Posture 3

Postures 4 & 5

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Posture 7 & 8

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Posture 10 & 11

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Posture 13 & 14

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Posture 17 & 18

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Posture 20

Posture 21

Posture 22 & 23

Posture 24

Posture 25

Posture 26 - This lesson was not recorded

Posture 27

Posture 28

Posture 29

Posture 30

Posture 31 & 32

Posture 33

Posture 34

Posture 35

Posture 36

Posture 37

This is Divine State of Mind.

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The Wisdom Way of Knowing

Reclaiming an Ancient Tradition to Awaken the Heart

By Cynthia Bourgeault

This Good Reads page details several ways to obtain the book: Where to find The Wisdom Way of Knowing

I'm excited to announce our first book in the Divine State of Mind Book Club. This book club is not intended to be a list of recommended books. It's an ongoing, interactive discussion group, an opportunity to gather with others to read, study and contemplate various written material all under the subject matter of Divine State of Mind.

A few reviews from the book's back cover...

“Drawing on resources as diverse as Sufism, Benedictine Monasticism, the Gurdjieff Work, and the string theory of modern physics, Cynthia Bourgeault has crafted her own unique vision of the Wisdom way in this very accessible book, nicely balanced between concept and practice.”

-Gerald May, senior fellow, Shalem Institute, and author Addiction and Grace and Will and Spirit

"This lively and beautiful book will be helpful to many who find themselves setting out on the interior journey.”

-Bruno Barnhart, a Camaldolese monk and author, Second Simplicity, The Inner Shape of Christianity

“This book is a precious gem, a short and brilliant synthesis of the world’s great wisdom traditions.
Clear, concise, inspiring and poetic.”

-Joan Borysenko, author, Inner Peace of Busy People

We'll gather on zoom once a week and also use some wonderful new community software to connect with one another, ask questions and discuss our thoughts.

If you are interested in joining us for this discussion send me an email at bill@divinestateofmind.com

Schedule / Curriculum

We will gather on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm using Zoom software. Our first session will be Wednesday March 2nd. Discussing two chapters each week, we'll cover the entire book in four sessions.

Important Note: There will be one week off in the middle of the session.

Week 1 : Wednesday March 2nd 2022
Introduction
Chapter 1 : The Wisdom Way of Knowing
Chapter 2 : How the Christian West Lost its Wisdom

Week 2 : Wednesday March 9th 2022
Chapter 3 : Three - Centered Knowing
Chapter 4 : Wisdom and Human Purpose

Week 3 : Wednesday March 23rd 2022
Chapter 5 : Transformation : The Human Alchemy
Chapter 6 : Freedom and Surrender : The Anthropology of Wisdom

Week 4 : Wednesday March 30th 2022
Chapter 7 : Seeing with the Eye of the Heart
Chapter 8 : The Tools of Wisdom
Epilogue : How Aspen Found it's Voice

Sign Up

If you are interested in joining us for this discussion simply send me an email at bill@divinestateofmind.com
I'd like to keep this group to a maximum of 15 people. To ensure everyone gets a seat please only join if you are serious about attending all four sessions. All sessions will be recorded and available to watch within a couple days.

Grabbing and stuffing. There is no end to it.

-Verse 9, Tao Te Ching

I started trying to reduce primarily with the "material" things in my life: getting rid of unnecessary possessions, clothes, houseware items, stuff like that. The current status of that is up for debate. I'm certainly not anywhere close to being a minimalist, but I'm moving in that direction. I'm getting there. I'm trying.

Of course one man's minimalist is another's hoarder right? The term minimalist is really just a label. Whether or not you have a lot of stuff is relative to what you're around, your immediate family, and friends, your local culture. I personally think I'm doing ok, starting to rid my life of unnecessary items, but compared to some I still have a LOT of stuff.

The term "Label" is another concept I'm exploring lately. I heard it said somewhere "Once you name something, you kill it."

One of the primary functions of our mind is to identify and label things. As we move through daily life our eyes, our ears and other senses take in millions, probably billions of different pieces of information. It's a constant firehose of information.

What our mind wants to do is identify and label every little thing that it can. Once it's labeled something, it knows what it is and it can move on to something else. That "thing" has been identified. It's been named. We know what it is.

But that labeling is based solely on our experiences to date. That thing is defined by whatever we currently know, or maybe better put, whatever we think we know about that thing. It's locked in. Done. No need to investigate any further. 'It is what it is' and it's not going to change. At least in our mind.

