Have you ever entered into an unfamiliar group of people, and felt that all of their eyes where upon you. We are uncomfortably aware of ourself as an object of the observation of others. We speak of this kind of feeling as "self-consciousness." We say, 'I was so self-conscious, that I spilled the drink all over my clothing,' In such a situation, you are aware of your every movement, every word, and measure and judge each and every expression. You try to behave in a manner and style which imitates the behaviors of the current culture of the immediate group, even though your imitative behavior may be in direct opposition to your true character. If you are not practiced at this kind of masquerade, you would probably stumble, stammer, and generally act foolish, because would have substituted false sets of behaviors for those that are characteristic of you. Simply, you would be "acting-out" behaviors based on ideas about which were determined by others. In his poem, from an "Essay On Man," Alexander Pope, illuminates the cultural authority created by man, and suggests a view point upon which to discover man's true self worth.
"Honor and shame from no condition rise
Act well your part, there all honor lies.
Fortune in men has some small difference made,
One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade,
The friar hooded, and the monarch crowned.
"What differ more (you cry) than crown or cowl!"
I'll tell you friend! a wise man and a fool,
You'll find, if the monarch act the monk,
Or, cobber-like, the parson will be drunk.
Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow:
The rest is all but leather or prunella."
The worth which Pope suggest that makes all the difference is self worth: an unbending motivation that only allows your unique human characteristics to be clearly and sincerely expressed. This kind of expression integrates you with your contacted environment. It creats a quality of expression that harmoniously resonates with all that is experienced. It forms an integration and a truth, and when this kind of expression focuses on noble ideas, it results in complete joy.
Such a high degree of character and integrity is not an easy achievement Usually, trouble occurs, when "cobber-like the parson will be drunk." For instance, the young adult who is characteristically interested in helping others, but through some self induced delusion discounts his "soul character" as a weakness or flaw, and focuses his life on the accumulation of wealth and power over others. Trouble can also occur under the influence of assumptions made by others. For instance, the child who shows "soul=character" in drawing, and is influenced to focus his life on something more solid and materially beneficial, like accounting. In both of these cases, the misdirected journey of these souls is in direct opposition to their soul character. This is like the old story about the two ends of a worm fighting over which is the true head. The two ends of the worm struggle so hard that they pull themselves apart. Such is the way with human beings, when their lower part is allowed to vie for control over their higher apart, they begin to fight and consequently pull themselves apart.
Keep this in mind, find your authentic interests, those that truly involve your whole being, and that can evolve you to ever higher levels of development; keep a vigilant eye, lest you be carried away, and at all costs, keep yourself whole.
.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Saturday, January 14, 2017
we are made of star stuff
"We are made of star stuff" was a sentence made popular by Carl Sagan, a cosmologist, plus other scientific titles, who quoted it often during his discussions on T.V. Carl's use of "star stuff" and its content meaning is not original. Some where in my readings, I remember reading about a philosopher, I can not recall his name, but was prior to Plato, who used the phrase "made of star stuff." This reminds me of another saying, "There is nothing new under the sun," (Ecclesiastes 1;4-11), only revisions and variations of that which has already been said and done. What keeps us from not seeing the relative united extension of all things in their variations is our fixation on singular objects as the only real truth. If we can touch, smell, see, hear, or taste it, it must be real. However, even though our senses receive input on a multi-dimensional field, we consciously interpret only a fractional part. For example, physics tells that the total known range of light waves is from far infrared at 3 millimeters, to vacuum ultraviolet, at .3 nanometers. The average range of light waves visible to our vision, is from 400 to 700. We therefore see only the smallest fraction of what is going on. Yet, for most of us it is this closed-end type of perception that is used as a conceptual basis for establishing the parameters of our reality. Our material perceptions are so dominant that we even squeeze into them elements considerably less materially substantial, such as gases and air. For us the material plane is the most dominant and influential field of our conscious involvement. All other more ethereal modes of perception are under minded because of our preoccupation with the material world.
Given the material, evolutionary period in which we now live and its conceptual limitations, using an exclusive material measuring stick for our world understanding will fall extremely short with regard to an overall, comprehensive understanding of the physical and metaphysical truth. Our world consists of realities superimposed upon realities, from the invisible to the visible. In effect our world is a creative synthesis of these multiple realities, mosaically wrapped and networked, speck and star united within a system and process so vast, so subtle, and so intricate, as to defy definition.
The poet William Wordsworth, in his poem, "The World Is Too Much With Us," admonishes us:
The world is too much with us: late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waist our power:
Little we see in nature that is ours, ...
"Little we see in nature that is ours," and there my friends is our massive blind-spot. We believe we know Nature, because we see, hear, smell, touch, and in ways taste it every day, so q.e.d.(it has been demonstrated), it is reality, period. Our sense measuring stick is however, drastically misleading. We are engineered, as well as is every manifest thing, animate or inanimate, by Universal Nature. Our fault dear Brutus is not in our stars for understanding our higher self, but in our narrow quality of consciousness. We are Nature, and Nature.is us; no separation. The same principles and elements that make us, also make the universe, the only distinction is it expresses itself in a hierarchical form. There is an ancient Egyptian axiom that may help to explain what I am getting at, "as above so below, as below so above." To further explain, lets use an analogy of a painter who has chosen a subject to paint, and has mentally developed a concept to model it after. His mental conceptual subject is created on a higher, more ethereal plane, and his representation on a lower plane will lack a higher quality of representation because the painter must work with lower, energetic materials or dampened down, energetic materials. So his painting, will not and cannot match his primary mental conception.
You may be questioning, 'If I am made only of physical stuff with a dampened down consciousness, then who am I'? This is a huge question impregnated with opportunities to evolve your consciousness. Here is an example from my daughter, Nikki. She is a writer also, and writes a blog, called thesoulreporter.wordpress.com, if you would be interested, and that she tells me that lately every thing she writes, recently seems like bull shit. I told my daughter that she had a shift into a deeper, wider consciousness, which made everything she wrote previously seem shallow and confused. Now, with our attention placed on the evolution of consciousness we are entering into the realm of spirituality. We have left the material side of our life, the body and our mind, which primarily are concerned with our physical survival, and have entered into the metaphysical realm of life. However, our motive is not to keep separate these two aspects of life, but to unify them.
