A week ago yesterday my country crossed a line. I wrote about some of the ramifications in Confined to Quarters. (10-11-16) I stand against my President Elect. He is anathema to me. But refutation of the man does not mean he is not a clear and present danger--he most certainly is. So it seems we (and in particular, me) have some work to do. Hate and the many manifestations it takes on is roiling through the United States. It will certainly get (much) worse before it gets better; simply the appointment of new administration posts will lead to much consternation. (noting the sycophants, lickspittles, and nob-bobbers Trump has surrounded himself with will be receiving positions of authority) Still, I do not think Trump is evil; he is much too superficial and crass a man to attribute that sophistication to. But I do believe his ignorance and narcissism can be manipulated by others more malevolent than he himself--and in fact, already has. (see the USA Today article about Steve Bannon, 'Turn on the hate,' published today)
Ultimately, though, I do not wish for this site to become overly political--and there-in lies a challenge. I do not know if I am equal to the task. We shall see. One 'tool' that has made a sudden appearance is; "obstinate optimism." It seems new to me. (have you ever heard or read the phrase before?) I shall try and employ it. As I have quoted elsewhere, "despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt." (...guilty, as charged. 10-1-12) Let us then forgo despair and see a situation rife with possibilities. Where love isn't an abstraction, but a practice. Why integrity isn't a buzzword, but a life-style. How truth is indomitable, and not subject to intimidation. Let us manifest these attributes and more. Let us indeed become, Sons of Light.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Friday, October 28, 2016
Never Enough
The sannyasi (wise man) had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, "The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone!"
"What stone?" asked the sannyasi.
"Last night the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream," said the villager, "and told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk I should find a sannyasi who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever."
The sannyasi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. "He probably meant this one," he said, as he handed the stone over to the villager. "I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it."
The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond, probably the largest diamond in the whole world, for it was as large as a person's head.
He took the diamond and walked away. All night he tossed about in bed, unable to sleep. Next day at the crack of dawn he woke the sannyasi and said, "Give me the wealth that makes it possible for you to give away this diamond so easily."
~Anthony de Mello
"What stone?" asked the sannyasi.
"Last night the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream," said the villager, "and told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk I should find a sannyasi who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever."
The sannyasi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. "He probably meant this one," he said, as he handed the stone over to the villager. "I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it."
The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond, probably the largest diamond in the whole world, for it was as large as a person's head.
He took the diamond and walked away. All night he tossed about in bed, unable to sleep. Next day at the crack of dawn he woke the sannyasi and said, "Give me the wealth that makes it possible for you to give away this diamond so easily."
~Anthony de Mello
Friday, October 14, 2016
Make No Mistake
Tuesday's post included the following sentence; "I would view the situation as evidence of an absence of God." How can I maintain God is everything (as I do) while stating rape is evidence of an absence of God? Know this: the absence of God is an aspect of God. There is no sophistry in that statement. For confirmation, simply go to Matthew 27:46: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Forsaken; abandoned or deserted. Absence; the state of being away from a place or person. Oxford Dictionary) Did Jesus feel an absence of God (being forsaken) in any way suggest He no longer believed in God's existence? Of course not. For secularist, is your inability to see infrared light proof of it's absence, of it not existing? Of course not. So it is in that context that the phrase was used.
Saudi Arabia 8-19-16 Turkmenistan 9-7-16 Moldova 9-18-16 New Zealand 9-22-16 Czech Republic 10-10-16
Albania--Algeria--Angola--Argentina--Australia--Austria--Belarus--Bahamas--Belgium--Brazil--Bolivia--Bulgaria--Cambodia--Canada--Chile--Costa Rica--Columbia--CZECH REPUBLIC--Denmark--Ecuador--El Salvador--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--Honduras--Hungary--India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--Kuwait--Kyrgyzstan--Latvia--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--MOLDOVA--Netherlands--NEW ZEALAND--Pakistan--Panama--Peru--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--Qatar--Romania--Russia--SAUDI ARABIA--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--Tunisia--TURKMENISTAN--Turkey--United Arab Emirate--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe
The list astonishes me.
Saudi Arabia 8-19-16 Turkmenistan 9-7-16 Moldova 9-18-16 New Zealand 9-22-16 Czech Republic 10-10-16
Albania--Algeria--Angola--Argentina--Australia--Austria--Belarus--Bahamas--Belgium--Brazil--Bolivia--Bulgaria--Cambodia--Canada--Chile--Costa Rica--Columbia--CZECH REPUBLIC--Denmark--Ecuador--El Salvador--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--Honduras--Hungary--India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--Kuwait--Kyrgyzstan--Latvia--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--MOLDOVA--Netherlands--NEW ZEALAND--Pakistan--Panama--Peru--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--Qatar--Romania--Russia--SAUDI ARABIA--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--Tunisia--TURKMENISTAN--Turkey--United Arab Emirate--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe
The list astonishes me.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Confined to Quarters
I have been under a self-imposed timeout. The (never ending) political season sometimes gets the best of me. Violating the first of the 10 Suggestions (Thou shall relax. I've got things covered.) often leads to self-examination; do I sit back or act? Is this a case of John Dewey's quote being applicable, (Men have never fully used the powers they possess to advance the good in life because they have waited upon some power external to themselves, and to nature, to do the work they are responsible for doing.) or is it a case of simply watching sanity unspool? Do I need to describe the political dynamic in my country that so offends me? That is the antithesis of who I am and what I stand for?
I am still unsure. The larger issue is why I concern myself. The easy answer is, I care. But at the fundamental core of my being, aren't I demonstrating an unwillingness to accept a possible election outcome? That one party's candidate is so offensive to me that I find myself actively opposing him on social media? And using ridicule and disbelief to counter the opinion of others? (although in fairness, linking the opinion and facts I am sharing) I am not sure this is the best reflection of me. Nor do I believe that it brings out the "better angels of our (my) nature."