In my online classes at Palm Beach Tai Chi I've been trying to reduce as well. I've been trying to remove unnecessary curriculum, trying to get rid of unnecessary structure, rules, "labels". I've done so much of that I wasn't comfortable keeping the curriculum with the Palm Beach Tai Chi name. I have moved the focus of my energies to the website you're on now: Divine State of Mind.

(As an aside: You can read more about that in this post on my Palm Beach Tai Chi website.)

And I want to keep going further on this path of reducing, reducing, reducing.

For most of my spiritual journey I was led by Master Jeff Guiffre. He was an "old school" teacher in that he placed great value in the roles of Teacher / Student, Master / Disciple. These roles were clearly defined and an integral part of the process. He felt they were quite important to the proper transmission of teachings. The structure was quite typical for that era and probably necessary at that time. It certainly served me quite well. I initially intended to continue that tradition with Palm Beach Tai Chi. But as I continue on my journey I want to be seen more as a fellow seeker, and less as a teacher who fully understands what he's teaching.

"We are all just walking each other home".

-Ram Dass

I want you to see me in the same way that I see you: as a brother, a sister, a fellow spiritual being having a human experience. One who is trying to move through this life as best you can. Nothing more. Nothing less.

As I continue to explore this space of "labels" I arrive at my titles. Jeez! Talk about labels. This is the motherload!

For years I've wanted to update my bio, because, you know, it's very important for people to know everything that I've accomplished (I hope you sense the sarcasm in that line). I've been trying to update my bio for years. Each time I start, I have the hardest time coming up with good job titles and descriptions. I have a hard time describing exactly what it is that I do. On one hand I'm a computer programmer, on the other I'm a Tai Chi teacher, a Qi Gong teacher, a meditation teacher. When I struggle to come up with good words, good labels, I search online for what others are saying, how others are describing their important jobs and accomplishments. After searching for a while and struggling to put together the right words and descriptions it all gets so taxing. It becomes such a heavy exercise. It all starts to seem rather pointless. Who am I doing this for?

Like the closing signature at the bottom of my email. As I move from Palm Beach Tai Chi to Divine State of Mind, I've been struggling with exactly what to include. It's an auto-signature so it goes on the bottom of every email I send. So it's very important then right? lol. So silly.

Here's my latest email autosig:

William Betts
Yin Cheng Disciple 'Long Tuo'
Founder, Palm Beach Tai Chi & Divine State of Mind

There are THREE different titles within that signature! Why do I put so much effort in to that? Really, why? Is it to make sure everyone knows how important I am? To make sure you know that I am the one who started all of this? That this is all because of me? Seems a bit narcisistic when you step back and think about it doesn't it?

And not just the titles, the name 'William'. I've never gone by William in my everyday life. Well, except for one time, as I started second grade I told everyone I knew and every new person I met that my name was William. I started the year that way but it only lasted a couple months. :)

So I've never gone by the name William but on anything "important", I always use it.

So at this point in my journey I'm beyond using titles. I'll be removing all titles in my auto sig, websites and other places like that.

I typically go by the name of Bill but when I was a kid I was always Billy. I started using the name Bill in high school as it sounded more grown up.

Every so often one of my friends will call me Billy..."Billy Betts!" they say. It always seems to put a smile on their face, and mine.

So for now I'm going to go by Billy, at least in my emails. Don't know whether or not I'll use it in person or in my online classes. And I definitely don't know now just how long it will last, but what the heck?! It's only a label right? It should be fun to try it out and see what happens.

So if you see me online, or in person, you can call me "Billy". And when you do I hope it puts a smile on your face.

✌❤🙏

The Chinese Character "Qian" translates as Heaven. 

I have attached a document written by Master Jeff Guiffre which expounds further on the meaning of the character and the pointings located within. 

12 Primary Meridians

Lung Meridian (LU)Large Intestine Meridian (LI)Stomach Meridian (ST)Spleen Meridian (SP)Heart Meridian (HT)Small Intestine Meridian (SI)Bladder Meridian (BL) Kidney Meridian (KI)Pericardium Meridian (P)Triple Warmer Meridian (TW)Gall Bladder Meridian (GB)Liver Meridian (LV)

8 Extraordinary Vessels

Ren Mai - Conception Channel (shared with Primary Meridians)Du Mai - Governing Channel (shared with Primary Meridians)Chong Mai - Central Vitality ChannelDai Mai - Belt ChannelYin Wei - Yin Linking ChannelYang Wei - Yang Linking ChannelYin Qiao - Yin Heel ChannelYang Qiao - Yang Heel Channel   

Clinical reference code is the meridian abbreviation followed by the number of the point along that meridian.