Here in this metaphysical realm we originated from star stuff. We are cosmic beings. Pythagoras, (500 B.C.E.) called the vehicle seed which grew our physical bodies and minds, a "monad." He explained the evolutionary growth of all material entities and beings by a model called,"tetraktys." Tetraktys are a symbol describing the cosmic elements and principles used to evolve all manifestation. They are ten separates points placed in the form of an equilateral triangle, with the first point at the apex. and the two points underneath the one point, three points underneath the two, and four points underneath the three. Each point's position is a representation of cosmic elements and principles evolving the three dimensional material realm. The highest principle producing the elementary, lower, chained principles, and so on and so forth down the chain of production for all manifest things.
In Plato's Dialogues, Symposium, Aristophanes, relates a story, which could be millions of years old, (I know that stretches my creditability, but just consider it), concerning the form and characteristics of the beings that lived back then. "Formerly the natural state of man was not what it is now, but quite different. For at first there were three sexes, not two as at present, male and female, but also a third having both together; the name remains with us, but the thing is gone. There was then a male and female sex and a name to match, sharing both male and female, and now there is nothing left but the title used in reproach, (hermaphrodite). Next, the shape of man was quote round, back and ribs passing about it in a circle; and he had four arms and an equal number of legs, and two faces on a round neck, exactly alike; there was one head with these two opposite faces, and four ears, and two privy members, and the rest as you might imagine from this. They walked upright as now, in which ever direction they liked; and when they wanted to run fast, they rolled over and over on the ends of their eight limbs they had in those days, as our tumblers tumble now with their legs straight out. And why there were three sexes, and shaped like this, was because the male was at first born of the sun, and the female of the earth and the common sex had something of the moon, which combines both male and female; their shape was round and they were round because they were like their parents. They had terrible strength and force, and great were their ambitions; they attacked the gods, and what Homer said of Otos and Ephialtes is said of them, that they tried to climb into heaven intending to make war against the gods."
Our whole being is made of star stuff. Our whole being, atom for atom, is intimately tangent and networked throughout the breath of the cosmos. We are the same "stuff" molded from a cosmic matrix into one of the many possible forms. In other words, we are the embodiment of the cosmos, and the same quality and the same conditions as those required to uphold the cosmos are essential to each of us. Giordano Bruno, (who was put to death because of his views by the Catholic Church), a fifteenth century natural philosopher, explains our cosmic connection and relationship in the following: "All things are in the Universe, and the Universe is in all things; we in it and it in us; and therefore, all things concur in perfect harmony." He continued, "All the differences that we see in bodies is in regard to their form, complexion, constitution, and other properties and relationships, which is nothing more than a different mode of the same substance, the unchangeable and eternal essence in which are all forms, constitutions and members, unmanifest and homogenous." So in the whole Universe there is a certain relativity of its parts, irrespective of the exact measurement of any one of its forms.
We are as musical tones resonating in certain proportional vibrations to one another. If we keep within the proportion we create benefit for all others and for ourselves. If we violate this harmony in any manner, we bring injury to all others and to ourselves.
Given the material, evolutionary period in which we now live and its conceptual limitations, using an exclusive material measuring stick for our world understanding will fall extremely short with regard to an overall, comprehensive understanding of the physical and metaphysical truth. Our world consists of realities superimposed upon realities, from the invisible to the visible. In effect our world is a creative synthesis of these multiple realities, mosaically wrapped and networked, speck and star united within a system and process so vast, so subtle, and so intricate, as to defy definition.
The poet William Wordsworth, in his poem, "The World Is Too Much With Us," admonishes us:
The world is too much with us: late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waist our power:
Little we see in nature that is ours, ...
"Little we see in nature that is ours," and there my friends is our massive blind-spot. We believe we know Nature, because we see, hear, smell, touch, and in ways taste it every day, so q.e.d.(it has been demonstrated), it is reality, period. Our sense measuring stick is however, drastically misleading. We are engineered, as well as is every manifest thing, animate or inanimate, by Universal Nature. Our fault dear Brutus is not in our stars for understanding our higher self, but in our narrow quality of consciousness. We are Nature, and Nature.is us; no separation. The same principles and elements that make us, also make the universe, the only distinction is it expresses itself in a hierarchical form. There is an ancient Egyptian axiom that may help to explain what I am getting at, "as above so below, as below so above." To further explain, lets use an analogy of a painter who has chosen a subject to paint, and has mentally developed a concept to model it after. His mental conceptual subject is created on a higher, more ethereal plane, and his representation on a lower plane will lack a higher quality of representation because the painter must work with lower, energetic materials or dampened down, energetic materials. So his painting, will not and cannot match his primary mental conception.
You may be questioning, 'If I am made only of physical stuff with a dampened down consciousness, then who am I'? This is a huge question impregnated with opportunities to evolve your consciousness. Here is an example from my daughter, Nikki. She is a writer also, and writes a blog, called thesoulreporter.wordpress.com, if you would be interested, and that she tells me that lately every thing she writes, recently seems like bull shit. I told my daughter that she had a shift into a deeper, wider consciousness, which made everything she wrote previously seem shallow and confused. Now, with our attention placed on the evolution of consciousness we are entering into the realm of spirituality. We have left the material side of our life, the body and our mind, which primarily are concerned with our physical survival, and have entered into the metaphysical realm of life. However, our motive is not to keep separate these two aspects of life, but to unify them.
Here in this metaphysical realm we originated from star stuff. We are cosmic beings. Pythagoras, (500 B.C.E.) called the vehicle seed which grew our physical bodies and minds, a "monad." He explained the evolutionary growth of all material entities and beings by a model called,"tetraktys." Tetraktys are a symbol describing the cosmic elements and principles used to evolve all manifestation. They are ten separates points placed in the form of an equilateral triangle, with the first point at the apex. and the two points underneath the one point, three points underneath the two, and four points underneath the three. Each point's position is a representation of cosmic elements and principles evolving the three dimensional material realm. The highest principle producing the elementary, lower, chained principles, and so on and so forth down the chain of production for all manifest things.
