Footnote Samples
PART ONE God

CHAPTER ONE A View of Heaven

1 The Bhagavad Gita is a smaller portion of a greater work of many volumes from India called the Mahabharata. Mahabharata means Great India. Bharata is the original name of India before the English renamed the country during their global let’s-own-the world period. Bhagavad Gita means The Song of God.
The Mahabharata is an epic story about gods and goddesses, kings, queens, ill-starred lovers, demons, monsters, magic, and many other themes similar to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Bhagavad Gita is the portion that teaches absolute Truth.
There are many translations of the Gita. A favorite translation is by Torkham Saraydarian and may be purchased at your spiritual bookstore or online. I had the great pleasure to hear Torkham teach a number of times many years ago. He has written other numerous books on Western metaphysics. Torkham passed on in 1997.
The dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna has been paraphrased from the original text for modern clarity.
2 In Indian spirituality, an aspect of God would now and then take incarnation as an avatar. As mentioned, avatar means one who descends. More appropriately stated, it could be extrapolated to mean one who descends (to the material world) from the mind of God. Krishna is probably the most well-known and beloved of all the avatars of India. The story of his life can be found in many books.
3 Dharma means to do one’s proper and rightful duty in the world, to uphold the laws of the land, to live and obey those laws.
Swadharma is to live according to one’s own personal laws which are higher than the laws of the land. Swa means self. When the laws of the land, or the laws governing one’s country, are not of the highest good, then one must live by the laws which govern their own life—which should be God’s laws.
4 Maya is a very misunderstood word. Contrary to common western thought, maya does not actually mean illusion, but rather non-subsistence. The literal translation of maya is ‘that which is not.’ In other words, the material universe is, that which is not real, in relation to the true, one Reality of God’s infinite Being that is Real and eternal. All things of the physical realm are born in time and space and are subject to the material laws of birth and death and are fully described accurately in the word ‘maya.’
5 Matter, energy, time, and space are known as the ‘mets’ equation. This defines the limitations of the material world. I first heard this term many years ago. The four cornerstones of the material world—matter, energy, time, and space—describe the basis for all mortal experience that is confined to the realm of standard human senses.
6 There are three types of samadhi, or absorption into the mind of God, as stated in the yoga tradition of India and further outlined in the Vedas, the ancient sacred books from the same land.
The first type is the nirvikalpa samadhi, mentioned in the text. Nirvikalpa samadhi is a great or complete absorption, wherein there is only the experience of oneness with God and nothing else. There is no sense of personal self whatsoever at the onset of the nirvikalpa samadhi. If the actual duration of the nirvikalpa samadhi continues, measured by time as counted in the physical world, then there may occur a further condition wherein the knower does become aware of a particular type of seeming individualized state. However, the knower is still completely one with God. There is no sense of personal self, but a sense of unequivocally knowing there is forevermore the existence of oneself that can never be annihilated in the mind of God.
To try and sum this up, first there was only the experience of God and nothing else for me. Later (a subjective measurement) came the realization that I existed as pure awareness in pure God consciousness—but not as personal identity. The entire experience was one very long nirvikalpa samadhi. I hope this is clear.
The next type of samadhi is the savikalpa samadhi, wherein there is an absorption into the mind of God, but there is still always present the sense of personal identity. The full experience of God is not realized.
Then there is the jada samadhi or inert samadhi. This is like being absorbed into the mind of God and then afterwards going, “Well—duh! What was that?” The initial experience of God occurs for a split second of subjective time, but the God experience is not understood and no change transpires in the personal life.
7 “God is all in all.” This is not an exact quote from the Bible. This phrase is used by Mary Baker Eddy in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. 468:08.
The closest quote in the Bible is in the New Testament in Ephesians 4:06 where it reads, “One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all of us.”
8 The concept that God gives dominion to His creations, man/woman, is from Genesis in the Old Testament. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26.
Again, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:28.
9 Kabir was a great Indian poet who penned many beautiful works about his Beloved—God. He lived from 1440 to 1518. Kabir ranks among the world’s greatest poets. In India, he is perhaps the most quoted author, with the exception of Tulsidas. Legend tell us that Kabir chose not to read or write. His poems were originally composed as songs in praise of God.
10 “It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” The full quote is, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32 from the New Testament.
11 “God is love.” The full quote is, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” First John 4:08 from the New Testament.
12 For those of you who enjoy this kind of detail, Shastina was my second wife. Dominique, who is the mother of our two boys, Jon and Adam, was my first wife.