For example the first point on the Lung Meridian is LU1. The 20th point and the governing vessel is GV20 or Du20

Gong Sun (SP4) “Yellow Emperor” Inside edges of feet above the big toes

Bai Hui (GV20 or Du20) “Hundred Converges” Top center of head 

Hui Yin (CV1 or Ren1) “Meeting of Yin”  Center between legs

Lao Gong (PC8) “Palace of Toil” Centers of palms of hands 

Yang Quan (K1) “Gushing Spring” Centers of soles of feet

Feng Shi (GB31) “Wind Market” Outsides of thighs, where fingertips fall naturally

Ming Men (GV4 or DU4)“Life Gate” Back center of waist, opposite the navel

Yin Ling Quan (SP9) “Yin Mound Spring”Inside facing surfaces of knees, just below knee joints

Yang Ling Quan (GB34) “Yang Mound Spring”Outsides of knees

Spinal / Vertebrae Chart

References

A solid reference for names, indications and other details: https://theory.yinyanghouse.com /

Spinal chart comes from this page: https://teachmeanatomy.info/back/bones/vertebral-column /

This website assembles more than a dozen translations into one place.http://www.egreenway.com/taoism/ttclzindex31.htm

This page is a wonderful example of the varying translations. It contains more than a dozen translations of Verse 1. http://www.egreenway.com/taoism/ttclz1.htm

Over the years I've studied dozens of translations. The list below contains some of the translations I tend to use. For whatever reason I seem connect and resonate with these the most. 

As with everything there is no right or wrong translation. Scholars, historians and Taoist experts have argued for centuries over the meaning of the characters and as such the proper translation. In the end it is up to the reader to decide for his/her self which translation best suits them. 

Tao Te Ching : The Definitive EditionTranslated by Jonathan Starhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1585426180/?coliid=I217WIM4XLIVNU&colid=3UGR8NYF0HW3I

Tao Te Ching : An Illustrated JourneyTranslated by Stephen Mitchellhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/0711212783/?coliid=I1N7FA99GOHMLW&colid=3UGR8NYF0HW3I

Tao Te Ching : A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui Texts (Classics of Ancient China)Translated by Robert G. Henrickshttps://www.amazon.com/Lao-Tzu-Translation-Discovered-Ma-wang-tui/dp/0345370996/

Empty your mind of all thoughts
Let your heart be at peace
Watch the turmoil of beings,
but contemplate their return.

Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common source.
Returning to the source is serenity.

IF you don't realize this source,
you stumble in confusion and sorrow.
When you realize where you came from,
you naturally become tolerant,
disinterested, amused,
kindhearted as a grandmother
dignified as a king

Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,
you can deal with whatever life brings you
and when death comes, you are ready.
-----------
Tao Te Ching
-Lao Tzu, Translation by Stephen Mitchell

The best warrior
leads without haste
fights without anger
overcomes without confrontation
He puts himself below
and brings out the highest in his men

This is the virtue of not confronting
of working with the abilities you have
of complying with the laws of Heaven

This is the ancient path that least to perfection

-----------
Tao Te Ching : The Definitive Edition
-Lao Tzu, Translation and commentary by Jonathan Star

The one who was skilled at practicing the Way in antiquity,
Was subtle and profound, mysterious and penetratingly wise.
His depth cannot be known.
It is only because he cannot be known
That therefore were I forced to describe him I'd say:

Hesitant was he! Like someone crossing a river in winter.
Undecided was he! As though in fear of his neighbors on all four sides.
Solemn and polite was he! Like a guest.
Scattered and dispersed was he! Like ice as it melts.
Genuine, unformed was he! Like uncarved wood.
Merged, undifferentiated was he! Like muddy water.
Broad and expansive was he! Like a valley.

