Choice is a documentary about the same subject (consciousness) as “moderni mystikko” (Modern Mystic). When I first heard of the film I was too afraid of learning more about it. It made me angry; I should have had the dominance of making documentaries about this teaching, I’m the guy who directed the first high quality short doc (as a student work in my film school) with a heavy but beautiful name The Art of Ascension as taught by the Ishayas. After letting these emotions through I came to my senses. The difference of the two movies is their approach. My film is purely a story of one human being; a personal documentary. Choice is a wider and more universal view orchestrated by a couple of modern day monks with a support of hundreds of other ascenders of the “Camino Brillante”. It is widely supported by an organization called The Bright Path (That has one loving leader who knows well how to organize business). Organizational skills are golden when the profit is wellbeing of this planet. My choice right now is not to be a monk and not to be too tightly attached to any individual group or a teacher. My choice is not to fight with a big sister project. I rather choose to love her and give all the support I can.

 

Here is a trailer of Choice:

 

Few years ago I was inspired by an article written by a Scottish teacher who goes by a Sanskrit name Mahadeva Ishaya. The reason of my interest was that I had an attachment to a teacher living in Missouri who goes by identical name. The article is called: The power of tithing. For some time, maybe 8 months, I’ve spent putting away 10% of every cent earned or given to me and donating it as soon as possible to an Individual Ishaya or an organization in exchange of their service to the teaching (this includes the Finnish householder Ishayas with their original given names). The services I have received are e.g. an advanced Ascension attitude or a cost of a retreat, sometimes even a delicious meal.

 

I just realized a moment ago that an Ascension / Yoga retreat of my dreams with beautiful Swedish women as instructors overlaps with a filmmaking workshop in Hervanta, Finland where I’m the responsible producer. It happened that the early bird price of the Swedish retreat (2700 SEK Swedish Kronor) appeared to my tithing account right now. I had been saving for exactly that retreat and the money appeared out of nothing, so to speak. Here comes the shocking part to my stubborn ego: This time, I choose to donate it to the sister film making project instead of stretching & expanding my body and soul with heavenly blondes. I contacted the other teacher of the retreat in Swedish and said I was sorry I couldn’t come. She took it well and said there’ll be another time.

 

I know in my ever-expanding heart that the $340 dollars that disappeared from my account will be used well in the post-production of Choice. In my experience the money given away to the Ishayas will flow back to my precious Chinese made ancient Egyptian saving bowl in multiple quantities. Now it and the account is empty again.

 

I choose to ask help (to the best of my capabilities) BUT first I choose to help Choice. If the help doesn’t come to my way in the form of dollar bills, so what? Money has been a big stress to my smaller part that likes to choose for publicity, popularity and the opinion of the masses. I don’t even care if someone takes this out of contents and claims that I have said that I know the Truth. I know I don’t. That’s that (s**t).

The Indiegogo of Choice.

All I wish to choose is Īśvara praṇidhānā (surrender to the supreme being).

 

S.S.S. Sun, Apr 10th 2016

P.S. OMG! I just gave away 310 EUROS!

APPENDIX:

[Published originally on the ISA (International Society of Ascension) website around 2006]

 

The Power Of Tithing

by Mahadeva Ishaya

It’s a well known fact that a lot of the food we eat today is nutritionally deficient. There are many reasons for this –- over-processing, the use of pesticides and preservatives amongst them. However one of the main reasons for our food being so poor is that the soil that produces it is depleted in minerals.

 

As far as much of modern agriculture is concerned the Earth is simply something that is to be taken from. Crops are produced as quickly as possible, the mineral content of the soil is reduced, and perhaps only a few minerals that are in favour are put back in, along with a cocktail of chemicals.

 

It’s like going to a bank and withdrawing and withdrawing, occasionally depositing a small amount –- sooner or later there will be nothing left of any value.

 

However, organic farmers and gardeners know a secret, something that those who seek to look after the Earth, rather than simply exploit it have known for a very long time.

 

In the old days farmers would plough some of their crop back into the soil –- the vegetables or whatever it was would decay and as they were broken-down they would help to nourish the soil, thus making it more likely the next harvest would be successful. It was an investment in the future, and an act of appreciation for what they had.

 

And this principle of giving back to the source of nourishment is something that many traditions and religions have used in relation to money and financial wealth. Indeed in the Bible there are many references to it. It is called tithing –- giving a tenth.

 

You may have heard of this before, but don’t worry, this isn’t an attempt to guilt-trip you into giving your money away. I simply want to share my experiencing of tithing, something I have practiced for around 5 years.

 

I first came across it whilst reading a book on prosperity. Like most people I wanted to have a bit more cash coming in, and at first reading this seemed like an insane idea. I was trying to get more money and the author was telling me that the way to get more was to give some of what I had away. Nothing seemed more crazy and doomed to failure. But, you know, that book kept nagging at me. Somehow it just would not stay put on the shelf and I found myself drawn over and over to read the information about tithing.

 

Finally I thought,” What the heck! I’m going to try this.” And so I sat down and worked out what I had earned the previous month, worked out 10% and wrote a cheque for that amount.

 

The book had said that the best place to tithe to was the source of your spiritual nourishment. For me that was easy as I was a committed ascender. Ascension had developed my relationship with God into something alive and fulfilling, so I wrote the cheque to the Ishayas (this was a couple of years before I became an Ishaya monk). They hadn’t asked for it, and when they received it they sent me a card thanking me for the pleasant surprise and telling me that the money would be put to good use — that felt nice.

 

So the second month came around and I did my calculation. This time the amount was a bit bigger and I had a few more thoughts about it; “Do I really want to give this away? I could use this for something. Can I really afford this? What if I get an unexpected bill?” But something caught my attention, and that was the 90%. Suddenly I became very appreciative of the 90% that I was going to be left with. Of course, I would have loved the amount to be larger, but this was what I was being given by Life, and so I happily posted the tithe cheque.

 

Now about this point you are no doubt expecting me to tell you that I have subsequently become a millionaire – well, keep waiting, and I’ll be sure to let you know when it happens! It didn’t quite happen like that for me, but here’s what did happen.

 

I began to appreciate what I had. I began to realise that God was supporting me in every way. I used to think that money came from clients and from my boss, but it became more and more obvious to me that the money simply came through them. They were simply delivering the cash, but it all came from the one location.

 

I also began to realise that money is a wonderful thing. I saw more and more just how money helped me to have choices and do things that I wanted and enjoyed, and that by giving my 10% I was helping something wonderful and amazing to happen. Many of the old beliefs that I had had about money being bad or un-spiritual began to dissolve as I saw what I could do with it.

 

I became more conscious of the 90% using it with much more awareness. I was more able to receive –- not just financially, but in many other ways from the Good that was flowing to me.

 

And to my surprise tithing became a game. I couldn’t wait until the end of the month to write the cheque –- it was such a fun exercise and it became, and still is, a great joy to give 10% back to that which most enlivens my connection with God.

 

So, what should you do? Do whatever enlivens your heart. If you don’t want to tithe then that’s fine, but be aware that you may be missing-out on a great and wonderful secret. If you wish to tithe then do it with joy, a sense of fun and commitment. Just try it and see how your attitudes change as you enter the flow of abundance.

 

Who or what should you tithe to? That which gives most life to your connection with the Divine.

 

One final thing, however. Tithe with innocence. Just do it for its own sake. It’s OK to have the desire for more, but God knows exactly what to give each of us in every moment, so love the fact that you now have another means to show your appreciation, and enjoy the abundance that you have in this moment.

http://www.thebrightpath.com