In Plato's Dialogues, Symposium, Aristophanes, relates a story, which could be millions of years old, (I know that stretches my creditability, but just consider it), concerning the form and characteristics of the beings that lived back then. "Formerly the natural state of man was not what it is now, but quite different. For at first there were three sexes, not two as at present, male and female, but also a third having both together; the name remains with us, but the thing is gone. There was then a male and female sex and a name to match, sharing both male and female, and now there is nothing left but the title used in reproach, (hermaphrodite). Next, the shape of man was quote round, back and ribs passing about it in a circle; and he had four arms and an equal number of legs, and two faces on a round neck, exactly alike; there was one head with these two opposite faces, and four ears, and two privy members, and the rest as you might imagine from this. They walked upright as now, in which ever direction they liked; and when they wanted to run fast, they rolled over and over on the ends of their eight limbs they had in those days, as our tumblers tumble now with their legs straight out. And why there were three sexes, and shaped like this, was because the male was at first born of the sun, and the female of the earth and the common sex had something of the moon, which combines both male and female; their shape was round and they were round because they were like their parents. They had terrible strength and force, and great were their ambitions; they attacked the gods, and what Homer said of Otos and Ephialtes is said of them, that they tried to climb into heaven intending to make war against the gods."
Our whole being is made of star stuff. Our whole being, atom for atom, is intimately tangent and networked throughout the breath of the cosmos. We are the same "stuff" molded from a cosmic matrix into one of the many possible forms. In other words, we are the embodiment of the cosmos, and the same quality and the same conditions as those required to uphold the cosmos are essential to each of us. Giordano Bruno, (who was put to death because of his views by the Catholic Church), a fifteenth century natural philosopher, explains our cosmic connection and relationship in the following: "All things are in the Universe, and the Universe is in all things; we in it and it in us; and therefore, all things concur in perfect harmony." He continued, "All the differences that we see in bodies is in regard to their form, complexion, constitution, and other properties and relationships, which is nothing more than a different mode of the same substance, the unchangeable and eternal essence in which are all forms, constitutions and members, unmanifest and homogenous." So in the whole Universe there is a certain relativity of its parts, irrespective of the exact measurement of any one of its forms.
We are as musical tones resonating in certain proportional vibrations to one another. If we keep within the proportion we create benefit for all others and for ourselves. If we violate this harmony in any manner, we bring injury to all others and to ourselves.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
parent child rerlationship
The birth of a child proceeds from a divine source. When a child springs into life it has all Nature behind it, and the whole glory of the living Universe. It begins its life not as a new creation, but as an old soul coming into this world out of the past having lived time and time and time again. Thus there are endless possibilities in this new life; wisdom gained in ancient lives which may manifest itself at anytime during its new life-time. Yet at the same time, the newly reincarnated soul is closed in on all sides, held in by the physical and psychological influences of the age born into, and of the experiences and belief system of the parents.
Parents are relatively inadequate when it comes to dealing with growing children. If there are any spiritual problems affecting children at any time, it is likely the fault of the parents. The parents do not err from lack of love, but from not viewing their children as souls. Kahil Gibran, in his book, "The Prophet" reminds us:
...Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of life's longing
for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong
not to you.
Nature never leaps in Her unfolding Drama of Evolution. She moves ever so gradually, building upon that which was previously built. Human character follows this deliberate course of Nature, and does not change over night. Consequently, even contrary to popular belief, children are no worse and no better then where their parents, and the same fundamental problems of human character that face their parents face them. For instance, a child's mind is very susceptible to suggestion, and it is within this universal aspect of a child's character that all manner of problems can be spawned. For example, a mother will often unconsciously fan the vanity of her small daughter by too much concentration on her outward appearance; flattering the outer self and personal pride, while stunting the impersonal dignity, which is the soul side. These seeds sown in childhood, selfishness, vanity and false pride, blossom when the child becomes a young woman and leaves the protection of her home. Though the outward beauty and charm may remain, the better part of the young woman's nature has receded because it found no place in her mind to work and grow. The foes of her own household had conquered and occupied all her mentality, and she moves into danger. The mother and daughter blame everyone but themselves because neither had been taught anything about her real nature or how to recognize and oppose the enemy within.
Besides being susceptible to suggestion, a child loves the ideal, the beautiful, what strikes it as strong and grand. This universal characteristic easily leads a child into hero-worship. How many parents have witnessed the ease and accuracy of their child imitating the attitude and behavior of a person whom the child views, in some way, as a hero? There isn't anything that fascinates the mind of a child so much as a striking example.
These insights into a child's fundamental character most probably, do not surprise anyone, for they are familiar characteristics and easily recognizable. Given these widely recognized and understood characteristics of children, common sense says that the best practice in bringing up growing children is to set good examples. A striking example seen daily before a child's eye is worth years of talking, preaching, training, and years and years of reading books that are stuck under their nose.
Thus the best practice that parents can follow in bring up their children is to set good, sound examples of how to live. Usually parent's try the practice of preaching at their children, giving them brain-mind schemes to do this, and schemes to do that, all of which the child sees as, 'Do as I say, not as I do." This kind of practice will only result in developing the same ethical inconsistences of the parents into the child.
Where should a parent set the good example? It should be set in the home. What examples should the parents set;? examples of courtesy and kindness. Let the child see daily examples of unremitting kindness and courtesy at home. What does that involve? In involves self-control, and actual desire to be kindly and courteous to others. This is a wonderful discipline which a child understands and admires, and these things are not forgotten. In a home where there are lackadaisical conditions, small acts of selfishness, i.e. taking the easiest chair, better light, larger portions, a child becomes lackadaisical, unambitious to improve, discourteous to others because too lazy to be courteous. Besides setting examples of kindness and courteous, parents should talk to their children as reasoning beings, and not as none-reasoning beings. Bribing a child is an act which degrades its responsibility. The child despises in its heart those actions that their parents do in order to win acquiescence. What kind of love is the parent fostering by such actions?
