Our Task as Spiritual Warriors: Responding Coherently to the Coming Times with Tom Kenyon

Diane: What were you doing when you first heard of the attack on the WTC and what were your first thoughts?

Tom: I was in the second day of a Sound Healer's training near Seattle, Washington. When I heard the news it was, of course, very disturbing, and it immediately reminded me of something that happened in Zurich recently.

I was approached in meditation at 3:00 in the morning by Padmasambhava,[1] and he said to me, ''The battle has begun.'' I then found myself engaged over Jerusalem, expending what we might call energies of Love and Balance to counteract what was going on there.

So when I heard the news, my mind went to this experience with Padmasambhava, and I said to myself, ''My God, I guess he was right.''

Diane: That's curious, as I have talked to many people who find themselves awakened for no reason at 4:00 a.m. and don't know what to make of it.

Tom: I think many of us will find ourselves in dreamtime or meditation doing work in emergency-type situations. I don't think the experience I just described is confined to just a few of us. I think many of us will find ourselves in dreamtime or meditation being called to places in distress and working energetically in dimensions of consciousness that we might or might not be aware of, even if we haven't done it before.

Diane: Are you afraid?

Tom: No. It's a strange kind of experience for me. I'm aware of the collective fear and it gets very strong at times. I do have moments of personal concern, but I'm surprised at the lack of fear. I think I feel something more akin to enthusiasm for doing what I'm asked to do at whatever levels I'm asked, whether it be physical, political or spiritual. I feel myself very much coming ''on line.'' I feel this is why we came here — to be a part of this unfolding mystery.

Diane: You said Padmasambhava used the word ''battle.'' What does this mean?

Tom: What he meant was the battle between Light and Dark — that which is life-affirming and that which is life-destructive. Those elements are not necessarily politically based — meaning, the ''good guys'' are not the western countries and the ''bad guys'' are not those in the Middle East. It's much more convoluted than that.

Padmasambhava had been training me prior to this incident in the understanding of the path of the spiritual warrior, which is symbolized by Manjushri holding the Sword of Discrimination.[2] The Sword of Discrimination is not a physical sword necessarily. It represents the ability to cut through illusion so you can see the right course of action in a difficult situation.

Fundamentally, the weapons used for this — continuing the Manjushri metaphor — are the weapons of non-war: compassion, appreciation, and gratitude. One practices staying in these places of consciousness as much as possible, because that is the path of the spiritual warrior, and those are the spiritual weapons used to counteract the weapons used on the physical plane. There is no ''fighting'' per se.

Diane: I've been listening periodically to talk shows and alternative radio programs, and many people, if they aren't saying we have to go to war, are saying that at least we have to ''defend'' ourselves. The country seems to be divided between these two sentiments. So how can those of us who choose unequivocal peace keep from getting sucked into this predominant mentality? How do we stay in a mode that will decrease the potential of war?

Tom: There are two things. One is the individual task to remain in coherent or higher states of emotions.

When we were in the Sound Healer's training, I was talking about Manfred Clyne's work with Coherent Emotion[3] and the essentic waveforms of coherency. When we experience love, gratitude, and appreciation, it has an emanating effect on the environment and a balancing effect on the person experiencing it.

So in the midst of chaos, if those of us having this understanding can attain and hold the place of appreciation, it has an emanating affect which then, if there are enough people participating, will have some type of effect on the collective.

I think it's important for those who are spiritual in their approach to things to understand and undertake this form of discipline, and also to accept that it may be very difficult and challenging at times when the collective is embroiled in lower forms of emotion.

Then there is the political issue.

I have to truthfully say that I believe it is important for us to understand that we are being lied to by the media. When I was traveling overseas this past year, my eyes were opened to how differently America is perceived by people in other countries. The news broadcast there is very different from the news broadcast here. The news media here is owned by large corporations with many vested interests. We are being manipulated by these vested interests and there are many theories about where this interest finally ends up. Whatever the source is, we are given tremendous misinformation. Here's an example.

I was just sent an email from England enclosing an article by John Pilger[4], a British journalist who has received many awards for his accuracy in journalism. In his paper he wrote about the aftermath of the Gulf War, and that over a million civilians have died in Iraq, half of them children, as a result of the embargo imposed by the US and Britain. The American public, of course, never hears about that.

