Impermanence of Spiritual Names and Book Rankings

First of all THANK YOU for making Peace with Pain a Bestseller! It was fun to see the bestseller label on Amazon for two days. It was fun to watch Worlds of Power, Worlds of Light hit number one in its category of mysticism. It’s also been fun watching the rankings fall. Such is the play of life. We rise high above the mountains, then we glide down into the valleys. When we are fully present, the entire ride is spectacular in all its mysterious glory.

This world is impermanent. Nothing here lasts. And that is part of its beauty. These fleeting moments we get to be here together, experiencing creation, destruction, and re-creation, are precious because they cannot be permanently preserved.  Although a photo or screen shot can help us hold on to a moment frozen in time for a short while!

If we become distracted by our thoughts and reactions, we miss the opportunities presented to us, which occur only Now. This is the powerful lesson of impermanence: keep watching, stay present, no matter what. The experiences we witness and interact with may elicit tears in one moment, and laughter the next. The truth is, we never really know exactly what is coming next… and that makes it exciting!

A few months ago, I received a new spiritual name. Since then it’s been percolating inside my being, creating structures that will allow it to do its work in this world. Today with the full moon, it’s pushing its way out into the world.

Spiritual names are funny things in that people like to make all sorts of assumptions. During the course of my journey, I’ve held many different names. Some have been used publically, some are still held privately between me and Eternity. We use spiritual names for a variety of purposes, and the reason behind a name for one person may not be the same as for another. In short, a spiritual name is highly personal.

Many years ago, I was given the name Dharma. I fell in love with teaching and with the teachings. I became so enamored by exploring, practicing, and sharing the pathways to Enlightenment, I no longer cared about my own desire for Liberation. I simply adored discovering Truth in all its myriad forms. Once in a while, I still run into students who knew me by that name.

In that timeless moment when Grace freed me from all doubt and suffering, I became Isis. It was a name I had held long before I met my beloved teacher Rama, Dr Frederick Lenz; a name I had tucked away in a forgotten memory recorded in an old journal. The Goddess was my first teacher, and it was fitting She would give me the name Isis to use once again for the great magic of transformation.

Several months after becoming Isis, the media began to use that name as an acronym to refer to a group of nefarious people. My name and the line into Light it represents became charged with extraordinary power. I and others who carry the name Isis hold a door open to the Divine Feminine, the potential energy of all creation, the true meaning and power of that name.

I got hit with emails and “helpful” suggestions from people that I should change my name because of the events of the world. I found wonderful essays by others who shared the name Isis about how they chose to hold to the Divine power and keep their name, despite what was happening and the obstacles they faced. I was amused when I realized in the movie The Gods of Egypt, they dodged the name Isis by referring to her only as Mother. I have some students who avoid calling me Isis. The time a student looking for our seats chose not to yell Isis in a crowded theater and instead use Jenna was probably a good idea! But that’s the other funny thing about spiritual names – we really don’t have a choice, at least not if we want to stay true to our Path.

I love the name Isis, and all She represents. I love all that has arisen within me since I was reborn as Her. However, like all things, that spiritual name was impermanent. A new name, a new aspect of Light continues to unfold, and it’s time to publicly recognize this new incarnation.

Today, I am Turīya. (pronounced: tu-ree-ah)

Sharing a new spiritual name is a bit like rolling out a software upgrade, and it will take some time for it to be installed everywhere. The older software is still available; I am still Isis, just as I am still Dharma. I am also Jenna, Jennifer, and if you’ve known me a really, really long time, Jenny. It doesn’t matter to me what name you prefer. Whatever one you select will allow that version of the software to run and we can have an interaction on your terms.

Turīya is difficult to define. The best explanation I can share is Turīya represents groundlessness, or the background upon which existence and non-existence plays. Like all spiritual names, this one is also a doorway through which students may pass to experience the expression of Light.

As the present moment unfolds before me, I don’t know what is next in this impermanent world. Isis taught me to always look at and accept that what is, is. So in the spirit of Isis, I am Turīya and I look forward to meeting you as I explore this ever-new world.