Parents make your homes centers of kindness and courtesy, and your children will sense it, see it, and copy it, and they will learn as they copy, that it takes self-control to do it, to give up what I want in order to do a courteous act to others. They will begin to see and feel that others have got the same feeling that they have, that others too admire kindness and courtesy, promoting the feeling of fellowship. Than the old idea of children honoring their parents well become instinctive, born in the hearts and minds of your children, and not some obligation, duty or commend, because they have seen their parents honor, honor, respect, respect, and revere, reverence.
Parents are relatively inadequate when it comes to dealing with growing children. If there are any spiritual problems affecting children at any time, it is likely the fault of the parents. The parents do not err from lack of love, but from not viewing their children as souls. Kahil Gibran, in his book, "The Prophet" reminds us:
...Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of life's longing
for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong
not to you.
Nature never leaps in Her unfolding Drama of Evolution. She moves ever so gradually, building upon that which was previously built. Human character follows this deliberate course of Nature, and does not change over night. Consequently, even contrary to popular belief, children are no worse and no better then where their parents, and the same fundamental problems of human character that face their parents face them. For instance, a child's mind is very susceptible to suggestion, and it is within this universal aspect of a child's character that all manner of problems can be spawned. For example, a mother will often unconsciously fan the vanity of her small daughter by too much concentration on her outward appearance; flattering the outer self and personal pride, while stunting the impersonal dignity, which is the soul side. These seeds sown in childhood, selfishness, vanity and false pride, blossom when the child becomes a young woman and leaves the protection of her home. Though the outward beauty and charm may remain, the better part of the young woman's nature has receded because it found no place in her mind to work and grow. The foes of her own household had conquered and occupied all her mentality, and she moves into danger. The mother and daughter blame everyone but themselves because neither had been taught anything about her real nature or how to recognize and oppose the enemy within.
Besides being susceptible to suggestion, a child loves the ideal, the beautiful, what strikes it as strong and grand. This universal characteristic easily leads a child into hero-worship. How many parents have witnessed the ease and accuracy of their child imitating the attitude and behavior of a person whom the child views, in some way, as a hero? There isn't anything that fascinates the mind of a child so much as a striking example.
These insights into a child's fundamental character most probably, do not surprise anyone, for they are familiar characteristics and easily recognizable. Given these widely recognized and understood characteristics of children, common sense says that the best practice in bringing up growing children is to set good examples. A striking example seen daily before a child's eye is worth years of talking, preaching, training, and years and years of reading books that are stuck under their nose.
Thus the best practice that parents can follow in bring up their children is to set good, sound examples of how to live. Usually parent's try the practice of preaching at their children, giving them brain-mind schemes to do this, and schemes to do that, all of which the child sees as, 'Do as I say, not as I do." This kind of practice will only result in developing the same ethical inconsistences of the parents into the child.
Where should a parent set the good example? It should be set in the home. What examples should the parents set;? examples of courtesy and kindness. Let the child see daily examples of unremitting kindness and courtesy at home. What does that involve? In involves self-control, and actual desire to be kindly and courteous to others. This is a wonderful discipline which a child understands and admires, and these things are not forgotten. In a home where there are lackadaisical conditions, small acts of selfishness, i.e. taking the easiest chair, better light, larger portions, a child becomes lackadaisical, unambitious to improve, discourteous to others because too lazy to be courteous. Besides setting examples of kindness and courteous, parents should talk to their children as reasoning beings, and not as none-reasoning beings. Bribing a child is an act which degrades its responsibility. The child despises in its heart those actions that their parents do in order to win acquiescence. What kind of love is the parent fostering by such actions?
Parents make your homes centers of kindness and courtesy, and your children will sense it, see it, and copy it, and they will learn as they copy, that it takes self-control to do it, to give up what I want in order to do a courteous act to others. They will begin to see and feel that others have got the same feeling that they have, that others too admire kindness and courtesy, promoting the feeling of fellowship. Than the old idea of children honoring their parents well become instinctive, born in the hearts and minds of your children, and not some obligation, duty or commend, because they have seen their parents honor, honor, respect, respect, and revere, reverence.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
cosmic urge
Years ago I had written a poem called, "Cosmic Urge." Recently I have been contemplating this idea of cosmic urge. I want to share with you the poem, and next revel the results of my current contemplation.
I am perpetually seeking for something that no amount of passion, food,
wealth or power can satisfy. Does this urge of seeking satisfaction confirm my
unexplained hunger? What is this thrust I feel that knows not quenching?
Its seems that every attempt at satisfaction is inferior, and yet there is
some little, unconscious glimmer of hope that there is an ultimate satisfaction.
Its that omnipresent urge that presses for satisfaction. It seems an eternal cosmic
force. Maybe, satisfaction is reveled by surrendering to the urge and following
its lead, like a wondering pilgrim moving towards the beckoning star, promising
salvation, promising final liberation.
I believe that all of us have felt the force of this urge, It shows its affect when we are inspired to do better, to win an Olympic Gold Medal, going from a 2.0 grade point to a 3.0, moving from a business associate level, to a senior level, some of us are urged to clime Mount Everest. What ever the urge towards our goal my be, we strive for fulfillment, and even failure may not stop our striving, so we pursue it over and over. Once we reach the fulfillment of our urge we reap our reward, satisfaction, but we learn quickly that our satisfaction is only temporary. We become disappointed, but we notice too that the urge remains with us. We are compelled to keep on striving, seeking satisfaction. It has not awakened within us, as yet, the understanding that this urge is a cosmic urge, a spiritual urge. All the urges that emanate from our physical body are limited, meaning that what ever the satisfaction received it is only temporary, truly an unfulfilling and a disappointing life experience. However, when the urge is directed towards the dimension of spirituality every striving is uplifted. The whole dimension of spirituality is to grow beyond the physical, to taste something beyond the physical.
