We are One, in Love, in Spirit

This pic was an attempt to pull together symbols from different religions to illustrate ONENESS. On first glance it may appear that Michael is being portrayed as a deity, but it's simply symbolic art. Michael is there to represent the humanity and spirit of each of us, in the awakening point, where one realizes the truth of unity with the divine. We came from God/All and will return. Just as you are your parents' child, the Divine essence is also carried within you ... we are each divinity in motion.

He/You/I sit in a lotus position, like Buddha (or any other adept or seeker) in deep contemplation, prayer and stillness. Surrounding us is the lush green of the forest primeval, of the garden... a place of creation, where renewal and growth take place. It is a place of peace and seclusion, yet of life, of Gaia, our connection to the Earth. It is the Garden of Eden and Gethsemane, the meditation retreat of bodhisattvas, the forests of Vraj on the banks of the Yamuna river. We sit upon the transcendent pink lotus flower as our consciousness expands inwardly and outwardly to merge with the All. Our skin is the color of the sky and we wear the tilak of Krishna on our forehead, as his and Quan Yin's companion and guardian, the royal peacock, dances nearby... a reminder of our immortality and that all colors blend in harmony as One. A monarch butterfly alights nearby, a symbol in many tribal and modern religions of strength, transformation, resurrection and spirit. In our hand we hold a red rose in full bloom to symbolize our ability to embrace fragility, hope and faith without crushing it, as we nurture it with compassion, as Mother Mary does when she comforts the grieving and downtrodden. As we focus on our 4th chakra we find the Sacred Heart, a symbol of Christ's suffering, love and compassion for humanity, qualities He asked us to embrace and exemplify. These qualities are amplified as our awareness reaches higher and higher into Cosmic Christ Consciousness. Merged with the Sacred Heart we find the symbol for OM, the Sacred Sound of God in Hinduism, Buddhism and other belief systems, the first vibration that resonated outward and created our entire universe. All are connected. All are one. As we center ourselves in LOVE, a halo brightens and glows around our head, a beautiful pattern of gold and white light, universally recognized. Above us flies the dove of peace, a symbol of the Holy Spirit (in whatever words you would choose to describe it), the animating force we first felt when we found OM, when we remembered that the sacred lies within us and all around us, in our garden of bliss, where we meet the Beloved, where WE ARE ONE.

"It is now I see and feel that calling once again to be part of a music that will not just connect, but make all feel ONE, one in joy, one in pain, one in love, one in service and in consciousness." ~ Michael Jackson 2009

The Lotus in Michael's Hand

"The honey in the flower or lotus does not crave for bees; they do not plead with the bees to come. Since they have tasted the sweetness, they themselves search for the flowers and rush in. They come because of the attachment between themselves and sweetness." ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba

"O God, my mind is fascinated with Thy lotus feet as the bumble-bee with the flower; night and day I thirst for them." ~ Guru Nanak

When the background picture for this blog was chosen, it was basically on a whim because I had no specific plans for what it all should look like. The chosen pic turned out to set up the entire color scheme and simply felt right. To me this particular photoshop represents Michael being shone down upon from the heavens (the shining light) as he channels this energy through his being (as he often talked about himself - of being merely the messenger, the means to deliver what was already created above) and it concentrates into the gift within his hand, the gift he is extending to us and to all who are willing to reach for it and accept it. (In this sense it is not just Michael per se, but all who play the role of guide.) What is that gift? Certainly not something easily defined. Aren't we all still grappling with these questions? It's something universal and yet very personal. The lotus itself to me represented the feeling of cosmic awakening, the invitation to look beyond and yet to go within where we are one, something sacred and existing of love, held out for the seeker, brought to us from God/Higher Selves by a special teacher who has opened our hearts. It's a very spiritual symbol, after all. Here's some more information below about lotus symbolism. Thought it all rather fitting:

• The holiest of flowers for Hindus, the beautiful lotus is symbolic of the true soul of an individual. It represents the being, which lives in turbid waters yet rises up and blossoms to the point of enlightenment. Mythologically speaking, lotus is also a symbol of creation, since Brahma, the creator came forth from the lotus that blooms from the navel of Vishnu. (1)

• Pink Lotus: This the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity. Thus naturally it is associated with the Great Buddha himself. ..."In esoteric Buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus: when the virtues of the Buddha develop therein, the lotus blossoms; that is why the Buddha sits on a lotus bloom." (2)

• Because they emerge from slime and corruption, then grow up through the purifying water to emerge into the sunlight, they are seen as metaphors for the development of the individual being towards enlightenment. That is, the flower stands for renunciation of the entanglements of samsara, and for the pure aspiration that is the desire for enlightenment for the sake of others. ... The "lotus" depicted in tomb paintings of ancient Egypt ...is also known as the "lily of the Nile." It is not a true lotus, but a blue water lily Nymphaea caerulea.(3)

• The lotus is the pre-eminent symbol in the non dual traditions. In Hinduism it is associated with the creation mythology featuring the gods Vishnu, Brahma, and Lakshmi as well as most other dieties. In Buddism, the Buddha and various dieties are portrayed seated on and/or holding lotuses. In Egyptian mythology the term has been misapplied to the water lily by translators of their hieroglyphics and in references to its motif in art and architecture.(4)

• It embodies the Buddhist ideas of transcendence, purity, and non-duality. In point, the lotus is the symbol of the absolute, sustaining the phenomenal world. ... In Tibetan Buddhist art, it is very common for images of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other prominent figures to be depicted as resting upon an open Lotus flower. ... The Lotus also acts as a metaphoric guide to those who are engaged in ...the direction of realizing complete, unchastened enlightenment. ... The flower gracefully accepts the pool that it is placed in and shines beautifully in negation of circumstance. (5)

• Hindus revere it with the gods Vishnu, Brahma and to a lesser degree Kubera, and the goddesses Lakshmi and Sarasvati . Often used as an example of divine beauty and purity, Vishnu is often described as the 'Lotus-Eyed One'. ...Its unfolding petals suggest the expansion of the soul. The growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its origin holds a benign spiritual promise. ... The lotus in both Egypt and India symbolizes the union of the four elements; earth, air, fire, and water.... The growth of a new flower directly from the earth-bound original may be interpreted as a symbol of transcendence: a spiritual emergence of a higher world directly from our physical manifestation.(6)

"You are the wildflower in bloom, You are the Life-throb That pulsates, dances, From a speck of dust To the most distant star, And you and I Were never separate, It's just an illusion Wrought by the magical lens of Perception."
~ Michael Jackson ('Heaven is Here' / Dancing the Dream)