CHAPTER TWO God is Father/Mother

1 God is Father/Mother. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder and discoverer of Christian Science, you will find this theme beautifully stated.
2 St. Francis is referred to in this chapter as simply Francis. He was not canonized until July 16, 1228. His death is recorded as October 3, 1226.
When this story occurred, Francis’ canonization had not yet taken place. The church does not canonize until after the death of the new saint, so it would not have been appropriate to call Francis, “St. Francis.”
3 “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.” As mentioned, this quote is from Psalm 91 of the Old Testament, verse 4.
4 “If it were not so, I would have told you.” John 14:02 from the New Testament.
5 Dreamtime is more fully explained in chapter seventeen in part two of this book.
6 In Norse mythology, the Valkyrie were spirit warrior maidens who worked for Odin, the head god of this pantheon. Their job was to harvest the souls of brave warriors who had fallen in battle and deliver them to the afterlife called Valhalla.
7 About the afterlife of Viking warriors in Valhalla—from what I have studied on this subject, the simile drawn of the current heavy metal costumes was reasonably accurate. Many of the Viking warriors who died in battle for the glory of Odin were later blessed by this god for their devotion to blood and guts. Some of the Viking warriors came back in this life as heavy metal rock stars. Others returned as action movie stars. Some of the Valkyries found themselves in this life as—you guessed it—the current crop of female action movie stars. Just kidding.
8 Josephine Taylor lived to be 104. Doug founded the Josephine Taylor Foundation in Mt. Shasta before he passed on.
9 Okay, are you ready for this one? As I wrote in the text, the name of the woman who had come to me in Dreamtime to save Josephine had been forgotten over the years. Well—over lunch one day, my publisher, Sandra Smith, informed me that she actually knew this woman. She had met her years before, in Valhalla, which was also a restaurant. Her name was Sally Stanford. And she was exactly like Doug and Josephine had described.

CHAPTER THREE Love

1 This story of Jesus is taken in part from the New Testament in Matthew 12:42 and Mark 12:43 . I extrapolated the passages and added another plot to it altogether with a supplement to the story of the young man who had been searching for his mother. Okay, so it’s not exactly the gospel as it is told. But then again, who really knows?
2 “Love is all there is.” This absolute teaching was first put forth by The Beatles.
3 “The eternal dance of the good.” In the Hindu tradition, while Nataraj, the cosmic dancer continues to dance, creation will be sustained. When he ceases his dance, creation in the material sense will come to an end. Nataraj is an aspect of Vishnu, the sustainer. The Hindu pantheon is built upon the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is the creator. Vishnu, as mentioned is the sustainer. And Shiva is the destroyer.
4 “As one whom his mother loves, so will I love you,” Isaiah 66:13 from the Old Testament. This is one of the profound statements from the Bible informing us that God is also Mother.
5 Pertaining to the subject of salvation and redemption; a favorite novel that is just chock-full of these beautiful principles of our Father/Mother God is Les Miserable, written by Victor Hugo who also wrote, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. If you haven’t read Les Miserable, it is very inspiring. It is the story of Jon Valjean, who found redemption and eventual salvation through listening to God. By the way, the musical came much later than the book, by over a hundred years or more—just an historical note. The book was written in 1862, Victor Hugo lived from 1802 to 1885. He is considered to be the most important of the French romantic authors.
6 “The same yesterday, today, and always.” Hmm, upon looking it up, the exact quote from Hebrews 13:08 in the New Testament is, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.”
7 Sacred oaths may be taken in the name of love. This is the vow of the Bodhisattva, wherein one who has attained liberation upon the spiritual path takes a vow to return to this world to help the rest of us find our own liberation and salvation from pain and suffering.
8 Lithia Park in Ashland, Oregon is a very beautiful place to visit while in the neighborhood. This lovely park has many different types of gardens. Flowers bloom all year around. They have a plethora of divergent gardens, including a Japanese garden.
9 Lord of the Rings—all three volumes in the extended editions. The evil lord, Sauron lived in the evil land of Mordor. Okay, so I’m exaggerating. But when I was a child, it certainly felt like I was in Mordor—my precious.