From where does this cosmic urge originate? In my blog, "Infinite God" I wrote that within the composite that makes up our physical body there is a "god-spark" put there by the Supreme Spirit, although hidden by the physical limitations of the human body. It is this "god-spark" that is the source of the cosmic urge. It is the Supreme Spirit that calls us forth, urges us, to seek ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment, by acknowledging our heritage and inserting our self with our Source.
I am perpetually seeking for something that no amount of passion, food,
wealth or power can satisfy. Does this urge of seeking satisfaction confirm my
unexplained hunger? What is this thrust I feel that knows not quenching?
Its seems that every attempt at satisfaction is inferior, and yet there is
some little, unconscious glimmer of hope that there is an ultimate satisfaction.
Its that omnipresent urge that presses for satisfaction. It seems an eternal cosmic
force. Maybe, satisfaction is reveled by surrendering to the urge and following
its lead, like a wondering pilgrim moving towards the beckoning star, promising
salvation, promising final liberation.
I believe that all of us have felt the force of this urge, It shows its affect when we are inspired to do better, to win an Olympic Gold Medal, going from a 2.0 grade point to a 3.0, moving from a business associate level, to a senior level, some of us are urged to clime Mount Everest. What ever the urge towards our goal my be, we strive for fulfillment, and even failure may not stop our striving, so we pursue it over and over. Once we reach the fulfillment of our urge we reap our reward, satisfaction, but we learn quickly that our satisfaction is only temporary. We become disappointed, but we notice too that the urge remains with us. We are compelled to keep on striving, seeking satisfaction. It has not awakened within us, as yet, the understanding that this urge is a cosmic urge, a spiritual urge. All the urges that emanate from our physical body are limited, meaning that what ever the satisfaction received it is only temporary, truly an unfulfilling and a disappointing life experience. However, when the urge is directed towards the dimension of spirituality every striving is uplifted. The whole dimension of spirituality is to grow beyond the physical, to taste something beyond the physical.
From where does this cosmic urge originate? In my blog, "Infinite God" I wrote that within the composite that makes up our physical body there is a "god-spark" put there by the Supreme Spirit, although hidden by the physical limitations of the human body. It is this "god-spark" that is the source of the cosmic urge. It is the Supreme Spirit that calls us forth, urges us, to seek ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment, by acknowledging our heritage and inserting our self with our Source.
Friday, August 19, 2016
infinite god
When people talk about god usually his attributes are mentioned, and the one attribute mentioned foremost is his infinity. People understand this concept of infiniteness as limitless, without boundaries, continuation without barriers. but when they try to find an objective, observable model, they only find shadows and speculations. In their continued attempt to clarify the meaning, they begin to anthropomorphize their understanding. This allows them to attribute human characteristics to god. Now, they can extend the attributes on a more objective bases, for example: ominousness, omnipresent, all merciful, etc. The monumental obstacle for satisfactorily understanding, is that infinity is on a metaphysical plane which is completely incompatible with the physical plane. The best outcome for any enquiry is paradox. Just because a specific word can be used to label meaning, it does not necessarily also give it a relevance's . A succinct example of this objectifying the metaphysical for understanding the physical comes from the field of astral physics. The scientists theorized a subatomic particle they called the Haggs boson. They believed that this particle was the elemental, universal particle involved with all manifestation. They gave it a nick name, the "God particle." Although they agreed that the nick name had a viable meaning, it created only another paradox between infinity and matter. There is just no way the highest human reasoning can come to truth about the infinite, because all human reasoning needs a dualistic, objective subject to base its judgments.
Where, you my ask, does that leave us truth seeking humans in knowing the Supreme Spirit? If our highest human reason cannot reach an understanding of Infinite God is there than no pathway available? There is a preliminary pathway with diverse branches open to us, but the final understanding comes with complete renunciation of the material world, which is a necessary, preparation not to intellectual, understanding, but to the actual becoming the divine within. Just as the aspirant's complete desire, with perfect devotion and faith, is needed to become his guru in order to become enlightened, so too is the achievement of becoming the divine within. The aspiration to become divine seems totally out of the range of human possibility. If it is possible what is the pathway to becoming divine?
In the Bible, there is a clue to the pathway, in Genesis 1-27, "So God created human beings, making them to be like himself." Another Bible clue, which is much clearer, comes from the New Testament, St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians, I-25,26,27, "And I have been made a servant of the Church by God, who gave me this task to perform for your good. It is the task of fully proclaiming his message, which is the secret he hid through all past ages from all mankind but has now reveled to his people. God's plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God." In Luke, 17-20,20, another clue comes forth, "The kingdom of god is within you." Gautama the Buddha states, "Be lamps unto thyself...," knowing that within all manifestation lies a spark of the divine, and that awareness can be used to become our divine Self. This than, is our natural, divine heritage, however hid within the folds of our physical bodies as a secret. A glorious secret that when understood brings us together with our Source.
For more understanding go to my blog, "The Causeless Cause," 8-20-13.
Where, you my ask, does that leave us truth seeking humans in knowing the Supreme Spirit? If our highest human reason cannot reach an understanding of Infinite God is there than no pathway available? There is a preliminary pathway with diverse branches open to us, but the final understanding comes with complete renunciation of the material world, which is a necessary, preparation not to intellectual, understanding, but to the actual becoming the divine within. Just as the aspirant's complete desire, with perfect devotion and faith, is needed to become his guru in order to become enlightened, so too is the achievement of becoming the divine within. The aspiration to become divine seems totally out of the range of human possibility. If it is possible what is the pathway to becoming divine?
In the Bible, there is a clue to the pathway, in Genesis 1-27, "So God created human beings, making them to be like himself." Another Bible clue, which is much clearer, comes from the New Testament, St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians, I-25,26,27, "And I have been made a servant of the Church by God, who gave me this task to perform for your good. It is the task of fully proclaiming his message, which is the secret he hid through all past ages from all mankind but has now reveled to his people. God's plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God." In Luke, 17-20,20, another clue comes forth, "The kingdom of god is within you." Gautama the Buddha states, "Be lamps unto thyself...," knowing that within all manifestation lies a spark of the divine, and that awareness can be used to become our divine Self. This than, is our natural, divine heritage, however hid within the folds of our physical bodies as a secret. A glorious secret that when understood brings us together with our Source.
