NON-DUALITY
The Journey Ahead….
1 - January - Introduction & Prepare for the Journey
2 - February - Feels like Something is Missing
3 - March - Uncover the Clues
4 - April - Locate the Missing Pieces
5 - May - Land a New Approach
6 - June - Concentrate your Practice
7 - July - Impressions of Home
8 - August - Recognize your Wholeness
9 - September - Completely Gone
10 - October - Long for Nothing
11 - November - Enter the World Again
12 - December - Your Homecoming Graduation
1 - January - Introduction & Prepare for the Journey
2 - February - Feels like Something is Missing
3 - March - Uncover the Clues
4 - April - Locate the Missing Pieces
5 - May - Land a New Approach
6 - June - Concentrate your Practice
7 - July - Impressions of Home
8 - August - Recognize your Wholeness
9 - September - Completely Gone
10 - October - Long for Nothing
11 - November - Enter the World Again
12 - December - Your Homecoming Graduation
Peter's Poem December
Passing the Baton
The circle's complete
Our work here is done
No more separation
We're all just one
Take the lessons you've learned
Into the world with you
And see if you can share them
With the old and the new
You're now the teachers
The wise ones, the sages
May your loving legacy live on
Throughout the ages
Passing the Baton
The circle's complete
Our work here is done
No more separation
We're all just one
Take the lessons you've learned
Into the world with you
And see if you can share them
With the old and the new
You're now the teachers
The wise ones, the sages
May your loving legacy live on
Throughout the ages
Question 1:
What Comes next for you?
My Reply: What comes next indeed! Related to business, it is still a bit in question, but I am optimistic it is going to be something very lucrative and exciting that will help a lot of people in the realm of energy medicine.
Regards to my spiritual "path" and "practices" for lack of better words, what comes next will hopefully be that moment of moments where I wake up and smell the coffee..lol..
Just This .. ah this, such a conundrum because THAT is always next no matter what movies are playing, but the trick for "me" is to more and more be the screen, as the bull fades into the sunset (or should I say sunrise).
Question 2:
How would you explain the "Full Circle" program to someone who never heard of it?
My Reply: I would have to really think about that more deeply, but I would follow the 10 bulls of zen in a more simplified way, emphasizing that self realization is not about gaining something new or afresh, but uncovering the immortal Self that has been with us all along, hence full Circle. By taming our passions and desires and turning within, we return to where we began and we come to realize this whole journey of seeking (this Lila or Maya) was just a playful illusion of hide and seek, because what we really most want has always been in our heart of Hearts with no inside or outside, Just This! Perhaps when I really Really "get" Just This, I'll be better able to explain or rather point to It, Ah This
Question 3:
What is/was your favorite question from this program?
My Reply:
I liked best of all the more direct questions relating to what is awareness, who am I, etc. All the more mundane or "ordinary" questions where revealing too, but I guess i just like going straight to the "source" the most and reflecting on that.
But really Peter my favorite part of the course (besides the live calls) has been your generous replies to many of my answers that have been beyond insightful and included many beautiful glimpses. So many golden gems of wisdom for me to review into my golden years and beyond! Fortunately, I recorded all of them. I am so so grateful for this course
Peter Replied: Ha, ha! So you've just written a book! See how easy that was? (I've got around 300 pages of my own notes about this course myself.) I'm glad you're so studious, even as we both realize this is way beyond words. But, words are powerful hints, just like the scent of food tells us there's something cooking in the kitchen. Everyone can tell you that you're crazy, but you know you're correct because you already caught the aroma, even if you've not yet tasted it. No one can convince you against your own experience. And now all it takes is a tongue taste to release the illusion.
I replied:
The big book of nothing, 10 empty circles leading NowHere (now - here). I'll write in invisible ink and include an attached special violet light that illuminates the seemingly empty pages...lol.
I probably have somewhere close to 120-150 pages if I had to guess. Maybe 200 using Peter's Grandpa font...
(I actually like your books and courses were usually in larger fonts... makes for easy reading).
Peter Replied:
Very good!!! As for the larger fonts, I felt it was being generous and not trying to squeeze too many words on a page. It feels more free that way. I got to a point where I stopped reading tight, cramped pages of type no matter how interested I was in the material. It made me think that maybe the author or publisher was stingy. Anyway, I like more freedom on a page, more nothingness.
What Comes next for you?
My Reply: What comes next indeed! Related to business, it is still a bit in question, but I am optimistic it is going to be something very lucrative and exciting that will help a lot of people in the realm of energy medicine.
Regards to my spiritual "path" and "practices" for lack of better words, what comes next will hopefully be that moment of moments where I wake up and smell the coffee..lol..