There is this as well: If I saw a rape in progress, I would immediately do what I could to stop it. There wouldn't be any introspection of motives or a course of action. I wouldn't be waiting to see a manifestation of God in the event. I would view the situation as evidence of an absence of God. A spiritual void where God needed to be infused. And how self-righteous is that point of view? Even if, in this hypothetical situation, you could support my self-righteousness, is it fair to equate the damage done to an individual being raped with the societal repercussions of a demagogue's political position? Isn't that a false comparison?
Ultimately, we do what we do. And being fair to the situation, as well as ourselves, we must keep this in mind: "Genuine confidence doesn't say, Oh well, to bad this won't work out, but I'm reconciled to the idea. Instead of that, it maintains, what seems a poor shot still hit the bulls eye." (That Man Is You ~Louis Evely) And the sole way to come to that confidence is by trusting ourselves.
(I kid you not, yesterday a "fifth" country came aboard. However, I don't want to get on that merry-go-round again. I will post about it later in the week)
I am still unsure. The larger issue is why I concern myself. The easy answer is, I care. But at the fundamental core of my being, aren't I demonstrating an unwillingness to accept a possible election outcome? That one party's candidate is so offensive to me that I find myself actively opposing him on social media? And using ridicule and disbelief to counter the opinion of others? (although in fairness, linking the opinion and facts I am sharing) I am not sure this is the best reflection of me. Nor do I believe that it brings out the "better angels of our (my) nature."
There is this as well: If I saw a rape in progress, I would immediately do what I could to stop it. There wouldn't be any introspection of motives or a course of action. I wouldn't be waiting to see a manifestation of God in the event. I would view the situation as evidence of an absence of God. A spiritual void where God needed to be infused. And how self-righteous is that point of view? Even if, in this hypothetical situation, you could support my self-righteousness, is it fair to equate the damage done to an individual being raped with the societal repercussions of a demagogue's political position? Isn't that a false comparison?
Ultimately, we do what we do. And being fair to the situation, as well as ourselves, we must keep this in mind: "Genuine confidence doesn't say, Oh well, to bad this won't work out, but I'm reconciled to the idea. Instead of that, it maintains, what seems a poor shot still hit the bulls eye." (That Man Is You ~Louis Evely) And the sole way to come to that confidence is by trusting ourselves.
(I kid you not, yesterday a "fifth" country came aboard. However, I don't want to get on that merry-go-round again. I will post about it later in the week)
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Jigsaw
I will share one idea that, as far as I know, is singular to me. (meaning I have never read, heard, or seen the metaphor before) Imagine a snowflake in comparison to snow. In this context, know that science claims there has never been two snowflakes exactly alike. Ever! Since the beginning of time, wherever it has snowed, in all the snowstorms that have ever occurred, each snowflake has been unique. Inconceivable, right? That's what God is like.
Further, if one observes a snowflake, you could watch it land and not make the declaration, "snow." Even if there were a dozen snowflakes on your front lawn, you wouldn't necessarily say, "snow." But when hundreds and thousands of snowflakes amass, then you confidently claim, "there is snow on the ground." That's what God is like.
Understand, in and of yourself, you are just an aspect of God, like a snowflake is an aspect of snow. You no more equate to being God as a snowflake equates to being snow. Yet, there is no snow without snowflakes. That's what God is like.
When you think in terms of me (snowflake) rather than we (snow) your perception is skewed. This is narcissism. Narcissism allows no room for God. It is the single snowflake declaring it is SNOW! This misperception then leads to mis-takes; as in the phrase, "take two," because you have fouled up the first scene. In this analogy, the director (God) is ever patient with you blowing a scene or misreading your lines. He knows, eventually, you will get it right. That's what God is like.
So, to recap, you are wonderfully unique. You are a miracle of singularity. As important is the understanding that the person beside you is as marvelously constructed as you are. To proclaim you are more than you are (snow) is a denial of that which you truly are. (snowflake) This is self-abnegation. It is at cross-purpose to why you exist. You are here to manifest an aspect of God. You are an important piece of an intricate puzzle. Not the puzzle, a piece. But the puzzle is incomplete without you. That's what you are like.
Further, if one observes a snowflake, you could watch it land and not make the declaration, "snow." Even if there were a dozen snowflakes on your front lawn, you wouldn't necessarily say, "snow." But when hundreds and thousands of snowflakes amass, then you confidently claim, "there is snow on the ground." That's what God is like.
Understand, in and of yourself, you are just an aspect of God, like a snowflake is an aspect of snow. You no more equate to being God as a snowflake equates to being snow. Yet, there is no snow without snowflakes. That's what God is like.
When you think in terms of me (snowflake) rather than we (snow) your perception is skewed. This is narcissism. Narcissism allows no room for God. It is the single snowflake declaring it is SNOW! This misperception then leads to mis-takes; as in the phrase, "take two," because you have fouled up the first scene. In this analogy, the director (God) is ever patient with you blowing a scene or misreading your lines. He knows, eventually, you will get it right. That's what God is like.
So, to recap, you are wonderfully unique. You are a miracle of singularity. As important is the understanding that the person beside you is as marvelously constructed as you are. To proclaim you are more than you are (snow) is a denial of that which you truly are. (snowflake) This is self-abnegation. It is at cross-purpose to why you exist. You are here to manifest an aspect of God. You are an important piece of an intricate puzzle. Not the puzzle, a piece. But the puzzle is incomplete without you. That's what you are like.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
La Vida es Sueno
The following excerpt is from a lecture by James Russell Lowell given at the Working Men's College in London. (circa 1885) All emphasis is mine.
