said, "Everything I eat goes to my thighs?"  Hmmm....

I decided to treat myself with grace in my approach to healing.  I stopped reading every research article about the myriad of ailments that have touched this body on the internet.   I came up with a mantra with positive body imaging and health habits.   I became active once more in church choir.  I became more devout in my meditation and meditation group participation.   I went on dates.  I took care of myself in the best way possible and spent less time thinking about "illness."

 I have no idea how far this progress will go.  I am loving myself and my legs that have carried me this far.   All I have is the present moment, and I am embracing life NOW.  To G-d be the glory!

And that's Penny's two cents.

So what are your two cents?  Have you had anything you ever told yourself that seemingly showed up in your body or other aspects of your life?  Please leave your comments.  I would love to hear from you!


Some current links on lipedema and mantras:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160225006334/en/Lipedema-Foundation%C2%A02.2M-Awarded-Study-Bad-Fat
http://www.lipomadoc.org/lipedema.html
https://diseasetheycallfat.tv/about-the-lipedema-project/
https://yoga.com/article/mantras-how-they-work-and-the-best-mantras-for-healing

It's Valentine's Day --- Let's Play

It's always a great day to celebrate love and life!    So why not do it with gusto on Valentine's Day?   Whoa to you naysayers that say it's all about making the card and chocolate vendors rich!!  What-- you can't enjoy the day because you are single??  Say it isn't so!!!   

 I believe in the celebration of love and romantic love as an expression of the divine and what is intended for a full life.   So I am going to call a friend I haven't talked to for a while.  I'm going to wear that sexy little thing that most would only wear for a lover.  I'm going to smell the roses.  I'm going to write a poem.   I'm going to sing!  I'm going to dance!    Why??

"The body heals with play

The mind heals with laughter
and the spirit heals with joy

Come play with me

Whatever you know or don’t - Only Love is real".~Rumi~

Be joyous, my friends!!!   Love is all you need.

And that's Penny's two cents.

So what is your two cents on this Valentine's Day?  Tell me.... I want to hear!

Being the Peace on Earth

When the angels originally sang "peace on earth" at the advent of Christ, the people of the day expected a transformation of the world around them.  Yet, it seems that Jesus did little to change the external circumstances of the world.  Therefore, one might conclude that he was talking about inner peace--the inner peace he referred to as "the peace that surpasses all understanding".

Apparently, peace can be  a personal choice.  I can choose to turn off the Fox News or CNN rants and raves.  I can stop the Twitter feed.  I can choose to not equip myself with an arsenal in response to the violence.   I can choose not to hang around people who are easily angered or upset by what is perceived as catastrophe.

Both the Judeo-Christian notion of sowing and reaping and the eastern concept of karma allows for a causal benefit of individuals choosing to be at peace.  One then might conclude that the serenity which individuals practice in their lives might be contagious.   Perhaps then, the outer circumstances of the world could be infected by this peace.

This is a challenge.  I sometimes get upset.   I don't always meditate daily.   Yet, I can still catch myself and choose to not preoccupy my mind with the worries of a world in which I have no control over.  What can I control?   I can offer a smile to any being the universe sends my way.   And this is being the peace on earth.

God bless us everyone.

And that's Penny's two cents.

Fostering Loving Kindness

Last week, I had the privilege to talk to a mother of a baby.  What made this mom unique is that she is in her 60's.  She is a foster mom and this is one of many babies she has fostered and will continue to foster during her life.  The tiny girl had been only weeks earlier emaciated and failing to thrive.  Now this baby girl had a smile on her face to light up the room.   This foster Mom told me that she loved every baby she fostered and would cry when each one left.  She would not have any control over the future of these babies, yet knew that she loved them in a moment they needed her most.  And I realize this is such a wonderful contribution to our society.