Just This .. ah this, such a conundrum because THAT is always next no matter what movies are playing, but the trick for "me" is to more and more be the screen, as the bull fades into the sunset (or should I say sunrise).
Question 2:
How would you explain the "Full Circle" program to someone who never heard of it?
My Reply: I would have to really think about that more deeply, but I would follow the 10 bulls of zen in a more simplified way, emphasizing that self realization is not about gaining something new or afresh, but uncovering the immortal Self that has been with us all along, hence full Circle. By taming our passions and desires and turning within, we return to where we began and we come to realize this whole journey of seeking (this Lila or Maya) was just a playful illusion of hide and seek, because what we really most want has always been in our heart of Hearts with no inside or outside, Just This! Perhaps when I really Really "get" Just This, I'll be better able to explain or rather point to It, Ah This
Question 3:
What is/was your favorite question from this program?
My Reply:
I liked best of all the more direct questions relating to what is awareness, who am I, etc. All the more mundane or "ordinary" questions where revealing too, but I guess i just like going straight to the "source" the most and reflecting on that.
But really Peter my favorite part of the course (besides the live calls) has been your generous replies to many of my answers that have been beyond insightful and included many beautiful glimpses. So many golden gems of wisdom for me to review into my golden years and beyond! Fortunately, I recorded all of them. I am so so grateful for this course
Peter Replied: Ha, ha! So you've just written a book! See how easy that was? (I've got around 300 pages of my own notes about this course myself.) I'm glad you're so studious, even as we both realize this is way beyond words. But, words are powerful hints, just like the scent of food tells us there's something cooking in the kitchen. Everyone can tell you that you're crazy, but you know you're correct because you already caught the aroma, even if you've not yet tasted it. No one can convince you against your own experience. And now all it takes is a tongue taste to release the illusion.
I replied:
The big book of nothing, 10 empty circles leading NowHere (now - here). I'll write in invisible ink and include an attached special violet light that illuminates the seemingly empty pages...lol.
I probably have somewhere close to 120-150 pages if I had to guess. Maybe 200 using Peter's Grandpa font...
(I actually like your books and courses were usually in larger fonts... makes for easy reading).
Peter Replied:
Very good!!! As for the larger fonts, I felt it was being generous and not trying to squeeze too many words on a page. It feels more free that way. I got to a point where I stopped reading tight, cramped pages of type no matter how interested I was in the material. It made me think that maybe the author or publisher was stingy. Anyway, I like more freedom on a page, more nothingness.
Question #4
Do you think of yourself as a teacher? What aspect(s) of the Full Circle program would you most like to teach?
I responded:
It would be nice to help to point people as directly and simply as possible to the everpresent Beauty and Bliss of "Just This", "Ah This", what more can you ever want?
Of course there are really no words that can describe It, the Self, Pure Consciousness, Just This, etc, so the best Way to Teach It, is to BE It.
That is what makes you a great teacher Peter, is you ARE what you teach, which is something that inspires me to keep aspiring for. Of course the mystery is I am already that, so I just need to grab my bull by the nose ring, rub my eyes and fully wake up...lol.
**Peter Replied**:
Yes, you are that! The strange and funny part about all this is that "acceptance" tames the bull, magically and effortlessly. But the ego (which must be fully accepted in order for it to vanish) is always snorting resistance to this and that. If it doesn't get its way, it stomps it's feet and blames others and the world for its misery. Like a mad bull breaking up everything is sight. The moment I began laughing at my bull and saying "Oh, you silly thing, come here, it's all okay. Thank you for showing me your magnificent energy." It says, "What!? You're not mad at me?" "No, of course not. This just the way its supposed to be." Then he says, "Oh, okay you want a ride?" Then I ride him home, singing my song of peace.
------
Question #5)
When you read, "Simply answer from your heart", what did that mean for you?
I take that to mean that my response will be immediate, spontaneous, and spoken with feeling from my heart. This is usually not easy to do for me, as there is some lingering mental "brake" like for example fear of rejection. So what I want to say often does not come out.
I usually find it easier to write my feelings from the heart and sometimes it is simply therapeutic even if I end up not sending the message. I recognize that a lot of speaking from the heart is still more emotional and feeling based and I recognize there is a deeper Heart beyond both feelings and mind. It seems to me as we sink deeper and deeper into Awareness, that speaking and responding from THAT place (the True Heart) will gradually become more and more natural.
Do you think of yourself as a teacher? What aspect(s) of the Full Circle program would you most like to teach?