"There is a moral in Don Quixote, and a very profound one, whether Cervantes consciously put it there or not, and it is this: that whoever quarrels with the Nature of Things, wittingly or unwittingly, is certain to get the worst of it. The great difficulty lies in finding out what the Nature of things really and perdurably is, and the great wisdom, after we have made this discovery, or persuaded ourselves we have made it, is in accommodating our lives and actions to it as best we may or can."
I would wish you the best of it, not the worst. That is the intent of G-G-G. To 'accommodate our lives and actions' is to perceive Life as a gift. To be grateful is to employ a spiritual alchemy where we circumvent the cynicism and nihilism currently infecting the West. God is 'finding out what the Nature of things really and perdurably (permanently) is.' This is how we influence life. This is how the dreamer awakens.
"There is a moral in Don Quixote, and a very profound one, whether Cervantes consciously put it there or not, and it is this: that whoever quarrels with the Nature of Things, wittingly or unwittingly, is certain to get the worst of it. The great difficulty lies in finding out what the Nature of things really and perdurably is, and the great wisdom, after we have made this discovery, or persuaded ourselves we have made it, is in accommodating our lives and actions to it as best we may or can."
I would wish you the best of it, not the worst. That is the intent of G-G-G. To 'accommodate our lives and actions' is to perceive Life as a gift. To be grateful is to employ a spiritual alchemy where we circumvent the cynicism and nihilism currently infecting the West. God is 'finding out what the Nature of things really and perdurably (permanently) is.' This is how we influence life. This is how the dreamer awakens.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Faithless
The truth is that my work--I was going to say my mission--is to shatter the faith of men here, there, and everywhere, faith in affirmation, faith in negation, and faith in abstention in faith, and this for the sake of faith in faith itself; it is to war against all those who submit, whether it be to Catholicism, or to rationalism, or to agnosticism; it is to make all men live the life of inquietude and passionate desire.
~Miguel de Unamuno
~Miguel de Unamuno
Monday, August 29, 2016
Facta, non Verba
God has heard you and given His blessing--act! Initiate, engage, move forward. Be the physical manifestation of your prayers.
O God, thy sea is so great
And my boat is so small
Yes, yes, I know. The opening lines from Winfred Garrison's poem speaks to the heart of the matter; you are afraid. You would do all that you boast if not for...
Weigh anchor and set sail regardless. For it is said: "They that go down to the sea in ships; That do business in deep waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonder in the deep." (Psalm 107)
Deeds, not words, is the order of the day.
O God, thy sea is so great
And my boat is so small
Yes, yes, I know. The opening lines from Winfred Garrison's poem speaks to the heart of the matter; you are afraid. You would do all that you boast if not for...
Weigh anchor and set sail regardless. For it is said: "They that go down to the sea in ships; That do business in deep waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonder in the deep." (Psalm 107)
Deeds, not words, is the order of the day.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Conscientious Objector
I recently stumbled across the amazing story of a man named Desmond Doss. It told of his service during WW II. It really doesn't seem possible any of it's true. Yet eyewitnesses, newspaper articles, a TV program, and film footage of him receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman, says it is. I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't heard or read anything about this man before. There was a documentary made about him in 2004, but (alas) we all know how popular documentaries are. Thankfully, a movie titled "Hacksaw Ridge" will be released this November. I don't think you need to wait that long to learn of this extraordinary man. Google him.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Tickle Me Yahweh
God is playing with me. To understand what I mean by this you will have to read All is Vanity (7-4-16) and Interesting or Odd. (8-1-16) The inexplicable keeps happening and it seems as though God wants to rub my nose in it--albeit in an amusing way. The hard part is writing to you about the dynamic. I can imagine your dismissal of my record of events as embellished or untruthful. And that brings me to the undercurrent of why (perhaps) God keeps the inexplicable going. (to reveal aspects of my ego) The initial post (All is Vanity) speaks to the listing of countries as a 'sop to my ego.' It was and I acknowledged it. I confessed my motives. The occurrences since then have been unprecedented--other than the first few months of the blog. (for obvious reasons--every country was new) So here I am (once again) listing new visitors, wondering if you think I am playing games or making all this up. Which is just another manifestation of my ego!
Honduras 8-2-16 Ecuador 8-3-16 Panama 8-10-16 Angola 8-15-16 Tunisia 8-15-16 Cambodia 8-16-16 Albania 8-17-16
ALBANIA--Algeria--ANGOLA--Argentina--Australia--Austria--Belarus--Bahamas--Belgium--Brazil--Bolivia--Bulgaria--CAMBODIA--Canada--Chile--Costa Rica--Columbia--Denmark--ECUADOR--El Salvador--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--HONDURAS--Hungary--India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--Kuwait--Kyrgyzstan--Latvia--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--Netherlands--Pakistan--PANAMA--Peru--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--Qatar--Romania--Russia--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--TUNISIA--Turkey--United Arab Emirate--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe.
Ironic, yes? On the one hand share developments and risk being thought a manipulator or liar; on the other, side-step reality for fear I look ludicrous and the series of new visitors improbable. (at best!) So be it. Nothing is quite as healing as a good laugh at our own expense.
Honduras 8-2-16 Ecuador 8-3-16 Panama 8-10-16 Angola 8-15-16 Tunisia 8-15-16 Cambodia 8-16-16 Albania 8-17-16
ALBANIA--Algeria--ANGOLA--Argentina--Australia--Austria--Belarus--Bahamas--Belgium--Brazil--Bolivia--Bulgaria--CAMBODIA--Canada--Chile--Costa Rica--Columbia--Denmark--ECUADOR--El Salvador--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--HONDURAS--Hungary--India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--Kuwait--Kyrgyzstan--Latvia--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--Netherlands--Pakistan--PANAMA--Peru--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--Qatar--Romania--Russia--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--TUNISIA--Turkey--United Arab Emirate--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe.