If you take muddy water and still it,
it gradually becomes clear.
If you bring something to rest in order to move it,
it gradually comes alive.
The one who preserves this Way does not desire to be full;
Therefore he can wear out with no need to be renewed.
-----------
Tao Te Ching
-Lao Tzu, Translated by Robert G. Henricks

Become totally empty
Quiet the restlessness of the mind
Only then will you witness everything
unfolding from emptiness
See all things flourish and dance
in endless variation
And once again merge back into perfect emptiness-
Their true repose
Their true nature
Emerging, flourishing, dissolving back again
This is the eternal process of return

To know this process brings enlightenment
To miss this process brings disaster

Be still
Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity
Eternity embraces the all-possible
The all-possible leads to a vision of oneness
A vision of oneness brings about universal love
Universal love supports the great truth of Nature
The great truth of Nature is Tao

Whoever knows this truth lives forever
The body may perish, deeds may be forgotten
But he who has Tao has all eternity
-----------
Tao Te Ching : The Definitive Edition
-Lao Tzu, Translation and Commentary by Jonathan Star

My daily bread is powerlessness.
Temptations can be overwhelming.
Gone is every hope of help.

An abyss opens up within me.
I am falling, falling,
Plunging into non-existence.

Is this annihilation?
Or, is it the path to the Silent Love
That we are?. . .

—Thomas Keating, “The Last Laugh”

Anyways...

I started going through my drawer full of archives. I quickly realized how much material I actually have. At one time in my life I would say all of this is pure gold. I would say I hit the motherload!  

But as the pile on my desk grew I didn't have that feeling. I had the feeling it was just a bunch of "stuff". There was an urge somewhere in a part of me to throw it all away. But after that feeling came and went, I then had some tremendous guilt for feeling that way. How can i do that? This is years of study and work. And not only my work but MJ's decades of study, Evelyn's years of diligent note taking and archiving.

In one sense I've always felt an obligation to pass this along, to make sure this doesn't get lost. It's been a pretty heavy weight for quite some time. MJ entrusted me with this priceless material. But is it really priceless? Or is it just stuff? Did I really need to work through all of the details to realize those details mean nothing? 

Would it be proper of me, prudent of me, kind of me; would it be "right" of me to pass along all of these details and facts to someone else, to make them go through all of this work, years of study to realize that it's all meaningless stuff. 

In the end I guess all of this, the years of study, the mountain of material. It's all just something I needed to go through. I needed to work through all these details and facts to get to where I am right now. There should be no shame in that. And there are others that may need to do the very same thing. And I will be here for them if and when they come calling. But there are also those that are quicker to know, to understand that all of this is a part of the dream.

The true Self needs none of this. never has and never will. 

Thoughts and feelings are not mistakes, and they are not asking to be HEALED.
They are asking to be HELD, here, now, lightly
in the loving arms of present awareness

-Jeff Foster

"Begin dealing with each situation with acceptance".
-Michael Singer, Untethered Soul

My two cents

Such a powerful thought. Imagine that whatever happens in your life, whatever event occurs, your first feeling, your first thought is one of acceptance.

Not anger. Not judgment. What's there to judge really? It's already done.

Not regret. Again it's already done. How does regret help the current situation?

Not criticism. Whoever did the thing: you, your spouse, your sibling, your friend or even a stranger. Don't criticize. Everyone makes mistakes.

And even if it was definitely 100% intentional, the best way to move forward, the very first thing that must be done in order to "deal" with the situation is to recognize it, to accept it.

Only then can you begin to move forward with whatever you might determine is the appropriate path. All of those other things are just emotions, feelings. And please don't misunderstand. I am NOT saying that your feelings and emotions are necessarily unimportant. Lord knows I've suppressed a TON of emotions in my life and it's not pretty. To this day I continue to work through residual emotions from things that happened to me decades ago. Suppressing emotions is virtually always the wrong thing to do.

What I'm saying is that if the first thing you feel is anger, it makes it much harder to deal with the situation. If the first thing you feel is regret, you must work through all that comes with that emotion before moving on.

But if the first thing you do is accept the situation, it makes things much easier.

So try to make the very first thought, the very first feeling be that of acceptance. Then you can work through the best possible response to the event and navigate your emotions as you work through the issue.

That's my $.02 anyways.

Letting go any mental stress or worries.

Also letting go any physical tension or tightness we might be holding on to

Letting go our troubles we drop down into our heart space

A place of abiding peace and clarity

In this place we are able to see the world for what it truly is

To see ourselves for what we truly are

Divine beings, in a Divine place, experiencing Divine order

Ah yes! May we feel this Divine order. Her heartwarming embrace.

Through this embrace we know that All is well, All is Exactly as it should be, All is Divine.

And we release these words with a deep sense of gratitude for all that is, all that was and all that ever will be.

And so it is

Amen