For more understanding go to my blog, "The Causeless Cause," 8-20-13.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
"The sleeper must awaken."
The title is from the science fiction book, "Dune" by Frank Herbert. This title is most apt today because we have allowed our technologies to be a substitute for truth and wisdom, merely by stating a much lower dominator of facts and information. We have artificial intelligent machines speaking to our "smart" phones and computers, answering our superfluous questions, like "Who is buried in Grant's tome? Of course I am being sarcastic, and I am aware that some of the information is helpful, but I fear that such reliance will eventually erase our capability to seek truth and transform it into wisdom. We must not take the seeming easy course by letting alga rhythms substitute for our human reason: "the sleeper must awaken."
We live in an era described by our cultural savants as the "Age of Instant Communication." Most people would nod their head in agreement to the above statement. Most people would agree too, that it is scientific technology, which is the fuel behind this age of communication, and also behind most all of our country's economic and evolutionary progress. All of our hope for a better tomorrow therefore, seems to rest entirely within the advancement of scientifically, applied technology. Consequently, the logic of our collective belief system tells us that all the major problems existing within our culture and in the world will ultimately succumb to the future technologies of science. We would say, "It is only a matter of time before world hunger, energy from none fossilized sources, optimum health, alleviation of the aging process, etc., will be mastered by technologies adapted from scientific theories.
Because of our strong faith in science, we have unconsciously begun to worship at the alter of its technology. For most of us scientific theory has advanced far beyond our intellectual understanding, but we can directly experience its truth through ownership and operation of its technology, ie "smart" phones, computers, etc. For example, by owing and operating a computer we directly participate in the esoteric, scientific theories that are the creative bases behind this technology, even though we have no understanding of those basic theories. This ownership and operational use of scientific technology gives us a feeling of mastery, and it is this feeling of mastery that motivates us into the mysteries of science.
As we wrap the cloak of scientific mystery tighter around us, we lose our awareness of where all of scientific theories and technologies originate, and trade that lose for the ability to compulsively manipulate the technology for fun and entertainment. We forget that all scientific theories, technologies, and innovations, no matter how extraordinary, are the creations from a human mind, and are not miraculous manifestations from a divine source. As such, they contain, not only the human mind's great capacity for creation, but also its great impulse to become entangled in its own narrow and selfish desires.
If we closely examine the primary motivations moving most all of scientific technological development in our society today, we will find that underneath the scientific mystical veil, beats a heart of greed, selfish ambition, power, ownership, and domination. All of which is played out upon a field of intense competition and urgency. This disturbing realization tells us that the fuel firing our entire economy does not originate from our highest virtues, but from our lowest. Thus the values we live by today are of the lowest quality. We value money over morality, power over equanimity, dominance over cooperation, and pretentiousness over humility. In transposing our values we have become unsuspected victims of our own narrow and selfish motivations, and have planted the seed of our destruction within our own house.
It is time to awaken from our self-indulgent stupor and remember that scientific technology originates from our own minds. We therefore have the capacity to direct our inventions with a clear mind, and to nourish those technologies whose roots are deep within the soil of social balance and harmony. We must awaken and recall that we are all relations living on "spaceship earth," and that what each of us does, touches us all, for good or ill. As the poet said, 'you cannot disturb a flower without affecting the entire cosmos.' It is time for us to awaken and to begin to live our lives according to our highest values: where character is valued over appearance, morality over money, equanimity over power, cooperation over dominance, and humility over pretentiousness.
We live in an era described by our cultural savants as the "Age of Instant Communication." Most people would nod their head in agreement to the above statement. Most people would agree too, that it is scientific technology, which is the fuel behind this age of communication, and also behind most all of our country's economic and evolutionary progress. All of our hope for a better tomorrow therefore, seems to rest entirely within the advancement of scientifically, applied technology. Consequently, the logic of our collective belief system tells us that all the major problems existing within our culture and in the world will ultimately succumb to the future technologies of science. We would say, "It is only a matter of time before world hunger, energy from none fossilized sources, optimum health, alleviation of the aging process, etc., will be mastered by technologies adapted from scientific theories.
Because of our strong faith in science, we have unconsciously begun to worship at the alter of its technology. For most of us scientific theory has advanced far beyond our intellectual understanding, but we can directly experience its truth through ownership and operation of its technology, ie "smart" phones, computers, etc. For example, by owing and operating a computer we directly participate in the esoteric, scientific theories that are the creative bases behind this technology, even though we have no understanding of those basic theories. This ownership and operational use of scientific technology gives us a feeling of mastery, and it is this feeling of mastery that motivates us into the mysteries of science.
As we wrap the cloak of scientific mystery tighter around us, we lose our awareness of where all of scientific theories and technologies originate, and trade that lose for the ability to compulsively manipulate the technology for fun and entertainment. We forget that all scientific theories, technologies, and innovations, no matter how extraordinary, are the creations from a human mind, and are not miraculous manifestations from a divine source. As such, they contain, not only the human mind's great capacity for creation, but also its great impulse to become entangled in its own narrow and selfish desires.
If we closely examine the primary motivations moving most all of scientific technological development in our society today, we will find that underneath the scientific mystical veil, beats a heart of greed, selfish ambition, power, ownership, and domination. All of which is played out upon a field of intense competition and urgency. This disturbing realization tells us that the fuel firing our entire economy does not originate from our highest virtues, but from our lowest. Thus the values we live by today are of the lowest quality. We value money over morality, power over equanimity, dominance over cooperation, and pretentiousness over humility. In transposing our values we have become unsuspected victims of our own narrow and selfish motivations, and have planted the seed of our destruction within our own house.