And ironically, in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the mujahidin, or holy warriors — the radical wing which gave birth to the Taliban, translated in Arabic to mean ''the students'' — was the creation of the CIA, because they were purposely, according to John Pilger, wanting to create destabilization in the area, but it backfired. Pilger also mentions that the terrorist camps that Osama bin Laden used were originally built with American money.

Another example. When I was in Greece, we had dinner with our landlord and his wife, who was very aware of international affairs. She had tears in her eyes when she said to me, ''I don't blame the American people. I know that the American people are good. But you are being lied to.'' And she went on to talk about Macedonia, north of Greece. They have newscasters that go into Macedonia and do live broadcasts, and it is a very different picture than what we get when we tune into CNN or other major stations.[5] She cried when she explained that NATO had placed so many landmines in Macedonia that children are being blown up and losing arms and legs.

So here we are in a country where a majority of the people are crying for war. I think our task is to have compassion for our own countrymen, because we are being lied to by the media and whatever controls the media. I don't think the American people would want to go to war if we understood what our government was really doing.

My point here concerns awareness. This is the time when we are going to have to come to our deepest intuition — our spiritual powers. This is the time we are going to have to really use them. We have to hone our discrimination abilities, sense when we are being lied to, and choose the right course of action for ourselves and our loved ones based on our inner guidance.

Diane: So it still comes down to personal responsibility, right?

Tom: Yes. And I feel, as my algebra teacher used to say before we went on to new material, ''It's gonna get worse before it gets better.'' Unfortunately.

One of the things that occurred after the attack is that the Hathors[6] came to me and said, ''The path of the Initiate is different than the collective.'' And I said, ''What do you mean by that?'' And they said, ''Everyone is part of the collective destiny, but an initiate [or someone on the spiritual path] has awareness and a responsibility that comes out of that awareness.''

We must understand that there is a spiritual discipline required in a moment like this, and that is, as much as possible, to remain in coherency.

If one person can hold coherency in the middle of distress, they will be able to think clearer and respond better and ultimately may have an emanating effect on the collective.

On the other hand, it will certainly have a positive effect on the person who is holding it. So we can individually make better choices for ourselves and be in the right place at the right time instead of the wrong place at the wrong time.

I heard from a friend in New York who was on his way to work at the WTC and decided to have a coffee and go in to work a half an hour late. When he got off the subway the second plane had just crashed into the tower and he saw all this havoc. He immediately turned around and got on the train. And as it turns out, it was the last train allowed out of the city going back to Connecticut where he lived.

Often, there is a narrow gate, where even in the midst of disaster you can find a place of safety and maneuver out of it. I think this is what the Hathors were talking about when they said that the path of the Initiate, the path of the spiritual person, is different than the collective. Right place, right time — and that requires coherency of emotion.

The Hopi also have a saying that in these end times, as things speed up, we need to slow down and do everything with more mindfulness — to become more aware, more appreciative, and be connected to our spiritual community, those that have like values.

Diane: I was thinking about prophecy the other day. Many predict scenarios, all of them ultimately ending in ''Light'' prevailing over the dark, with a very rocky road in between.

I kept thinking that if all of this was prophesied, and much is occurring exactly as was predicted, and we are ultimately going to choose the Light, why do we have to go through this? What is it developing in humanity? Is it useful? Personally, I think it's very stressful.

Tom: It is horribly stressful. You know, the prophecies, in my understanding, are probable futures as viewed by people in far distant times, and I don't think anything is guaranteed.

Diane: So are you saying that possibly the downside could win?

Tom: Yes.

Diane: And then what would happen to consciousness at that point?

Tom: Well, when consciousness is enslaved, then there is no evolution.

Diane: Well, no one ever talks about that part. Most spiritual teachers are ''upbeat'' about the future. They don't talk about the reality of the situation, and if this is a true possibility, then we need to discuss it.