 According to the most recent Census Statistics,  641,000 children were served by the foster system in the US in 2013.  One could rant and rave about the birth mothers and their neglect.  One could complain about how the "system" is encouraging low income mothers to have  babies they cannot afford.   But in truth, haven't most of us required others to help us in our parenting when there are moments we could not do it alone?

About 10 years ago, I had to stop working due to several chronic illnesses.  During that time, my daughter was still quite young.  My major symptoms have been  severe fatigue and pain.    I am so grateful for family members and friends who would take my daughter places when I could not.  There were a couple of close families who even took my daughter on vacations.  My daughter would have been neglected of many experiences had she not been "fostered" by the care of others outside our immediate family.

None of us can be perfectly attentive at all times.  Adults experience illnesses and emotional challenges that adversely affect our ability to parent.  At these times it is prudent to allow family and friends to help us to nurture our children.  "Foster care" of some sort is needed for our children to thrive in spite of our personal difficult circumstances.  It is unlikely we can do away with the elements that cause a child to wind up in the foster care system.  Yet we can support those who do the fostering.  Donations.  Volunteer.  Babysit.

 Let's give kudos to those wonderful people who are fostering children who can't be cared for by their own parents.  These people do this by personal choice and it requires relentless commitment just as all parenting does.  They step in and give love and care to the most vulnerable among us.  Foster parents are making our communities and therefore our world a better place for all of us.  

It's a challenge to the rest of us to step up and give loving kindness where ever we are able.

And that's Penny's two cents.

What's your two cents?  What is do you think about foster care or parents letting people care for their children who are not part of their biological families?  Please leave your comments.

A Time to Feel

How many of us heard,  "Don't cry or I'll give you something to cry about" when we were children? And we accepted this as meaning that it was wrong and dangerous for us to cry.  Why does a child cry anyway?   It could be sadness, anger, fear, discomfort or pain.   Sometimes crying children have needs that they are counting on a parent to meet. Sometimes they just need to express their feelings and cry it out.   Crying itself is not a misbehavior.  Yet many of us were indoctrinated into believing there was something wrong with crying or expressing any "negative" emotion.

Why does this matter?  It seems that most unhealthy behaviors are activated by attempting to subdue one's feelings or acting inappropriately to release feelings that a person has never learned to manage.  An emotion itself is not an action.  A person can experience the sensation of  sadness, anger, or fear and not act in a way that is a violation of another person's boundary.   The irony is that when a parent does not allow the child to express their feelings, they are reinforcing the notion that the child's boundaries do not matter.  And if a child isn't allowed to develop their own boundaries, then it is difficult for them to respect the boundaries of others.

What can an adult person do to remedy this conditioning?    First of all, pay attention to your actions.  Are you yelling at or insulting your loved ones?  Are you grabbing for that extra cookie, drink, or cigarette?   Are you overwhelmed in a depth of depression?   Take a time out for yourself to really feel your feelings.  Perhaps journal to get a perspective behind the true feelings.  If you are hurt or sad allow yourself to cry.    Take a bath.

Next try deep breathing.  Extend the deep breathing to full meditation.  Meditation has been shown to increase the size of the hippocampus.  An increase in the hippocampus allows the cerebral cortex (the logical brain) to take command of the limbic system (feeling brain).   Thus the result is that one can feel his or her feelings and have self control.

My teen daughter was crying the other day.  I asked her if there was anything I could do.  She said "no" and asked that I leave her alone.  I respected her wishes and let her cry, without trying to "fix" her situation.    This has not always been my practice.   And as for myself, it is time to allow myself to feel my feelings in their full glory.  And not try to "fix it" by subduing my feelings with toxic behaviors.

In this season of my life, it is a time to feel.

And that's Penny's two cents.


So what about your two cents?  Do you believe it is ok to chastise children for crying?  How do you manage your feelings?  Please do comment!



Some references:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705194/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Conscious-Parent-Transforming-Empowering/dp/1897238452
http://www.living-consciousness.com/