Ironic, yes? On the one hand share developments and risk being thought a manipulator or liar; on the other, side-step reality for fear I look ludicrous and the series of new visitors improbable. (at best!) So be it. Nothing is quite as healing as a good laugh at our own expense.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Hold Fast
I know who you are. Those that come here. Sensitive by nature, deep thinker, inconsistent in your application of spiritual knowledge. I know you. And I would ask you to remain steadfast, and true. That despite the bullshit that swirls around you, do not become disillusioned. Or disinclined. Or stumble into despair. Hold fast.
The truth is the political system is bullshit. The truth is the religious system is bullshit. And the economic system, the military system, and any other system one could name...they are all bullshit. But the truth is, that truth is but one aspect of the truth. It is not the whole truth and nothing but the truth--just an element of the truth. Hold fast.
Don't you know if you turn away now we are lost? That if you become discordant and disheartened there isn't any remedy? That the lunacy will prevail? That we will be swamped by their lies, their manipulations, their derision of human decency? Did no one tell you? Did they omit that from your teaching? Hold fast.
Here is what I would ask of you. Continue to be the person you would be. The one with the childish dream of equality for all. The one with the aspiration of a better tomorrow. The one with the naivete to believe they could change the world. Yes, be that. And hold fast.
The truth is the political system is bullshit. The truth is the religious system is bullshit. And the economic system, the military system, and any other system one could name...they are all bullshit. But the truth is, that truth is but one aspect of the truth. It is not the whole truth and nothing but the truth--just an element of the truth. Hold fast.
Don't you know if you turn away now we are lost? That if you become discordant and disheartened there isn't any remedy? That the lunacy will prevail? That we will be swamped by their lies, their manipulations, their derision of human decency? Did no one tell you? Did they omit that from your teaching? Hold fast.
Here is what I would ask of you. Continue to be the person you would be. The one with the childish dream of equality for all. The one with the aspiration of a better tomorrow. The one with the naivete to believe they could change the world. Yes, be that. And hold fast.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Here's Mud In Your Eye!
"It rained heavily during the night, and the street is thick with mud. I walked to the Bet Midrash (House of Learning) this morning and stopped to watch a group of little children playing with the mud. Oblivious to the damp, they made dozens of mud figure's: houses, animals, towers. From their talk, it was clear that they imagined an identity for each. They gave their figure names and told their stories."
"For a while, their mud figures took on an independent existence. But they were all just mud. Mud was their source and mud was their substance. From the perspective of the children, their mud creations had separate selves. From the mud's point of view, it is clear such independence was an illusion--the creations were all just mud."
"It is the same with us and God. Adonai alone is in heaven above and earth below, there is none else.(Deuteronomy 4:39) There is none else, meaning there is nothing else in heaven or on earth but God."
"Can this be? When I look at the world, I do not see God. I see trees of various kinds, people of all types, houses, fields, lakes, cows, horses, chickens, and on and on. In this I am like the children at play, seeing real figures and not simply mud."
"Where in all this is God? The question itself is misleading. God is not 'in' this; God is this."
"Think carefully about what I have said. It is the key to all the secrets of life."
~Rabbi Rami Shapiro Open Secrets
"For a while, their mud figures took on an independent existence. But they were all just mud. Mud was their source and mud was their substance. From the perspective of the children, their mud creations had separate selves. From the mud's point of view, it is clear such independence was an illusion--the creations were all just mud."
"It is the same with us and God. Adonai alone is in heaven above and earth below, there is none else.(Deuteronomy 4:39) There is none else, meaning there is nothing else in heaven or on earth but God."
"Can this be? When I look at the world, I do not see God. I see trees of various kinds, people of all types, houses, fields, lakes, cows, horses, chickens, and on and on. In this I am like the children at play, seeing real figures and not simply mud."
"Where in all this is God? The question itself is misleading. God is not 'in' this; God is this."
"Think carefully about what I have said. It is the key to all the secrets of life."
~Rabbi Rami Shapiro Open Secrets
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Lion in the Winter
Like a lion in the winter I can hear the summer call
Like a ship out on the ocean made of stone
And sometimes when I get lonely I can swear I hear you call
Oh the nights are cold when you don't keep me warm
And when I first saw you I first loved you
With a song that I sang to the fire in your eyes
But somebody told you that wouldn't be easy
And you carried that lie for the devil to sing
Some sail rivers deep and muddy some sail rivers clear and cold
But the river that I'm sailin' goes to sea
And sometimes I do grow weary sometimes I feel old
And sometimes I wonder if you think of me
And when I first saw you I first loved you
With a song that I sang to the fire in your eyes
But somebody told you that it wouldn't be easy
And you carried that lie for the devil to sing
~Hoyt Axton
Sorry I can't link this for you. (see; youtube Lion in the Winter by FakeApology for the very best rendition) This song is Life's answer to the post A Tangled Tango. It is also an opportunity to tell you that two more newbies came in yesterday and today--Honduras and Ecuador respectively. I mention that because it brings to seven the number of new countries that appeared after the post All Is Vanity. What took (nearly) 13 months between Grinding Gears and All Is Vanity took less than thirty days between All is Vanity and Interesting or Odd. What do you make of that?
Like a ship out on the ocean made of stone
And sometimes when I get lonely I can swear I hear you call
Oh the nights are cold when you don't keep me warm
And when I first saw you I first loved you
With a song that I sang to the fire in your eyes
But somebody told you that wouldn't be easy
And you carried that lie for the devil to sing
Some sail rivers deep and muddy some sail rivers clear and cold
But the river that I'm sailin' goes to sea
And sometimes I do grow weary sometimes I feel old
And sometimes I wonder if you think of me
And when I first saw you I first loved you
With a song that I sang to the fire in your eyes
But somebody told you that it wouldn't be easy
And you carried that lie for the devil to sing
~Hoyt Axton
Sorry I can't link this for you. (see; youtube Lion in the Winter by FakeApology for the very best rendition) This song is Life's answer to the post A Tangled Tango. It is also an opportunity to tell you that two more newbies came in yesterday and today--Honduras and Ecuador respectively. I mention that because it brings to seven the number of new countries that appeared after the post All Is Vanity. What took (nearly) 13 months between Grinding Gears and All Is Vanity took less than thirty days between All is Vanity and Interesting or Odd. What do you make of that?
