"Alaha," "ruha dqoodhsa," "malkootha," "tyawootha"… All of the previous Aramaic words call to us with a soft ha, ha, ha. They can be heard with a nourishing softness,
like an ear to the earth, or petals which tickle our cheeks. We awaken, replete with smiles, and implore our soaring minds to postpone snores, as we partake of elevating "ahs." Alaha is yet another word for the unceasingly sustaining girth of mystery, majesty, and mirth, sometimes referred to as "God." "Ruha" connotes spirit, wind, or breath, and dqoodsha is holiness; combining the two, they shine with the sublime meaning of "Holy Spirit." So let us take a waking rest, request the best from each of us, breathe deeply into wondrous lungs, encouraging refreshing peace and blessedness. It seems as though the bee of ecstasy has stung us into wellness, and the "kindom" is at hand, held in our palms for witnessing. "Malkootha" is the Aramaic word that signifies kingdom, and we do not need to wait a second for the "kindom" to be born. We can see it everywhere, finding God's counsel in a wild flower, or an ecstatic human, or a seemingly erratic hummingbird. I beckon the genderless kingdom to come this instant, by removing encumbrances and noting the dimensionless power of supposedly small things. The poet Blake sings the buds of perception open with these words of immeasurable worth:

"To see a world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."

Again we return to the pleasurable "ha" with the Aramaic word "tyawootha," which appropriately signifies "return to Source." 1 The King James's version is "repent," which sometimes has me squirm in my seat, seeking a way out. The "way out," of course, is to go within and find that golden lotus flower, available to all of us, not merely sages. Tyawootha is the church bell or temple gong which reminds us of the everlasting song, and only asks that we end our negatively impacting habits, and presently bask in the presence of the Source from which we are endlessly coming and going. This brings us full circle, returning to Alaha, which never really left us. So let us stay real, feel blessed, let refreshing breath (or Holy Spirit) provide the link between the seen and unseen. What do you think? I invite both a beginning and an ending with this song:

Today is the day to be awake,
Today is the day to be free
Today is the day for mind elation
Today is the day to be happy.2

1 Errico, Rocco. Aramaic Light on the Gospel of Matthew, New Mexico, Noohra Foundation, 2000. p.33.
2. Song by Tomas, on CD Calling the Hearer, available via rahtomas@gmail.com