I responded:
It would be nice to help to point people as directly and simply as possible to the everpresent Beauty and Bliss of "Just This", "Ah This", what more can you ever want?
Of course there are really no words that can describe It, the Self, Pure Consciousness, Just This, etc, so the best Way to Teach It, is to BE It.
That is what makes you a great teacher Peter, is you ARE what you teach, which is something that inspires me to keep aspiring for. Of course the mystery is I am already that, so I just need to grab my bull by the nose ring, rub my eyes and fully wake up...lol.
**Peter Replied**:
Yes, you are that! The strange and funny part about all this is that "acceptance" tames the bull, magically and effortlessly. But the ego (which must be fully accepted in order for it to vanish) is always snorting resistance to this and that. If it doesn't get its way, it stomps it's feet and blames others and the world for its misery. Like a mad bull breaking up everything is sight. The moment I began laughing at my bull and saying "Oh, you silly thing, come here, it's all okay. Thank you for showing me your magnificent energy." It says, "What!? You're not mad at me?" "No, of course not. This just the way its supposed to be." Then he says, "Oh, okay you want a ride?" Then I ride him home, singing my song of peace.
------
Question #5)
When you read, "Simply answer from your heart", what did that mean for you?
I take that to mean that my response will be immediate, spontaneous, and spoken with feeling from my heart. This is usually not easy to do for me, as there is some lingering mental "brake" like for example fear of rejection. So what I want to say often does not come out.
I usually find it easier to write my feelings from the heart and sometimes it is simply therapeutic even if I end up not sending the message. I recognize that a lot of speaking from the heart is still more emotional and feeling based and I recognize there is a deeper Heart beyond both feelings and mind. It seems to me as we sink deeper and deeper into Awareness, that speaking and responding from THAT place (the True Heart) will gradually become more and more natural.
Best gift you'll ever be able to give me, is sharing kindness with everyone you meet.
Swift life review
The circle is complete, our work is done, now what?
Swift life review
The circle is complete, our work is done, now what?
Change wherever we are and turn it into beauty as long as the person sees differently.
Blink your eyes and we were just beginning this walk together.
Time of quiet. Time to be still.
Nothing more to teach, nothing more to say.
Everything is meant to be let go of, so the soul can be left in unhampered happiness.
Being nobody going nowhere.
Treasure freedom presently enjoy. The things you own, own you.
Not what I take up, but what I give up that makes me rich.
Traveling light comes next.
Bees go to where the honey is. Exude kindness and people will come.
Become less issue bond and deal with serious matters of day to day living more peacefully.
Man goes in search of a bull. Energy is our own but it appears to have run off and to be caught.
Objects, places and people we pin our heart. Course puts our hearts back where they should be.
Others will walk together full circle.
Old lion and the young cub.
Come see our own true face.
Favorite question from the program.
Swift review of my life.
Each experience required to tell a good story.
Illusionary nature of my existence
The circle is complete, our work is done, now what?
Identity part... Who am I? How am I showing up?
True-identity
How do we live that in our everyday life
What we really are truly shines through.
Anyone can use flowery words and nice stories.
That which we truly are at heart, that essense, spirit or sense of Presence.
It cannot be faked. Like a fire on a cold night, the warmth cannot be faked.
Let us all become a fire in that dark night.
This world requires a little bit of light.
We light the world like a tree and the gifts we give are real, not just trinkets.
Teacher
Rather a singer than a teacher. Singing for no other reason than the song itself.
Dove in the evening, a few soft notes.
Teacher but never stop being a student either.
Teach by my own example, the homecoming, and blend back into ordinary life.
Being nobody going nowhere.
The bull knows its way home, no technique is need, no map.
No anxiety in non perfection.
The full circle is pathless and empty.
Continue the full circle.
So valuable to share your treasure with each other.
Reflection between two people grows larger and larger.
Feel the warmth from it.
Full circle is the gem of the peak of
The greatest storehouse is the treasure house within yourself.
Take the gold you got and put it in your heart.
Keep the treasure
Draw from the teachings from the last 12 months.
Simply answer from the heart.
Answers do not come from any filters.
Not Borrowed knowledge or ego mind but honest answers.
Helpful, controversial, thought provoking.
Am I speaking from my heart.
Will others understand my answer
Best answer is a Silent Presence.
Returning
Puppy white cloud in a blue sky.
Watch out for the bullshit
Blink your eyes and we were just beginning this walk together.
Time of quiet. Time to be still.
Nothing more to teach, nothing more to say.
Everything is meant to be let go of, so the soul can be left in unhampered happiness.
Being nobody going nowhere.
Treasure freedom presently enjoy. The things you own, own you.