Monday, August 1, 2016
Interesting or Odd?
To understand this post in any way, you will need to read All Is Vanity. (7-4-16) Context is provided there. What to make of it I will leave to you. Peru 7-10-16 Argentina 7-13-16 Algeria 7-24-16 El Salvador 7-25-16 Bolivia 8-1-16.
ALGERIA--ARGENTINA--Australia--Austria--Belarus--Bahamas--Belgium--Brazil--BOLIVIA--Bulgaria--Canada--Chile--Costa Rica--Columbia--Denmark--EL SALVADOR--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--Hungary-India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--Kuwait--Kyrgyzstan--Latvia--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--Netherlands--Pakistan--PERU--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--Qatar--Romania--Russia--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--Turkey--United Arab Emirate--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe
ALGERIA--ARGENTINA--Australia--Austria--Belarus--Bahamas--Belgium--Brazil--BOLIVIA--Bulgaria--Canada--Chile--Costa Rica--Columbia--Denmark--EL SALVADOR--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--Hungary-India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--Kuwait--Kyrgyzstan--Latvia--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--Netherlands--Pakistan--PERU--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--Qatar--Romania--Russia--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--Turkey--United Arab Emirate--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe
Friday, July 29, 2016
You're A Pagan
The simple truth is the 'people of the Book' (Jews, Christians, Muslims) are all pagans. There is little doubt of this. The two holiest days for Judaism (Yom Kippur and Pesach) were confiscated from Babylonian or Ugaritic (Canaanite) religious observances. Christians give up the secret with their two highest holidays/festivals. (Christmas and Easter) As for Islam, the one absolute necessity for any Muslim (in his lifetime) is to go to Mecca and circle the Kaaba seven times. The Kaaba (house of God) predates Islam by hundreds of years. Apparently removing it's 360 idols was all that was necessary to bring the shrine 'up to code.'
Doesn't it give you pause that God was reduced to co-opting PAGAN forms/practices of worship? Wouldn't the highest, holiest days of God (or Allah) be utterly unique and altogether different than those of pagans? Or are we to believe that the forms, practices, and rituals were fine, just directed toward the wrong deity? Is that what we are expected to believe?
Some are sure to say, well how about monotheism? That was the overriding difference between true worship and paganism. Sorry, the idea of monotheism originated in Persia and Egypt long before it occurred to the Hebrews. (see; Zoroastrianism and the Egyptian worship of Aten) So monotheism can't be considered original to the people of the book. No, the fact is, the only distinction between pagans and true believers is what they called their God. That's it. And if you research the subject, you'll see that the original Hebrew name for God was pagan. (El) It wasn't updated until Exodus 3:13-15. (repeated at Exodus 6:2-3)
If the Jewish religion is revealed to have pagan roots, it stands to reason that Christianity and Islam have to be pagan as well, yes? How can the leaf of a tree be inherently different than the branch, or the branch from the trunk? If the trunk is dependent on the root, how can you claim this part divine, this part demonic? Aren't they different manifestations--different aspects--of the same impulse, the same source?
Study the Ugarit tablets. See what you think.
Doesn't it give you pause that God was reduced to co-opting PAGAN forms/practices of worship? Wouldn't the highest, holiest days of God (or Allah) be utterly unique and altogether different than those of pagans? Or are we to believe that the forms, practices, and rituals were fine, just directed toward the wrong deity? Is that what we are expected to believe?
Some are sure to say, well how about monotheism? That was the overriding difference between true worship and paganism. Sorry, the idea of monotheism originated in Persia and Egypt long before it occurred to the Hebrews. (see; Zoroastrianism and the Egyptian worship of Aten) So monotheism can't be considered original to the people of the book. No, the fact is, the only distinction between pagans and true believers is what they called their God. That's it. And if you research the subject, you'll see that the original Hebrew name for God was pagan. (El) It wasn't updated until Exodus 3:13-15. (repeated at Exodus 6:2-3)
If the Jewish religion is revealed to have pagan roots, it stands to reason that Christianity and Islam have to be pagan as well, yes? How can the leaf of a tree be inherently different than the branch, or the branch from the trunk? If the trunk is dependent on the root, how can you claim this part divine, this part demonic? Aren't they different manifestations--different aspects--of the same impulse, the same source?
Study the Ugarit tablets. See what you think.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Snagged 'Em!
Algeria showed up between 2:00AM and 4:00 AM last night. I won't pretend it doesn't bring some sense of satisfaction and amusement. However, the truth is, they came and went. (I can tell if a person looks at more than one page of the blog) Which means nothing of consequence happened. My ego got stroked and the ten largest countries by land mass have been 'secured.' But there wasn't a firing of the imagination or an interest in content. So, ultimately, it is a hollow victory. Which is worthwhile only in the context of seeing the ego and it's machinations. Let us use it as such.
"The ultimate aim of the ego is not to see something, but to be something." ~Muhammad Iqbal
"The ultimate aim of the ego is not to see something, but to be something." ~Muhammad Iqbal
Saturday, July 23, 2016
A Tangled Tango
As the creator of GGG, it is always challenging to "stay in the mix." Meaning, I have to practice what I preach. The last three months have proved difficult in that regard. A personal issue extending over twenty years has emerged (yet again!) to push, prod, vex and bedevil me. Several times I have been reduced to Anne Dillard's personal prayer ('help-help-help!'). And it isn't as if I'm not utilizing my own techniques. Ultimately, though, it is the outcome I am having trouble with. I keep thinking (believing--feeling) that if I just do a little more...