Tom: Well, the Hathors, about three years ago, before all of this happened, started talking about how the outcome was not guaranteed and that we were co-creators with the Purpose of Life. As more people make the choice toward Life, we will have movement. But if people don't make that choice, then we will move into enslavement and domination. They also said the purpose of consciousness is for evolution, and if evolution was no longer possible, then there would be no reason for life.

Diane: Life anywhere? Or life here?

Tom: Life here. And they said, that what happens here has tremendous effect on what happens elsewhere, and that is why there is so much focus on the Earth at this time.

They also told me — and I've also had other friends who are tuned into this type of thing — that the word had gone out, and Masters have been called from all dimensions as a counterbalance to the ''darkness,'' or that which would constrict life. Masters are coming in from many different dimensions, much more rapidly than they would care to.

I don't want to frighten anyone, but what the Hathors told me is that the next ten years are crucial. As we move to 2012, the future is not certain. Some prophecies say that the darkness will be overcome and we will have 1000 years of peace and a high golden period of history. What the Hathors say is that these are probable futures that people have tuned into because of their frequency. Collectively, we have choice. But collectively it is not guaranteed what the outcome will be. That's why they have told me over and over again, the task for those who are spiritually oriented is to remain in coherency, and live in appreciation and awareness as much as possible during this next ten years.

So, again, it all comes back to personal responsibility — to understand that the path of the Initiate is different from the path of the collective. We are making choices in our emotional life that are different from those around us, and we must understand that.

Diane: It doesn't seem fair that there are so many of us choosing peace in our personal life and yet the government is channeling us down a specific road which looks like war and strife.

Tom: I think we have to put this in another context. Again, if we are taking the spiritual perspective, this is one event: the terrorist attack, a catastrophic moment in time, a blink of an eyelid in the flow of time.

When you and I went to the archeological dig in the desert in Egypt this past January, we saw a mummified foot sticking out of the sand — that was such a poignant symbol. Here was a person who had a life, passion, anxieties, hopes, and dreams — and now they are just little bones sticking out of the sand, being observed by someone from another time with totally different values and concerns and frameworks. Those of us going through this now will, in 2000–5000 years, be viewed from a totally different perspective.

What the Hathors told me is not to look at this moment within the framework of our individual lives but from the framework of the Celestial Soul.

This is one of many experiences that the Soul is going through and has gone through for a very long time. The choices we make in this moment in our lives will determine what we as a Soul do in other experiences. But the perspective of the Soul is hundreds and thousands of years. So from the perspective of the Celestial Soul, looking back at this, it is a poignant moment and a choice moment in our evolution. For those of us who can make the choice to remain in appreciation and awareness through these moments, we are strengthening our Soul.

This becomes a type of strength that is eternal and is not affected a hundred years from now, when all this is over. What we have gleaned from the choices we make personally will be what matters from the perspective of the Celestial Soul. So the Hathors said to keep that framework in mind as we go through and deal with these things at a personal level. We also are experiencing this at the Soul level, and the choice to remain in coherency and awareness is a choice to align with the Soul.

Diane: Would you give me an exercise that people can do to help stay in appreciation and coherency.

Tom: Well, several things. One is to count the small blessings. As an example, we just finished a two week teaching marathon. I had two large trainings, back to back, and then a few days of rushing around doing interviews, and so I woke up this morning kind of grumpy. . . and it was raining, and I was saying to myself, ''Ohhhhh nooooo, it's raining.'' But then I went immediately into, ''Isn't it great, you have a roof over your head.'' Because there are people who don't have shelter right now, and there will be more who don't have shelter, unfortunately, or food, or the basics.

I think as we go into more chaotic periods — and I think we are going to, the economy, everything, all aspects of life are going to be affected — if we can be thankful for the small things that we may have disregarded a year ago. In the future, if you go into the kitchen to cook, and you find half an onion that hasn't rotted, you can be in appreciation and say ''Oh, isn't it wonderful that we have part of an onion that we can still eat.''

We can go into appreciation anytime. We don't have to have a reason for it. Our culture has the understanding that appreciation comes out of something that has occurred outside ourselves, such as getting that new car we've always wanted, or getting into a new relationship. But we can go into the feeling of appreciation without having a reason for it. That is very powerful to do. It has powerful effects on the immune system and the heart and brain function.