Not what I take up, but what I give up that makes me rich.
Traveling light comes next.
Bees go to where the honey is. Exude kindness and people will come.
Become less issue bond and deal with serious matters of day to day living more peacefully.
Man goes in search of a bull. Energy is our own but it appears to have run off and to be caught.
Objects, places and people we pin our heart. Course puts our hearts back where they should be.
Others will walk together full circle.
Old lion and the young cub.
Come see our own true face.
Favorite question from the program.
Swift review of my life.
Each experience required to tell a good story.
Illusionary nature of my existence
The circle is complete, our work is done, now what?
Identity part... Who am I? How am I showing up?
True-identity
How do we live that in our everyday life
What we really are truly shines through.
Anyone can use flowery words and nice stories.
That which we truly are at heart, that essense, spirit or sense of Presence.
It cannot be faked. Like a fire on a cold night, the warmth cannot be faked.
Let us all become a fire in that dark night.
This world requires a little bit of light.
We light the world like a tree and the gifts we give are real, not just trinkets.
Teacher
Rather a singer than a teacher. Singing for no other reason than the song itself.
Dove in the evening, a few soft notes.
Teacher but never stop being a student either.
Teach by my own example, the homecoming, and blend back into ordinary life.
Being nobody going nowhere.
The bull knows its way home, no technique is need, no map.
No anxiety in non perfection.
The full circle is pathless and empty.
Continue the full circle.
So valuable to share your treasure with each other.
Reflection between two people grows larger and larger.
Feel the warmth from it.
Full circle is the gem of the peak of
The greatest storehouse is the treasure house within yourself.
Take the gold you got and put it in your heart.
Keep the treasure
Draw from the teachings from the last 12 months.
Simply answer from the heart.
Answers do not come from any filters.
Not Borrowed knowledge or ego mind but honest answers.
Helpful, controversial, thought provoking.
Am I speaking from my heart.
Will others understand my answer
Best answer is a Silent Presence.
Returning
Puppy white cloud in a blue sky.
Watch out for the bullshit
Peter’s Reflection - December 2023
The Circle Never Ends
The circle never ends. It is always now. Only in language can we say something has a beginning or ending, a past or a future. But where can any of those be found except in a presently created memory? As I said in The Full Circle Course, you are not a presence in the now. You ARE the now. This "now" never ends. The circle never ends, Our connection never ends. Our friendship never ends.
It is my wish that you continue to foster this connection with each other. Cultivate friendships with other members of the Full Circle family. Share insights and experiences. Stay in contact. Review your notes and favorite takeaways with each other. Even visit each other if that feels right.
I fully realize how the magic of the internet has put us in contact with thousands of people and allowed for online programs like this course. Do I believe we wouldn't have had a connection without the internet? Not in the least. When I first began speaking about this material, I had no internet. Yet people from around the world made contact. I chuckle now because in those days I wrote lots of letters and pasted lots of stamps on envelopes. Several of you in this group have been in contact with me for decades. I fondly recall sitting around that big fireplace on Mystic Mountain and doing storytime:
"There once was a man who went in search of a bull..."
Many of the people who sat around that fireplace are no longer with us in form. But I assure you, they have never left my heart. I do not believe the circle can be broken. Our contact remains and oddly, at times, I feel it even stronger without an "internet" connection.
The internet is indeed a fascinating tool and used wisely, I have seen it create beautiful moments. And while I will be limiting my access to social media going forward, in no way am I telling you to do the same. It has served me well and I have enjoyed the opportunities and possibilities it has created. Some of you have already confided in me that you will also leave social media at the end of the year. But for those of you who chose to stay, I hope you use it to remain connected to one another. I have no judgement either way. It is always about doing what is best for you and your well-being.
I replied: Peter, where is your king on the chessboard? Oh wait, you are the king...lol (Also your rook is trapped and it's not looking good) . I would actually love to play chess with you by the fireplace. It is such a fascinating game as is this game of life.
This course has been a beautiful highlight of this game of my life. I will definitely be reviewing the notes and questions for many years to come. Honestly thinking back, I don't think anything is missing, it is a very comprehensive course to winning the game of life, with the ultimate triumph being that we indeed become the King (the Self), transcending the game itself into timeless Awareness. And in this timeless awareness endless games may come and go, but we forever remain the same. My greatest desire in this life is to Wake Up before the "game is over and all the pieces go back in the box", knowing myself as my Self, King of the Infinite!
Yogananda had a wonderful song called "Oh thou King of the Infinite"
O Thou king of the infinite
I behold thee in Samadhi
In joy, and in more joy,
in Thy light of mellow Joy.