Thomas Merton (Trappist monk) said, "We stumble and fall constantly, even when we are most enlightened." I know this to be true...but I know another of his quote's is equally true: "Perhaps I am stronger than I think." In this context then, can I re-embrace gratitude for how the situation is now? Honestly appreciating it as it now stands--unfair, destructive, confusing? Can I view my personal angst as a metaphorical nova that will result in the creation of new elements--new aspects of my personality otherwise doomed to remain dormant? Can I learn to tango for two/you?
Thomas Merton (Trappist monk) said, "We stumble and fall constantly, even when we are most enlightened." I know this to be true...but I know another of his quote's is equally true: "Perhaps I am stronger than I think." In this context then, can I re-embrace gratitude for how the situation is now? Honestly appreciating it as it now stands--unfair, destructive, confusing? Can I view my personal angst as a metaphorical nova that will result in the creation of new elements--new aspects of my personality otherwise doomed to remain dormant? Can I learn to tango for two/you?
Monday, July 18, 2016
Sibyl of the Rhine
"Divinity is in it's omniscience and omnipotence like a wheel, a circle, a whole, that can be neither understood, nor divided, nor begun nor ended."
"The mystery of God hugs you in it's all-encompassing arms."
"Humanity, take a good look at yourself. Inside you have heaven and earth, and all of creation. You're a world--everything is hidden in you."
"Even in a world that is being shipwrecked, remain brave and strong."
"We cannot live in a world that is not our own, in a world that is interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a home. Part of the terror is to take back our own listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light."
~Hildegard of Bingen
This remarkable woman (1098-1179) was a Benedictine nun who authored 9 books, 70 poems, a play, and composed music--for which she is most celebrated today. During her lifetime she was venerated as a visionary and seer. She advised and consulted bishops, kings and Popes, and actually called Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, a "madman" for his support of two anti-popes.
"The mystery of God hugs you in it's all-encompassing arms."
"Humanity, take a good look at yourself. Inside you have heaven and earth, and all of creation. You're a world--everything is hidden in you."
"Even in a world that is being shipwrecked, remain brave and strong."
"We cannot live in a world that is not our own, in a world that is interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a home. Part of the terror is to take back our own listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light."
~Hildegard of Bingen
This remarkable woman (1098-1179) was a Benedictine nun who authored 9 books, 70 poems, a play, and composed music--for which she is most celebrated today. During her lifetime she was venerated as a visionary and seer. She advised and consulted bishops, kings and Popes, and actually called Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, a "madman" for his support of two anti-popes.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Sand, Sunni's, and Couscous
Algeria is over four-fifths desert--which would be an impressive statistic if it wasn't dwarfed by being 99% Sunni Islam. Those are some overwhelming percentages. And it seems everyone eats couscous...
The biggest surprise (for me) regarding Algeria was to find there is a Notre Dame d'Afrique. Located in Algiers, this cathedral is noted for the inscription behind the altar; "Notre Dame d'Afrique priez pour nous et pour les Musulmans." (Our Lady of Africa pray for us and for the Muslims) Hope she is listening.
The biggest surprise (for me) regarding Algeria was to find there is a Notre Dame d'Afrique. Located in Algiers, this cathedral is noted for the inscription behind the altar; "Notre Dame d'Afrique priez pour nous et pour les Musulmans." (Our Lady of Africa pray for us and for the Muslims) Hope she is listening.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Dorotheus of Gaza
"Do not wish for everything to be done according to your determination, but wish that it is how it should be, and in this way you will attain peace with everyone. And believe that everything that happens to us, even the most insignificant, occurs through God's Providence. Then you will be able to endure everything that comes upon you without irritation."
"A great means to preserve continual peace and tranquility of the soul is to receive everything from the hands of God, both great and small, and in whatever way it comes."
This 6th century monk was on to Gift-Gratitude-God 1500 years before I was born. Here is an example of the baraka in action, both then and now.
"A great means to preserve continual peace and tranquility of the soul is to receive everything from the hands of God, both great and small, and in whatever way it comes."
This 6th century monk was on to Gift-Gratitude-God 1500 years before I was born. Here is an example of the baraka in action, both then and now.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Majorana Fermion
I've been reluctant to share this information with you. I read about it on June 28th and felt it had far reaching consequences regarding my post of June 21st, 2016. (Subtlety) But as I said in the June 23rd post, (Don't Believe Me?) I am reluctant to bring in "expert testimony." I feel as though my bona fides has long been proven. This blog is nearly four years old and I have been consistent as to it's intent. (GGG) I utilize science simply to put you in a context where mysticism isn't looked on as dubiously as it might. That said, lets look at what I have been so slow to share.
On June 22nd Shanghai Jaitong University put out a statement that Jia Jinfeng (and other Chinese scientists) had proven that the "majorana fermion" exists. I emphasis "proven" because a Princeton team of scientists had closed in to the point there was "compelling evidence." (2014) But up until June 22nd, it wasn't proven. That's important because it became newsworthy--and led me to seeing a story about it. (Uproxx 6-27-16 "How the Majorana Fermion Might Change the World.")
Now lets look at why the majorana fermion has the physics world abuzz. 1) It is it's own anti-matter. 2) It exists as both 0 and 1 in binary code simultaneously! 3) It makes quantum computers more practical and 4) is a possible explanation for dark matter.
Reading the argument presented in Subtlety for a 'one/none' or 'nothing/something' contradictory state of being now has a parallel in the scientific community. That is HUGE. The fact the post was written a day before the information came out is compelling. Truth is (and probably holds true for you) I had never heard of a 'majorana fermion' before.
What seems apparent is the baraka made use of me. (however reluctant I was) That an aspect of God wanted to be revealed. That the juxtaposition between what you might easily accept (science) versus what you might actively resist, (religion) has been laid bare. You do with that what you will.
