Muriel's Philosophy
Muriel would instruct me about “Not reacting to the games others play. She expressly forbid me to react to people who verbally dished out any kind of disrespect
. Her idea was to not react in the same way and to not be on the defensive, so as not to keep the game going. She would advise “Agree with thine adversary quickly,” as the old Christian adage suggested.
She taught me to think both with my head and my heart. Further, she explained that we live on two planes of existence, symbolized by the Cross. That I should live in the world but be not of it.” Muriel wanted me to look ordinary so that I didn't stick out like a sore thumb, but to BE extraordinary in character and wisdom.
One day she made an illustration. She said the secret was to remain detached, that it made no difference whether one was attached to a palace or a shack, it was the attachment that had to be overcome. This was one of my most basic lessons. She did not say that I should not enjoy the palace, but that I simply remain unattached to it personally, to know that all things here are impermanent.
She once told me an illustrative story about the pilgrim on his spiritual journey. She painted a metaphor of the journey being taken up the side of a tall mountain along a winding and continuously narrowing path. The pilgrim took only his begging bowl and would eat wild Nettles along the way. One day, he dropped the begging bowl, his only possession. Instead of being angry or sad, he thanked God for relieving him of his last attachment to his earthly existence. She finished the story by explaining the metaphor. She said, “Once you are on the path, there is no turning back. You may step off to a side path for awhile, but you will always return to the original path. You will find that you meet less and less people along the way, as the path becomes more and more narrow. But if you keep to the path, you will reach the top of the mountain and find your enlightenment. You will meet the master who is yourself.”
Muriel regaled me with stories, sometimes until the wee hours of the morning as I sat at her feet, sipping hot tea. Tales of the immortal Mahavatar Babaji, a being of light who had the power of teleportation, who is more than 2000 years old. There were also the tales of the lost yet hidden realms like Shangri La and Lemuria, accessible only to those who have overcome the denseness of this plane of existence.
I was to be her only protege' she announced one day. She had chosen me. But sometimes I felt very scattered, like I was living two or three lives at once. She told me to hold the word, “integration” in my mind and that one day, I would start to feel like I was the same person no matter where I was or what I was doing. She was right, thank heavens. She gave me a special “mantra,” an affirmation to use because I also suffered from severe depression as a teen resulting from the Viet Nam war. As a stateside wife it was very emotionally challenging. Muriel made no bones about being very stern with me about this. She made it very clear that “Depression is a luxury you cannot afford.” Then I was told to go take a hot scented bath, and then to get into the kitchen and cook something very spicy, to light some candles and fight back. To this day, should those old shadows show up, that is exactly what to do. She never allowed me to fail. And, she was always a beacon of light for me that never stops shining all these long years (since 1967) later.