PART TWO Healer

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Healer

1 “The power of one in love is never alone,” and, “One on the side of God is a majority,” are both quotes from Apprentice to Angels. While writing the Book Notes, I recalled a quote from Mary Baker Eddy that states, “One on God’s side is a majority,” from Pulpit and Press 4:16. Pulpit and Press is published in a volume of the same name or in a collection of other writings called Prose Works. From the Christian Science Publishing Society.
2 Vow of the Bodhisattva. Since this sacred vow has been mentioned again, I added the actual vow itself. The vow is first spoken of in chapter six. First Magnificent Vow of the Bodhisattva: I vow to rescue the boundless Living beings from suffering.
3 On being a medical intuitive: I am not especially fond of this term, but use it since there really is no other designation that I know of that is publicly employed. Medical intuitive has become a catch-all term for anyone who has the ability to intuitively ascertain the health of the person—no matter what level of accuracy. Many people use this term to describe themselves who do not really live up to what a medical intuitive should be.
I have read about weekend workshops, mail-order instructions, or web-based classes where you can become a medical intuitive by attending a seminar.
A real medical intuitive has a very finely honed natural ability to accurately ascertain the state of health, not of just the physical body, but also of the emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. An excellent knowledge of anatomy and physiology should be a requirement, too.
4 The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda, I feel, is required reading for anyone interested in any spiritual path. It is a beautiful book, inspiring and informational, and very well written. The photos tell a journey all by themselves.
Autobiography of a Yogi is the uplifting journey of a modern-day spiritual master from India to the United States, and how Yogananda helped to bring a wealth of spiritual understanding to the Western world. Paramahamsa Yogananda lived from 1893 to 1952. He founded the Self Realization Fellowship which is still alive and well, worldwide, today. Besides Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda also wrote other works on spirituality and healing. You can find his books at bookstores, on-line and at SRF centers worldwide.
5 Sri Yukteswar, Paramahamsa Yogananda’s teacher, wrote a book titled, The Holy Science. According to the story around the conception of the book, it was commissioned by the great Indian immortal saint, Babaji, to be written for the world. This may also be found at spiritual bookstores, on-line, and SRF centers worldwide.
6. Damage from kundalini practice is unfortunately true. Many people, especially during the years that yoga was making a big impact on the U.S., were trying out kundalini yoga. As mentioned, when not done correctly, which is most of the time, dire consequences may occur. I will not recommend any text or teaching on this subject, but counsel to stay away from any form of kundalini yoga for your own good.
While on the subject of staying away from those things that may be injurious to your health and well-being, ritual magic is next on the list. Yes, we all know how adorable Harry Potter and the cast of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry can be, but don’t people die in these books also from the misuse of magic? The delightful Harry Potter series is written by J.K. Rowling.
7 Sri Dakshinamoorty was supposed to be an incarnation of Shiva, the destroyer. What Shiva destroyed was mortal ignorance, allowing the One Self to be revealed to the seeker of Truth. According to the legend of Sri Dakshinamoorty, only the uttamadikari, or the highest of students, could find their way to this enlightened master who resided in a quiet glen along the Ganges River. These students were so ripe for the Truth, that all the master had to do was display the chin mudra to them and they would understand the nature of Brahman or the Supreme Creator. The chin mudra is a hand position wherein the index finger and the thumb create a circle signifying the Absolute.
8. I still know Daniel to this day. He has become a life-long friend. One of the best kind. His neck is fine, and no further problems have arisen from the original break, fusing, and unfusing. The healing was permanent, as it should be.
9 If you are planning on fire walking, please make sure that you do this with a qualified teacher. I once treated a number of people in Sedona, Arizona, who had come to a fire walking seminar with a man who had never taught before. Almost everyone had been burned. Some rather severely. A good teacher of fire walking can make this a most interesting experience.
10 No, I am not going to tell you the title of the book that gave me the information on how to attract the attention of the elementals. I bet you thought that I would tell you, didn’t you?
I searched on the web for the book, and yep! You can find it, though it is rather rare and out-of-print. Let’s leave it that way. Chances are, not too many folks would be able to get in as much trouble as I did, but as they say, let sleeping elementals lie. Now, after this statement, I can imagine all of you who are running to their computers to do a search for this very book—caught you—didn’t I?
This incident took place in Natick, Massachusetts. Silly me, while editing the manuscript, I realized the nom de guerre of the writer had been inserted. Duhhh! I have since edited that name from the manuscript.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN Serpent Power: An Awakening