All a person has to do to accomplish this is to recall the feeling of appreciation from their past. They might have to go to the memory of it in order to retrieve it, but once they have the emotion, then they can let the memory drop away and be left with the feeling. With practice we can begin to live in that feeling by choice. We will then begin to experience that staying in a higher state of coherency will enable us to make better choices because our thinking will be clearer and our health will be better.

At the metaphysical level, when we go into appreciation and a higher level of coherency, we are closer to the Soul and we are closer to that place of alignment as spiritual warriors. When the world raises its arms, we raise appreciation, compassion, and awareness. Those are the responses of the spiritual warrior.

Diane: Would you explain how science looks at the state of appreciation, and why that is so important.

Tom: I'd refer the readers to the HeartMath institute.[7] Through EEG's that measure brain waves and EKG's that measure heart rhythms, it has been shown scientifically that when we go into frustration, for instance, our heart rhythms spike. Of course frustration is very agitating as a subjective experience, but the heart also gets agitated, which shows up on the EKG as little jagged lines. Also, its been shown that parts of the immune system get suppressed for up to 24 hours after experiencing frustration for only 20 minutes. This is measured through the testing of immunoglobulin in the saliva.

On the contrary, when a person goes into appreciation, you can see the heart rhythm getting very smooth. There are changes in the brain, and also changes that take place in the cells and the level of stress hormones. The stress hormones decrease in the presence of appreciation and increase in the presence of frustration. So I think understanding this neurophysiologically is very important.

Let's say that you go to the airport and because of enhanced security it might be a very potentially frustrating experience — perhaps a three- or four-hour wait in line. The environment is giving you cues that it is going to take a long time, and this creates the emotion of frustration. And whether you are rightfully justified or not, it is still disturbing to you neurophysiology and your health.

If you consciously make a choice to stay in appreciation when the environment is telling you otherwise, you create a state of coherency which reinforces your health and well-being and your brain function. This puts you in a much better place than if you surrendered to being pissed off and frustrated. So again, spiritual warriorship calls for us to remain in appreciation even when the environment is giving us the cues that we have the right and the reason and justification for being frustrated and angry.

It takes spiritual discipline to do this. It is something we have to train ourselves to do — those of us who choose to take that path.

For me personally, as a pragmatist, regardless of whether all of this is true or not, at least I will be in a greater state of well-being than if I don't do this.

Secondly, staying in a state of coherency might have an affect on others around me. Those that may be on the fence might be tilted by enough emanations of coherency coming from me and others around the world. This gives me hope.

At the third level, I do feel that this is the battle between the light and the dark and that the forces metaphysically that want to perpetuate hatred and fear are neutralized in the face of appreciation and compassion. So although we might not be able to identify exactly who the source of all this is politically, we can, by going metaphysically to a state of coherency, remain in compassion and awareness.

Diane: And at that level it is not personal. . .

Tom: At that level it is not personal, no — it becomes universal collective. And we are doing what we can at the metaphysical level. I think that is the most beautifully pragmatic and simple way to proceed at this moment as I see it.

Diane: Tom, thank you once again for your wisdom.

Tom: You're welcome.

For more information on the work of Tom Kenyon, check out TomKenyon.com.

Footnotes:

Padmasambhava was the Tantric Buddhist master who brought Buddhism to Tibet.
Manjushri (Ma�jushr� — see article illustration) was an ancient Buddha who vowed to emanate throughout the universe as the always youthful, princely Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom. His special purpose is to lead the audiences of the Buddha in the inquiry into the self, to discover the true nature of reality. He is usually depicted holding the text of the Transcendent Wisdom (Prajnyaparamita) Sutra in his left hand and the double-edged sword of analytic discrimination, which cuts through all delusions, in his right.
Manfred Clyne authored the book Music, Mind and Brain (Plenum Press, New York).
John Pilger's website is atJohnPilger.com. Also seePilger's biography.
See, for example, thisCNN article.
The Hathors are Interdimensional Beings. There was a Hathor cult in Ancient Egypt.
For scientific studies backing up the information in this article and additional personal exercises that we can do to stay in coherency, please visit theHeartMathand theHeartMath Researchwebsites.