Throughout the 30 plus years that I have been teaching, I have frequently been asked the question—Jim, tell me one single thing that I can do that will change my life for the better? Give me something that is simple and spiritually transformative.

I would assume that we all recognize our cultures predilection for the quick fix and the magic ‘pill.’ Billions of dollars are spent on research and then marketing such consumer items. But spiritual transformation is not quick and there are no pills that I can dole out. Anything that I would have told them would have been a tool, a good tool, but still a tool of transformation. A tool is not the ultimate spiritual transformational ‘pill.’   

I did have a ‘way,’ the transformational pathway of Divine Humanity. But what was one simple teaching that I could give them that just might have an earth shattering impact on their life. What was one thing that a person could do to be a consistent spiritual person in a very materialistic world where the prevailing belief is that spirit and matter are separate? Of course, we can be spiritual at our yoga class or during our meditation session, that’s our spiritual time. Sitting out on a mountaintop questing for a vision definitely qualifies as spiritual time. Chanting under a waterfall or bathing in a stream at dawn are most assuredly training of the spirit. These are all tools, moments in time that in most cases, probably do not occupy more than one to two percent of our time.

But what happens to us the rest of the time. Where is our mind? What can we do to be that angel or bodhisattva on earth? And yes angels and bodhisattvas do get mad. They just don’t hold on to it very long. And they ask forgiveness and give forgiveness when needed.

It is easy to be spiritual in a ‘rose garden’ with cherry blossoms falling down around us. But what about the other times in our life? Where is our mind? Where is our heart? What is the focus of our eyes? Is our body sinful or divine? What words do we speak?

Then it came to me. An axiom, a principle, a formula, could it actually be an intangible transformational pill?

Our thoughts are our world—our sense of reality is based on the sum total of our thoughts and images in our mind. And most assuredly, these come from our ‘rules of life’—our beliefs, assumptions, attitudes and expectations.

The spiritually transformative ‘pill’ is as simple, but as difficult as switching our thoughts, images and words—thus revealing the eyes and mind of Nature (God), which will result in the body of Nature (God).

There are two categories or concepts to switch in our mind—separate and linear. The switch is from separate to unity/oneness and from linear to circular/cyclical/ spiral.

Any thoughts and images that enter our mind that are characterized as conveying separateness or duality are changed in the moment to non-dualistic thoughts and images of oneness or unity. The concept is to release the illusion of life by seeing life as a radical non-dualism or, in other words, as an alive consciousness of cohesive inclusiveness of inter-connective oneness.

This is not the negation of the mind into some type of ‘void’ but the enlightening (lightening) of the mind, speech and body of the human and the divine as one with full consciousness.

Linear beliefs are in direct opposition to radical non-dualism. Realizing this truth, any linear concepts are then switched to ones that are circular (cyclical/ spiral). Most people, as well as our culture, view time as linear that moves from the past to the future. The present being un-important as just the interface between the past and future. Linear time opens Pandora’s box letting lose the forces of fear, greed and the materialistic desire to accumulate and consume. Linear time benefits our prevailing culture where fear is rampant—protect for the future, save for the future, live for the future—you’ve seen what has happened before! All at the expense of our freedom in the present moment.

To transform from these materialistic beliefs and to open the eyes and mind of Nature (God), all that is needed is a shift in thinking. The process is as simple as when gardening and uncovering a worm in the dirt, our thought is of our connective oneness with the worm, the consciousness that we share and that each of us has an intrinsic part to play within the turning of the wheel of time. This simple shift changes reality, behaviors and actions. A worm is no longer seen as something outside of us to be discounted or needlessly destroyed but is a part of us and sacred in our collective connective journeys of life. I feel that the accumulation of these types of thoughts and images will result in our spiritual growth as compassionate, caring loving divine human beings.

Within this transformation of mind, our words will change and reflect the oneness of our mind. True words will spill from our heart as divine human beings. The vibration of our words will be as the vibration of the sound of the Sun. Our mind is sacred, our heart-our sun is sacred, our speech is sacred and our body is sacred.

There is another segment to all of this—the composite of our spiritual ‘pill,’ which is the present moment. To transform our thoughts in our mind, we must be in the present moment. This present moment focused awareness is one of the most basic pillars of our spiritual growth and enlightenment. And linear time negates the present moment as being important. But being in the present moment is most important to our spiritual growth. And another benefit; we do not miss our journey through life by working excessively and saving for some distant future at the expense of spending time in the present with our children, partner, family and friends.

Have I discovered the simple solution? When we change our thoughts and our images in our mind then our words change, our behaviors change and our life changes. Resurrection—rebirth—renewal—a renaissance of spirit while alive in this body, this mind and this heart. And the greatest result of this transformation in thinking and being—the world becomes a brighter, better and more peaceful place. 

The answer to last month's ishin—the cry of an eagle.