1 Guru in Sanskrit literally translates as, ‘destroyer of darkness.’ This is from the roots ‘ru’ from Rudra who was an incarnation of Shiva—that’s right—the destroyer. ‘Gu’ is from guna which means quality of matter, inertia, or in this case—darkness from the light of Brahman or the One Self. Guru in no way translates as teacher or master. Teacher is commonly known by the word, acharya.
2 Vedanta states we are that One Self here and now. There is no lapse in our eternal connection with the supreme God. Vedanta states, “Tat twamasi— That Thou Art—here and now.”
3 Okay, so I implored you to stay away from that kundalini thing. And here I am up to my ida and pingala in it. However, I never, never ever did anything to activate my kundalini. And I do not remember what I was reading in Sanskrit either. Most likely it was an Upanishad or work of Shankara.
4 Hieronymus Bosch depicted bizarre and disturbing paintings of hell, and heaven as hell, and life as hell, and everything in-between as hell. At least that is what it looks like to me. Ever since this experience, I am not particularly fond of his work. Hieronymus Bosch lived from 1450 to 1516. Imagine what he could have done today with computer assisted graphics.
Alana, my editor, paraphrased from Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, “Bosch was regarded as a supreme narrative painter. He was a product of his times. Period poetry echoed dreary pessimism and foreboding which previewed the disasters of the coming Reformation. His hopelessness for salvation bespoke Michelangelo's Last Judgment made three decades later.” Alana adds, “As one of my favorite art history professors said, the importance of an art object is not based on whether it is liked or not, but on its significance.” Thank you, Alana.
5 The astral plane. There exists more than just the material earth plane. Each plane has seven sub-planes that comprise it. We, as the human race are barely aware of more than just this one sub-plane of the physical plane.
The astral plane, which resides close to the earth plane is the plane of emotions. As emotions go, this can be a pretty wide gamut. The first or highest sub-plane of the astral plane is the purest of the strata of the seven sub-planes. Demons, which are really nothing more than parasitical energy creatures, exist mostly on the lowest or most dense of the astral sub-planes. Think of the most base, crude, and lowest of the possible human emotions. Now you have a bit of an idea of the realm that these parasitical demons exist upon.
Like any type of energy parasites, demons do not have souls, but are conglomerates of energy striving to hold themselves together from dissolution by feeding upon the basest of emotions. The earth, where it currently stands in terms of emotional evolution, is a virtual feeding ground. This is only one more of the dangers that can be encountered in attempting to raise the kundalini before this evolutionary force is ready to do so on its own due to the needs of the lifetime.
6 For more information on the chakras and the higher nature of the human body, I suggest the two following books, Chakras and Man Visible and Invisible by C.W. Ledbetter and Annie Besant from the Theosophical Publishing House. These books were written around the beginning of the twentieth century, but are still all-time classics on these subjects. You can either find them on-line or from Theosophical Society bookstores. Some spiritual bookstores may also carry them.
7 The kundalini energy is nothing to fool around with, as previously mentioned. There are numerous books, organizations, teachers, and web-sites that will happily tell you differently. I disagree with all of them.
The full raising of the kundalini, to my current understanding, is rare. Many people experience a stirring of the kundalini energy at various times. But like a dormant volcano that may belch out a small cloud of smoke now and then, the stirring of the kundalini remains just that—a stirring only—and for good reason.
In the yogic traditions from India, there are pure teachings that instruct the student how to activate the kundalini. However, these are in the context of traditions that are thousands of years old, and are undertaken with masters of the serpent fire who have successfully raised this evolutionary force themselves. The students are in an ashram in the mountains, far away from their nine to five jobs, televisions, and fast food diets. To safely activate the kundalini, a rigorous training would occupy the student for years. A weekend workshop or after-work class is not the place to search for this leap in spiritual growth.
Besides, even if this did occur for someone, what are they going to do with a fully awakened serpent fire? The hyper-sensitivities that can and usually do occur after such an event are not very enjoyable to live with. The powers or abilities that may develop can very easily run rampant on their own, and there always are the dangers of the dark side taking over the untrained personality. Shall we mention the plethora of terrible psychological problems that could also possibly come to pass?
To sum this up—don’t try this one at home.
8 “There is nothing that God cannot do.” Always and forever remember, that it is God and no one else who is doing the healing.
9 Recently I have helped several more people with dyslexia at the clinic. I really enjoy helping with difficulties like this and seeing folks have immediate and permanent healings. I wish the schools would take a moment to listen and realize that dyslexia can be curable.