Contemplation: Divine Experience of the Inner Heart

WEEKLY CONTEMPLATION

This week during your daily meditation, contemplate the following:

"What are the things you can do to experience the Divine presence in your own heart?"

Dear Friends,

I recently visited a friend who shared a very inspiring and beautiful story with me. It involved a time in his young life when he stood at a crossroad, searching his heart for the guidance that would ultimately lead him to fulfilling his destiny.

One of his choices seemed obvious and easy. His life would be all laid out for him, and it promised great fame, success, recognition and total security. He received constant pressure from his greatest teacher, his family and dear friends, to pursue this path. To make his decision even more confusing, it was a vocation that he embraced with all his heart, one that had brought him an inordinate amount of success in the past, as well as a great sense of fulfillment deep within.

But the other choice was equally compelling. He felt torn inside, completely unable to get clarity. The first choice would be easy, he thought. He had everyone behind him and it was something he had already done with great success. The other choice was much different. It was an unknown and there were no guarantees. It was shrouded in uncertainty.

What he decided to do was put his life on hold for a few weeks and go off by himself to contemplate. He set out with his back pack and went climbing in the nearby mountains. When he found an appropriate campsite, he set up his tent and made an intention to meditate until he received an answer from within. He let go of any expectations with regard to time.

Days went by, yet nothing came to him. He continued to meditate. On the third day, he found himself sitting on a big, flat rock, immersed in dazzling sunlight. In that moment, he glanced down and noticed that there were some tiny yellow flowers growing right out of a little crevice in the rock. Instantly, his attention was drawn to this almost surreal vision.

As he sat looking at the flowers, a gentle breeze began to pass over him, and as it did, he noticed that the little flowers began to sway in rhythm with the breeze--bending, yielding, without resisting, and remaining unharmed. Suddenly, in that moment, it all became clear; he knew the answer. It came spontaneously and with complete certainty.

As I drove home that day, I reflected on the story he had shared with me and was reminded of a similar experience I had in a maximum security prison, while meditating for the first time in my life out in the yard. When I first opened my eyes, I sat staring at the wall surrounding the prison compound: cold, stark and unyielding. Yet, from a crack a few feet long, toward the bottom of the wall, a few blades of green grass had somehow managed to take root and break through the seeming impenetrable concrete façade.

As I sat there mesmerized by this apparent dichotomy, I became immediately aware that this scene was a perfect metaphor for Shaktipat, spiritual awakening. I realized that the Divine nectar within me, like the seemingly fragile and delicate blades of grass, had been endowed with enormous power and strength, a strength and power that went far beyond my logical mind, enabling it to crack the hardened, unyielding wall enclosing my heart, then breaking through, revealing the beauty, power and love it contained, transforming my whole life.

Contemplation: Beyond all the distractions, turbulence and difficulties we face in the world, there is an eternal essence, a Divine experience of Freedom and Love that cannot be held back or contained by anything in this physical universe.

What are the obstacles in your life that prevent you from experiencing this Divine presence that is always there? How can you prioritize your life in a way that will enable you to move beyond these obstacles and live in this incredible state of Freedom and joy forever?

Please contemplate this deeply, keeping a journal of your experiences.

We have all been given so much.

Love and blessings,

Alan

Serving Those Who Serve (STWS)

Dear Friends,

Yesterday marked the seventh anniversary of 9/11. I was two blocks from the ground zero, meeting with my editor that day. We watched in shock as people held hands and jumped from the twin towers. Within minutes, both buildings were reduced to ashes. (To view a news release on my experience posted on NewsReleaseWire, please click here.)

In response to this event, my dear friend Jose Mestre was one of four people who founded Serving Those Who Serve (STWS), a nonprofit organization that provides holistic Ayurvedic herbal formulas free of charge to the rescue and recovery workers whose health was compromised by exposure to toxins present at Ground Zero on Sept. 11th and it's aftermath.

Many workers are still experiencing respiratory problems, as well as memory loss, fatigue and depression because of exposure to metal toxicity at Ground Zero. For many of them, the consequences of their selfless service has affected their health, families, lifestyle and future.

I would like to extend my support to Jose and his wonderful organization by offering 20% of every book ordered from my website through Sept. 30th. To support STWS, please visit my website at www.alangompers.com. When placing your order, please include STWS in the box that says "Inscription" (optional)

This donation includes all regular priced books ($24.95) and all special edition books ($99 and $139.) If you purchase the $139 version, 20% plus the additional $40 will go to Serving Those Who Serve (STWS).

This is the perfect time to order books for yourself, for others, and for upcoming holiday gifts. Consider ordering extra copies to be donated to inmates currently in prison.

Please help me help those who continue to serve those who served through this wonderful organization Serving Those Who Served (STWS).

For more information, please call my office at 1-888-558-4667 or visit www.stws.org.

Love & Blessings,

Alan Gompers

OOPS! Ann Arbor Correction

Dear Friends,

OOPS! Please note that we sent out the wrong time for the book signing event on Saturday at Susan Morales' house. Please note the correct time is 3:30pm! Please let us know if you have any additional questions, 1-888-558-GOMP.

-Alan Gompers

CORRECTED SCHEDULE:
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, Sept. 6-7th

Saturday, Sept. 6th, 3:30pm, Book Signing Event
Hostess: Susan Morales (Ann Arbor, MI)

Sunday, Sept. 7th, 1pm, Book Signing Event
Crazy Wisdom Bookstore (114 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104)
visit www.crazywisdom.net

Sunday, Sept. 7th, 6-9pm Meditation Workshop, $49 per person
Elmo's Hideaway (220 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104)

Ann Arbor & Kansas City

Dear Friends,

A huge thank you to our wonderful hosts in Seattle (The Harschfeld Family) and in San Diego (Reva Bernstein & Michelle Sharkey.) Also, thank you to 3rd Place Books & Unity of Kent for their hospitality. We sold a ton of books and met some wonderful folks at our meditation workshops!

Just a quick reminder that I'll be heading to Ann Arbor, Michigan this weekend and then on to Kansas City.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, Sept. 6-7th

Saturday, Sept. 6th, 6pm, Book Signing Event
Hostess: Susan Morales (Ann Arbor, MI)
Click here for more info.

Sunday, Sept. 7th, 1pm, Book Signing Event
Crazy Wisdom Bookstore (114 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104)
Click here to view flyer or visit www.crazywisdom.net

Sunday, Sept. 7th, 6-9pm Meditation Workshop, $49 per person
Elmo's Hideaway (220 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104)
Click here to view flyer. Click here to register.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, Sept. 9-17th

Friday, Sept. 12th, 7pm Book Signing Event
Hostess: Tonya Whitman (8117 Parkview Drive, Parkville, MO)
(816) 769-2400 Click here for more info.

Monday, Sept. 15, 6-9pm Meditation Workshop, Cost: $49 pp
Hostess: Tonya Whitman (117 Parkview Drive, Parkville, MO)
(816) 769-2400 Click here for more info. Click here to register.

WEBSITE UPDATES & BOOK REVIEWS

Please visit my website and listen to my recent radio interview with Darryl Neher on AM 1370 WGCL in Bloomington, IN. www.alangompers.com

Also, the book has received some wonderful reviews lately. We've posted them on my website at www.alangompers.com.

The Iowa Source recently wrote "If you were to read only one spiritual memoir this year, this is the one."

If you have read the book and would like to write a review for amazon.com or borders.com, please visit those websites and leave your comments. We could especially use some reviews on Borders.com.

Love & Blessings,

Alan Gompers