THE JOURNAL OF enlightenment
SELF Foundation, Inc. Association      email: info@selffoundation.com     www.selffoundation.com

Table of Contents

The NEXT Enlightenment Retreat 7-13 May 2007; San Diego, California, USA
What does it take for the dreamer to wake from the dream? Photos from Bali Enlightenment Retreat
Participant comments
Enlightenment Masters Teachers Training
Oldest Known Zen Poem
Appreciation & Gratitude
Love inspires song .....
Anahata Villas & Spa Resort
Infinite Possibilities by Brenda McMorro

Bali Enlightenment Retreat 23-25 February 2007

The Enlightenment Retreat at Anahata Resort on 23-25 February 2007 is now two weeks past and I've just returned to my home in Adelaide, South Australia. Two weeks is not necessarily a long time from some perspectives. It is a long time if you are a new born baby, an infant, or a young child. Some of the experiences that were birthed and awakened in you while at the Retreat may only be two weeks young. Those experiences are like new borns. They need tender loving care to continue growing and thriving. They need your care and attention to survive and thrive in a world that is not often sensitive to spiritually young, vulnerable and innocent states of being. If these new states of emotional and spiritual openness are not nutured, they wither and die. They are easily forgotten as they get covered up and buried in the daily fast paced, busy, consumer and information driven alienated environment of modern living. And within weeks, months or even days of their birthing into reality, they begin to be thought of as only a dream, a fantasy or at best the memory of a time gone past.

What does it take for the dreamer to wake from the dream?

At the closing circle of the Retreat I briefly outlined a few of the supportive factors that we put into place to make the Retreat a Sacred and Holy Space that supports divine living and awakening. These same supportive factors can be brought into your daily life. This will nurture the always young and youthful Awakened Mind.

TREAT OTHERS WITH KINDNESS. One of the best things we can do is treat others with kindness. Refrain from criticising, abusing, making others wrong and trying to change them. Yes, this is a constant chanllenge. The ego wants to get its own way. When it doesn't get its way, it goes into reactivity of one kind or another. Sometimes it's strategy is to strikes out, sometimes to withdraw and pout. Ignore it. If you want a Divine Life and not an ego life, then surrendering to the divinity in another instead of fighting the ego battles of 'being right' is a life of letting go, forgeviness and acceptance. Yes, the ego will find this difficult at first. It will want you to keep your attention on the other as an object or a thing rather than as the spiritual essense of pure love and gratitude that the Divine Other actually is. So, if you can sincerely open up and at the same time not hurt another, then you can create situations in which direct absolute knowing of your true nature can spontaneikously occur. Some call it Love, some call it Wisdom, some say nothing as they embrace the Silence.

BREATHE, FEEL & TELL THE TRUTH. The self reflective meditation that can be used for solo contemplation or in a dyad for these day to day ego reactivities that occur is: What is it about myself with regards to the reacitivity I am experiencieng that I want another to know, without blaming, criticising, making them wrong, trying to change them or even referring to them. This contemplatioin reveals what the underlying emotional upset and communication is. All reactivity is an indirect way of trying to get the truth of yourself across to others. What is it about yourself that you want the other to know, without referring to them? Breathe, feel and tell the truth about what is arising in your universe.

A SIMPLE AND PURE DIET. The body must have sufficient strength and stamina to continue and persist with the effort needed for intense contemplation and communication. A pure diet that is light enough not to burden the body and mind but nutritious enough to maintain the daily activities is provided.

A REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTISE. A regular daily meditation practise keeps you connected to the Source, relaxes the bodymind and sharpens your ability to hold your attention one pointedly on what you want to directly experience. Medical research studies show that two 10 to 15 minute meditation sessions each day stimulates the Relaxation Response in your body as opposed to the Flight or Fight stress response.

A BALANCED SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES.
The Enlightenment Retreat provides a balanced schedule of daily activities and processes to heal, purify and awaken the body, mind and feelings to the truth of oneself. The schedule is a balance of intense effort and rest, nutritious foods, silent meditations, movement meditations, contemplative walks and the enlightenment dyad communication technique. The balanced schedule of meditative activities helps to dissolve the resistence and impurities of the body, mind, and emotions, and lessens the opportunities for inputting new impurities and resistences.

THE DYAD COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE. What an incredibly simple, yet powerful technqiue for clearing the mind, speaking the truth and deepending understanding between yourself and others. The Dyad Techniqe can be used for clearing relationships, reducing stress, problem solving, spiritual awakening and more. Doing a formal dyad once a week or more with a friend or spouse is a great way to nurture and awaken your soul. Check out the Knowing Your Self book of 100 dyad exercises and a gong CD with written and audio instructions on how to do dyads.

GRACE & SURRENDER. The enlightenment experience is ultimately an act of surrender to that which already is. There is nothing you can do to make it happen. You can only be open. You can do things to support and help create the ideal situation for the Truth to be revealed but you cannot force it to appear. It is beyond your egotistical control and beyond and your desire. Practise surrender in your life.