It is time to awaken from our self-indulgent stupor and remember that scientific technology originates from our own minds. We therefore have the capacity to direct our inventions with a clear mind, and to nourish those technologies whose roots are deep within the soil of social balance and harmony. We must awaken and recall that we are all relations living on "spaceship earth," and that what each of us does, touches us all, for good or ill. As the poet said, 'you cannot disturb a flower without affecting the entire cosmos.' It is time for us to awaken and to begin to live our lives according to our highest values: where character is valued over appearance, morality over money, equanimity over power, cooperation over dominance, and humility over pretentiousness.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
"the one who walks beside"
There is an American Indian phrase that is used to designate the person who walks beside another, through out their life; it is, "the one who walks beside." This simple expression is clearly referring to a spouse, a best friend, a brother, a sister, etc., who, regardless of the kind of conditions or circumstances that surround the beloved person, will walk by his or her's side. This kind of relationship exudes characteristics of loyalty, love, support, protection, respect, selflessness: my wife would say, "they are attached at the hip."
This phrase accurately describes the relationship my wife and I had. She was the one who walked beside. I say "was" because my wife passed away, unexpectedly Dec. 11, 2015. My wife, Mary Lou, was not feeling well after Thanksgiving. She complained of stomach pains, thinking she had an urinary infection, which she had had several times previous. We went to urgent care, and she was diagnosed with a severe urinary infection, and was given three antibiotic pills. Mary Lou seemed satisfied that the pills would cure her infection, as they had on previous occasions, and she would be fully recovered in three days. The next day, Mary Lou wasn't feeling any better and complained of lower back pain and a severe headache. We went to see an orthopedic doctor who took x-rays of her lower back with the result that, other than some arthritis her lumbar area was fine. The next day Mary Lou was getting weaker. and we decided to go to the hospital emergency facility. She was so weak that she could not put on her socks and shoes, I had to put them on her feet.
It was 2;30pm when she was wheeled into the emergency room, and immediately the staff begin to take her vitals, Her blood pressure was over 200. Her breathing was fast and labored; they gave her oxygen. They dripped a drug into her vein to relax her, and to help with her headache. Their immediate tests did not reveal a satisfactory diagnosis. Next, the lead doctor decided to give her a MRI. After the MRI they moved her back into the emergency room, where we had to wait for the results. I was by her side as we waited for the results, she told me 'to go get something to eat.' I told her "I was fine;" there was no way I was going to leave her side.
The lead doctor came into the room with a diagnosis. With no empathy, she describes the diagnosis as, acute myeloblastic leukemia, she and her colleagues were certain of their diagnosis because Mary Lou's white blood count was over 300,000. The normal range of white blood cells in a body. is about 10,000. Mary Lou and I were shocked, This diagnosis, seemed out of the blue and way beyond our expectations. The lead doctor went on to say that they could do no more for Mary Lou, and recommended that she be transported to the U. of Minnesota Hospital where they have a greater capacity to treat that kind of leukemia. We agreed, and begin to wait for the transport ambulance. My wife looked at me and said, "I will not be the same," meaning she will lose her mental awareness with all the invasive drugs and treatments. I knew she was right. Next she said, "Pray for me, and not to your God, but my God." I said, "Yes I will," and added, "they are both the same God." Mary Lou began to call my name several times, I answered, "What?" she said that she just liked saying my name. Than she said, "You will have to be strong." That was a telltale sign to me that she knew she would not make it out alive, and that I needed to be strong for the children and grandchildren.
Mary Lou's blood pressure was still over 200, and the lead doctor dripped a drug into Mary Lou's vein that would help to reduce her high blood pressure The drug was working, Mary Lou's blood pressure was falling, but it fall too low. Now the lead doctor call for another drug line that would rise Mary Lou's blood pressure, but her right arm was full up with lines, so they had to use her left arm. They could not find a suitable vein, they began to move her on her side, then on to her back, through all that chaos, Mary Lou cried our, "I feel dizzy, I feel dizzy, I feel dizzy." I knew right than, after her last words were spoken, that she had passed, but the emergency room team continued to work to revive my wife with no success. They pronounced her dead at 6:50 pm.
While the emergency room team, (there were at least eight people) began to pack up their tools and sweep up the debris, a compassionate team member was consoling me and asked if I would like to have the hospital's Chaplin come to talk to me. My first response was "No," but I remembered that I had promised my wife that I would pray for her, so I consented to have the Chaplin talk to me.. The Chaplin was of the Catholic Faith, and read words from a holy book, and then he and I said the Lord's Prayer. To my great sorrow, I walked out of the hospital alone, without "the one who walks beside."
Its has been over two month now since Mary Lou passed, and although I am still emotionally fragile, I have partially processed the experience. I would like to pass along my understandings to you, with the hope that they may bring helpful insights for you in matters of death and relationships.
(Insights Within Matters of Death) There is a great ambiguity that is true for all humans, whether you like it or not. This ambiguity is a super, imposed effect of living a human life. It is an unseeming, unreasonable condition beyond our intellectual reasoning power to understand. The ambiguity within human life is that, the very nature of our existence is forever changing, on both micro and macro levels. Everything, as the ancient philosophers said, is constantly in flux. As we move through this changing nature of life, we become anxious and fearful, and in order to combat or some how control this perpetual change, we use our consciousness and intelligence to stabilize, status-quotize, the bombardment of changes attacking us. This constant combat puts us under great stress.
How do we use our intelligence and reasoning power to bring our lives into a semblance of stability? We do it by assigning a value to our sensations and experiences. For instance, for every sensation or experience we assign a like, dislike, or neutral value, along with their related behaviors and emotions. As we move through our lives we create a grand grid, where all experiences and all sensations can be properly fixed. When new sensations or experiences arise we have only to match their relative correspondence to that particular part of the grid, and fix it in. Ironically, even though we have labored hard to stabilize our lives, "change," is immune to our self created grid, and relentlessly marches on. There is an apt saying, "If you want to make God laugh tell Him your plans"
It isn't until you have noticed, "...the eternal footman hold your coat and snicker," that your entire grid begins to crack Just like driving your car in a Winter snow storm, brings a high probability of getting stuck or into a wreck, no matter what your car's worth or its technical capabilities. Winter snow is the great equalizer, but the greatest equalizers of our human condition are, old-age and death. So, no matter what we do, think or say old-age and death will come to us all. This inevitable condition of our lives brings us the greatest ambiguity. In our quest for control and stability we live our life how we would like it to be, rather than living life exactly as it is. This distinction has more subtlety then there appears; give it some thought.