Peter Responded:
First, Thank you for so generously sharing your heart. I indeed treasure our friendship. You make me laugh, it doesn't surprise me you noticed the King was vacant. It's impossible to lose any game in which the self is absent. Ha, ha! I once played an incredibly skilled chess player. After we reached mid game I looked him in the eyes and said, "You only have three moves left!" He looked at the board stunned, then knocked his king over and said, "How the hell did you do that?" I had absolutely no idea what he saw on the board. I was just playing with his concentration. The point being, we can get so serious about the game that we visualize our own defeat. We miss what was missing. In this case, I have no king on the board, so it is impossible for me to lose.
I replied: That is so beautifully symbolic, that would make for a great book cover!! How indeed can you lose if there is no one there? You cannot checkmate emptiness! That whole picture is a visual Koan, and makes my mind stop for a moment just pondering that! It also summarizes the entire course (in a way).
If I put one picture of you on my altar it will be that one (really).
Peter Responded:
I love your line, "You cannot checkmate emptiness!" Perfect!
The Circle Never Ends
The circle never ends. It is always now. Only in language can we say something has a beginning or ending, a past or a future. But where can any of those be found except in a presently created memory? As I said in The Full Circle Course, you are not a presence in the now. You ARE the now. This "now" never ends. The circle never ends, Our connection never ends. Our friendship never ends.
It is my wish that you continue to foster this connection with each other. Cultivate friendships with other members of the Full Circle family. Share insights and experiences. Stay in contact. Review your notes and favorite takeaways with each other. Even visit each other if that feels right.
I fully realize how the magic of the internet has put us in contact with thousands of people and allowed for online programs like this course. Do I believe we wouldn't have had a connection without the internet? Not in the least. When I first began speaking about this material, I had no internet. Yet people from around the world made contact. I chuckle now because in those days I wrote lots of letters and pasted lots of stamps on envelopes. Several of you in this group have been in contact with me for decades. I fondly recall sitting around that big fireplace on Mystic Mountain and doing storytime:
"There once was a man who went in search of a bull..."
Many of the people who sat around that fireplace are no longer with us in form. But I assure you, they have never left my heart. I do not believe the circle can be broken. Our contact remains and oddly, at times, I feel it even stronger without an "internet" connection.
The internet is indeed a fascinating tool and used wisely, I have seen it create beautiful moments. And while I will be limiting my access to social media going forward, in no way am I telling you to do the same. It has served me well and I have enjoyed the opportunities and possibilities it has created. Some of you have already confided in me that you will also leave social media at the end of the year. But for those of you who chose to stay, I hope you use it to remain connected to one another. I have no judgement either way. It is always about doing what is best for you and your well-being.
I replied: Peter, where is your king on the chessboard? Oh wait, you are the king...lol (Also your rook is trapped and it's not looking good) . I would actually love to play chess with you by the fireplace. It is such a fascinating game as is this game of life.
This course has been a beautiful highlight of this game of my life. I will definitely be reviewing the notes and questions for many years to come. Honestly thinking back, I don't think anything is missing, it is a very comprehensive course to winning the game of life, with the ultimate triumph being that we indeed become the King (the Self), transcending the game itself into timeless Awareness. And in this timeless awareness endless games may come and go, but we forever remain the same. My greatest desire in this life is to Wake Up before the "game is over and all the pieces go back in the box", knowing myself as my Self, King of the Infinite!
Yogananda had a wonderful song called "Oh thou King of the Infinite"
O Thou king of the infinite
I behold thee in Samadhi
In joy, and in more joy,
in Thy light of mellow Joy.
Peter Responded:
First, Thank you for so generously sharing your heart. I indeed treasure our friendship. You make me laugh, it doesn't surprise me you noticed the King was vacant. It's impossible to lose any game in which the self is absent. Ha, ha! I once played an incredibly skilled chess player. After we reached mid game I looked him in the eyes and said, "You only have three moves left!" He looked at the board stunned, then knocked his king over and said, "How the hell did you do that?" I had absolutely no idea what he saw on the board. I was just playing with his concentration. The point being, we can get so serious about the game that we visualize our own defeat. We miss what was missing. In this case, I have no king on the board, so it is impossible for me to lose.
I replied: That is so beautifully symbolic, that would make for a great book cover!! How indeed can you lose if there is no one there? You cannot checkmate emptiness! That whole picture is a visual Koan, and makes my mind stop for a moment just pondering that! It also summarizes the entire course (in a way).
If I put one picture of you on my altar it will be that one (really).
Peter Responded:
I love your line, "You cannot checkmate emptiness!" Perfect!