On June 22nd Shanghai Jaitong University put out a statement that Jia Jinfeng (and other Chinese scientists) had proven that the "majorana fermion" exists. I emphasis "proven" because a Princeton team of scientists had closed in to the point there was "compelling evidence." (2014) But up until June 22nd, it wasn't proven. That's important because it became newsworthy--and led me to seeing a story about it. (Uproxx 6-27-16 "How the Majorana Fermion Might Change the World.")
Now lets look at why the majorana fermion has the physics world abuzz. 1) It is it's own anti-matter. 2) It exists as both 0 and 1 in binary code simultaneously! 3) It makes quantum computers more practical and 4) is a possible explanation for dark matter.
Reading the argument presented in Subtlety for a 'one/none' or 'nothing/something' contradictory state of being now has a parallel in the scientific community. That is HUGE. The fact the post was written a day before the information came out is compelling. Truth is (and probably holds true for you) I had never heard of a 'majorana fermion' before.
What seems apparent is the baraka made use of me. (however reluctant I was) That an aspect of God wanted to be revealed. That the juxtaposition between what you might easily accept (science) versus what you might actively resist, (religion) has been laid bare. You do with that what you will.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Don't Cry For Me Rio de la Plata
Wow! Argentina hit the visitor's list between 12:05-12:20 PM PST today. I didn't even have to coax them with some fawning post. (you listening, Algeria?) I was nearly as appreciative when Peru punched in Sunday, 7-10-16. [figured it a "near miss," and indicative of good juju] Fair winds Argentinians!
(if this post confuses you, see All Is Vanity, 7-4-16)
(if this post confuses you, see All Is Vanity, 7-4-16)
Monday, July 11, 2016
Conspicuous By It's Absence
While I reel in the insanity of my country's actions, let me offer a diversion. Examine all numbers between 1 and 100; there is something conspicuous by it's absence. It is overt and it is obvious--once you know what it is. Until you do, this question rates as a first class brain teaser. Rereading "No More Than Four," (6-17-16) may extend your normal, everyday perception, and aid in solving the riddle.
Monday, July 4, 2016
All Is Vanity
"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." Ecclesiastes 1:2
I totally admit it. The following list is a sop to my ego. Every once in a while I update the roster of countries that have visited this site. I had set 5 as the number of new countries to trigger when I would update. Today Costa Rica dropped in and there have actually been 6 new visitors (Bahamas 7-20-15 UAE 11-19-15 Latvia 4-29-16 Bulgaria 5-17-16 Qatar 6-2-16 Costa Rica 7-3-16) since the last update. (Grinding Gears 6-12-15)
_________________________________________________________________________________
I couldn't finish this yesterday--it seemed too trivial. This morning I got on and saw that Kuwait had also visited yesterday. Two new visitors in a day (after 4 years) is a statistical anomaly. I am going to take it as a sign that it is okay to indulge my ego. Here is where we've been:
Australia--Austria--Belarus--BAHAMAS--Belgium--Brazil--BULGARIA--Canada--Chile--COSTA RICA--Columbia--Denmark--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--Hungary--India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--KUWAIT--Kyrgyzstan--LATVIA--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--Netherlands--Pakistan--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--QATAR--Romania--Russia--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--Turkey--UNITED ARAB EMIRATE--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe
Through investigation I have discovered of the 10 largest country's in the world, (by land mass) numbers 8 and 10 (Argentina and Algeria) have inexplicably remained "at large." I am going after them. Why? First and foremost, motivation...sometimes it has to be manufactured. Second, why not try and cover the globe? Third, I can make a game of it and have some fun. It certainly isn't the intent of the blog, but there is no reason it can't be a by-product.
NOTE: I am going to have Gwenn add a link to a song on this post, but am going to go ahead and publish now. [not sure what her availability is] The game is, who can guess what the song link is going to be? Enter your guess in comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6UAYGxiRwU
I totally admit it. The following list is a sop to my ego. Every once in a while I update the roster of countries that have visited this site. I had set 5 as the number of new countries to trigger when I would update. Today Costa Rica dropped in and there have actually been 6 new visitors (Bahamas 7-20-15 UAE 11-19-15 Latvia 4-29-16 Bulgaria 5-17-16 Qatar 6-2-16 Costa Rica 7-3-16) since the last update. (Grinding Gears 6-12-15)
_________________________________________________________________________________
I couldn't finish this yesterday--it seemed too trivial. This morning I got on and saw that Kuwait had also visited yesterday. Two new visitors in a day (after 4 years) is a statistical anomaly. I am going to take it as a sign that it is okay to indulge my ego. Here is where we've been:
Australia--Austria--Belarus--BAHAMAS--Belgium--Brazil--BULGARIA--Canada--Chile--COSTA RICA--Columbia--Denmark--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--Hungary--India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--KUWAIT--Kyrgyzstan--LATVIA--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--Netherlands--Pakistan--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--QATAR--Romania--Russia--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--Turkey--UNITED ARAB EMIRATE--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe
Through investigation I have discovered of the 10 largest country's in the world, (by land mass) numbers 8 and 10 (Argentina and Algeria) have inexplicably remained "at large." I am going after them. Why? First and foremost, motivation...sometimes it has to be manufactured. Second, why not try and cover the globe? Third, I can make a game of it and have some fun. It certainly isn't the intent of the blog, but there is no reason it can't be a by-product.
NOTE: I am going to have Gwenn add a link to a song on this post, but am going to go ahead and publish now. [not sure what her availability is] The game is, who can guess what the song link is going to be? Enter your guess in comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6UAYGxiRwU
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Don't Believe Me?
For those who might have viewed Tuesday's post as gibberish, please read the following quote from Martin Rees: "In the beginning there were only probabilities. The universe could only come into existence if someone observed it. It does not matter that the observers turned up several billion years later. The universe exists because we are aware of it."