Over the course of human reflection certain distinct elements have been identified in the make-up of human beings. Humans are composite beings, and their composition can be identified and classified, yet these elements represent more than their naming and ordering. Christian teaching breaks these elements into three: body, soul, spirit, with Hindu and Oriental teaching breaking them down into, 5, 7, 10, or 12, elements. When physical death accrues there ensues to the body, not a lose of life , but a lose of individualized coherence (the breaking down of the composite elements of life). In other words, the once individualized unity of the body, after death, becomes diffused; it becomes diffused without the dominating control of a centralized inner government, (the hierarchy of elements). In truth, physical death is not an autonomous force, a "purblind doomster" that destroys life, but paradoxically, it is life which is the cause of physical death. Life's unfolding field of consciousness spreads beyond the capacity of the physical body to contain it, consequently the body, over a period of time, deteriorates to the point of being cast off; this entire process is what we term physical death.
The moment we are born into this world, the countdown to our physical death begins. This inevitable preconditioned effect is not emotionally, psychologically, physically, or spiritually, easy to absorb. At this point in our evolutionary development, we are primarily link-in to the material world. We are building our egos, as the poet Delmore Schwartz writes, upon "the scrimmage of appetite every ware," We grow our ego while at the same time strangling our higher selves, our souls and spirit. Death is our constant companion, therefore, find a way to embrace death as a companion, then understand it as a natural process and to surrender and let Universal Nature take its course.
Here is a poem I wrote that may give you a little perspective, its called, "Does anyone know what it is like?"
"Danny's dead! It can not be. I played
handball with him two days ago. He seemed fine then."
He died sitting in his chair in front of the T.V,
reading the TV Guide.
Two days ago I had a friend, today he is gone. The
unsettling part of that idea is that I am in the same
death march line as Danny. His death moves me
closer to my death.
As soon as your life is spawned on Earth so is your
death. Since your position in the line of death begins so
far behind, it takes decades to realize you'ar even
in line. However, the movement is relentless, closer,
closer, second by second. You call those ahead of
you in the line, "Does anyone know what's its like?"
No answer, only the steady movement forward.
Each generation marches with growing trepidation to
the precipice of death, and inevitably falls in. One by
one, another generation gone and marching in the rear,
the next generation.
Each calling ahead, as did the previous generation, "Does
anyone now what's like? If you do please tell me."
And as always, no answer, only the steady movement
towards the inevitable.
For more understanding see, "I saw the eternal footman hold my coat and snicker" 9-24-09 archives.
(Insight within Matters of Relationships) Let's reiterate what was said about the human elements that make up the life force of the human being, and then expand on them. We will use the three elements designated by the Christians: spirit, soul, body,(they are displayed hierarchically, spirit being the highest). The spirit/soul elements enter the body via a vortexual movement, through the crown of the body, and infiltrates all atoms, molecules, and cells of the body. This vortexual movement expands out wards in what is known as an aura; auric fields that surround the body. I know, I know, you are probably saying to yourself, "What does all this metaphysical stuff have to do with relationships." Please stay with me, I promise an explanation will be forth coming. (If this subject sounds interesting to you, a good resource is Jack Schwarz's book, "Human Energy Systems.") There are people that can see the life force vortex and the aura: Jack Schwarz was one who could see auras. He used that vision to help heal people.
We therefore, move through our lives interacting and intergrading within the full spectrum of our life force elements. In other words, within our auric field we are engaging and intergrading our physical, psychological, soul and spiritual elements with all beings, as are they engaging and intergrading their full spectrum of life force elements with us. So, we are relating on all levels, high and low, with all beings which we encounter whether we realize it or not. Lets give an example, boy meets girl, and there is an attraction. Remember this attraction occurs not merely on the physical level, but also on the higher soul/spirit levels. At the beginning of a relationship there is intense use of energy, ranging from all levels of life force elements. As the relationship matures, there is a movement towards the mundane because of our current, evolutionary position, leaning toward the material side. The soul/spirit elements begin to freeze, and the relationship settles into responsibilities and duties. Love, although still residing within the relationship environment, has low energy, having been suppressed. This is the time in a relationship when a hero is needed to step-up. The hero is usually the woman, because of her natural, caring heart, although men are also capable. The hero subdues the tension, anger, arguing, and positioning for who is right and who is wrong, with sincere touch, hug, kiss, or loving words. The hero might appear to be submissive, by losing her pride and assertiveness, but to the hero the loss is small compared to the quieting of the unrest, and the return of love. My great regret is that sometimes I would hang on to my anger, instead of moving quickly into love. I certainly knew better, but I was selfish and stayed in my anger; no good ever came of that desire.
As the relationship grows into old age all the anguish of younger days seems to blow away, like smoke from a fire blown by the wind. You begin to see from a higher perspective and to become aware of your world as it really is, rather then how you want it to be, or not; remember there is a dark side to life and if you labored steadily in that realm you would have built a powerful web, difficult to untangle from, In Pema Chodron book , "Living Beautifully," she says, "All the wars, all the hatred, all the ignorance in the world comes out of being so invested in our opinions. And at the bottom, those opinions are merely our effort to escape the underlying uneasiness of being human; the uneasiness of feeling like we can't get ground under our feet." Also in Pema's book is a symbol related by one of her teachers, that intends to measure the quality of a human's life. The symbol is a black rectangle with pin wholes of light puncturing through the blackness. Each pin whole light represents an unconditional act of love. The measurement of the quality of a human's life is by the number of pin whole lights in relationship to the darkness. The greater number of pin whole lights the higher the quality of human life, and the lower number of pin whole light the lower is the quality of human life. May the power of your love puncture the darkness like the morning sun.
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