Some Comments from participants of the Bali Enlightenment Retreat

I find beauty and splendor in a technique that is so simple.  Memi

You’ll enjoy the simplist and the most fascinating ways to find the truth aobut yourself.  Enjoy the exciting journey to find your true self. Donna

It was the first time for me involved in an enlghtenment/spirituality activity without any ‘beliefs/’religions’ attached to it.  It was powerful yet very subtle.  The dyad technique allows us to experience ‘something’ that we’ve been asking and looking for. I experienced the ‘AHA’ awareness in day one of the retreat!!  I was amazed and grateful to what I experienced.  What was most important is that I was able to be truely honest and to share this to others. Nugdha

I have found myself.
I’m the admirer of beauty in all it’s forms; the beauty of a partner sitting across me, it’s beautiful beingness, it’s beautiful form of body.  What a beauty! I’m the lover of the beauty.  The beauty of a partner sitting across from me. I’ve realized this a long time ago but never had the courage to say it. I’m the lover of my own honesty.  I’m free now.  Free from all fear that comes with my love.  Free to express my deepest love, my femineity, my sensuality, my sexuality, truly without fear. 
I’m the lover of love.  I’m love itself. What a retreat!  It’s great pleasure to be here to experience myself so deep, without fear!  What an enlightenment! Mari

It was truly an amazing experience.  I felt that I understood more about myself. I was led to an awakening of energy within me. It felt like a big burden was lifted from my chest.  It’s truly incredible learning experience that I am going to benefit through out my life.  Peter

Ahh..... This has been a beautiful breath of fresh, inspirational, vibrant, loving, peaceful, purely life-giving air.  Since my first Enlightenment Intensive in 2004 I have loved this technique and of the people who both facilitate and attend the retreats.  I am filled with wonder at the depths to which the human spirit can explore and the phenomenal expanding heights to which it can soar, infinitely.  For anyone who seeks to uncover their radiant truth I say, “Dive into the Enlightenment Intensive experience, it may change your life in ways you didn’t know possible.”  I’m so excited to discover what else is possible.  Thank you, thank you, thank you! Brenda

The most inspirational emotion that arose in me was that we are all one!  I had visions I never knew existed. Very clear defined messages that this is a totally new beginning and spiritual journey!  I feel like I have come home. Dee

I received the gift of space and a clear mirror.  This journey will not be fruitful without them.  Thank you for initiating me into the unknown.  Truly a path of sacred sharing, love and truth.  Reza

This is my 3 days of love.  Very opening.  The most truthful communication I’ve ever experienced.
I can communicative anything/everything about Me; purely.  No fear, no criticism, honest.  I felt that I love ‘space’.  As a listener, I learnt much about being a mirror, no judging, love, focus.  Aswini

Enlightenment Masters Teacher Training Course

If you are inspired by the Enlightenment Intensive Retreat and want more knowledge of the process for your own spiritual evolution ..... 

If you are inspired by the Enlightenment Intensive Retreat and want to facilitate this empowering process with others .....

This Course  For You

Contact me for the Dates, Cost, Locations and a detailed description of the course outline.

Opening words of the oldest Zen poem by Seng ts'an
The perfect Way (Tao) iswithout difficulty,
It avoids picking and choosing.

Only when you stop liking and disliking
Will all be clearly understood.

A split hairs difference,
And Heaven and Earth are set apart.

If you want to get the plain truth,
Be not concerned with right and wrong.

The conflict between right and wrong
is the sickness of the mind.

Great Appreciation and Gratitude
For each of you allowed me to enter into your life,
Into your breath,
Into your heart,
Into a Holy Communion and a
Holy matrimony of the soul.

Great Appreciation,
To each of you for accepting me,
As I am
For who I am
And what I am.

Great Appreciation
For the invitation
To feast upon your holiness,
To drink deep of your truth,
Your wisdom
And your love.

Together we made manifest the Secret,
Together we brought what was hidden into the market place,
For all to See
For all to Feel
For all to Share.

And God smiled,
For this celebration of divine life
Is God made manifest in the world.

Tonight, I’m setting the table for another Feast
Come share it with me in all that is
Good, Holy and Beautiful

(Yoah and Reza from the August 2007 retreat)

Love inspires song and dance.

Love inspires the celebration of Life.

Love gives meaning and purpose to Life.

A life without Love is a life of anguish, fear, intolerance and saddness. Life without Love is never a song. It is never a dance. Live as Love. Let Love be your teacher, your friend, your mother and father. The deeper you Love, the deeper you feel the pulse and energy of Living Life. Love is life and life is Love. In living Love, you are kind, unconditional, non-possessive, free of envy, open hearted, generous and soft.

Always sing your song of Love.

Anahata Villas & Spa Resort in Ubud, Bali

What a great facility for a retreat or a holiday!

A beatutiful location; delicious and well presented cusuine; loving and helpful staff and fantasitic facilities.

Highly recommended! You'll love it.

Check out their web site. www.anahataresort.com

Infinite Possibilites

A CD by Brenda McMorrow.

All songs are written by Brenda. Her voice is strong and sweet, just like her personality. She also plays acoustic guitar and is accompanied by some fine musicians. You can listen to some of her music samples at the iTunes music site.

The CD can be purchased from the iTunes music store or contacting www.brendamcmorrow.com. You can also listen to her music at www.myspace.com/brendamcmorrow