Beyond the fact that Rees is a PhD, his resume is overwhelming. Google him yourself. Read all about him. Point being, I didn't rely on him, or anyone else for that matter, to create the post. I actually stumbled across his quote this morning. I thought, "AHA!" here is a cosmologist/astrophysicist saying the same thing as I did on Tuesday. Perhaps his resume and viewpoint will bolster my argument.
Do I feel it necessary to bring in "expert testimony?" Not in the least. But my fear is you might. That my lack of credentials might be an impediment for you. The bottom line is this; I'm talking to your heart, not your head. If you are of the opinion that God can be captured by the intellect, I do not believe this site will be of value to you. (but thanks for stopping by!)
Beyond the fact that Rees is a PhD, his resume is overwhelming. Google him yourself. Read all about him. Point being, I didn't rely on him, or anyone else for that matter, to create the post. I actually stumbled across his quote this morning. I thought, "AHA!" here is a cosmologist/astrophysicist saying the same thing as I did on Tuesday. Perhaps his resume and viewpoint will bolster my argument.
Do I feel it necessary to bring in "expert testimony?" Not in the least. But my fear is you might. That my lack of credentials might be an impediment for you. The bottom line is this; I'm talking to your heart, not your head. If you are of the opinion that God can be captured by the intellect, I do not believe this site will be of value to you. (but thanks for stopping by!)
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Subtlety
By all accounts esoteric gnosis acknowledges this material plane of existence as the 'grossest.' Not gross in the ick! sense, only that it is dense. (crowded closely together, compact--hard to penetrate--difficult to understand) And this physical manifestation is dependent on the appearance and supposed realism of duality. Up, down, forward, backward. However, there seems to me sufficient evidence to argue this logic.
Begin with the idea of none. (no one, not one, nobody) It would seem rational to suppose that 'none' existed before one. Even the very definition states,"no one." Still, it wasn't until the concept of 'one' arrived, that 'none' came into creation. There was no juxtapostion, no contrast for 'none' to exist. Osho put it this way: "The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never."
Now, let us take it a step further. I have made claims in other posts that God is nothing. (no thing) This is not sophistry! As one example, New Science editor-in-chief Jeremy Webb has compiled 25 articles from various authors to create a book entitled; "Nothing: Surprising Insights Everywhere from Zero to Oblivion." I have not read the book, although I have glanced at the Introduction. A portion of what it says is; "The word nothing is applied in all manner of settings and in every case reveals a different aspect of reality. Can something really come from nothing? Why do some animals spend all day doing nothing? What happens in our brain when we try to think of nothing? These are all questions scientist have asked and gained intriguing results."
If science feels 'nothing' is a worthwhile topic, ('...and in every case reveals a different aspect of reality.') am I wrong to explore it? Of course not. So, as I was saying, God is nothing. And just like none and one, nothing cannot be understood without something. A distinction, a differentiation, must be made for 'nothing' to be understood. Hence creation, life, and eventually, you! God is the no thing that is dependent on the some thing for His very existence--and vice versa. As I proposed in the story White Bird: "You cannot separate Creator from Creation without certain chaos. You render the former impotent and the latter inanimate. Both are essential, one to the other."
Now, I get that the whole idea is counter-intuitive. To think of something defining the nothing of which everything had it's origin, is subtle beyond words. But if there is a "God," would we expect less? If a finite mind dare gaze at the Infinite, what does one imagine? And would the furthest reaches of his imagination move more than a nano-meter on the cosmic scale? If so, should that deter him? Or are the whispers of eternity an echo of the spiritual fecundity a mind cannot suppress?
Nothing was everything until something emerged. Everything was nothing until something diverged.
Begin with the idea of none. (no one, not one, nobody) It would seem rational to suppose that 'none' existed before one. Even the very definition states,"no one." Still, it wasn't until the concept of 'one' arrived, that 'none' came into creation. There was no juxtapostion, no contrast for 'none' to exist. Osho put it this way: "The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never."
Now, let us take it a step further. I have made claims in other posts that God is nothing. (no thing) This is not sophistry! As one example, New Science editor-in-chief Jeremy Webb has compiled 25 articles from various authors to create a book entitled; "Nothing: Surprising Insights Everywhere from Zero to Oblivion." I have not read the book, although I have glanced at the Introduction. A portion of what it says is; "The word nothing is applied in all manner of settings and in every case reveals a different aspect of reality. Can something really come from nothing? Why do some animals spend all day doing nothing? What happens in our brain when we try to think of nothing? These are all questions scientist have asked and gained intriguing results."
If science feels 'nothing' is a worthwhile topic, ('...and in every case reveals a different aspect of reality.') am I wrong to explore it? Of course not. So, as I was saying, God is nothing. And just like none and one, nothing cannot be understood without something. A distinction, a differentiation, must be made for 'nothing' to be understood. Hence creation, life, and eventually, you! God is the no thing that is dependent on the some thing for His very existence--and vice versa. As I proposed in the story White Bird: "You cannot separate Creator from Creation without certain chaos. You render the former impotent and the latter inanimate. Both are essential, one to the other."
Now, I get that the whole idea is counter-intuitive. To think of something defining the nothing of which everything had it's origin, is subtle beyond words. But if there is a "God," would we expect less? If a finite mind dare gaze at the Infinite, what does one imagine? And would the furthest reaches of his imagination move more than a nano-meter on the cosmic scale? If so, should that deter him? Or are the whispers of eternity an echo of the spiritual fecundity a mind cannot suppress?
Nothing was everything until something emerged. Everything was nothing until something diverged.
Friday, June 17, 2016
No More Than Four
There is something utterly unique about the number four. Do you know what it is? Take your time and think about it. Take days if you have the discipline. It isn't something arbitrary or open to speculation. There is only one answer that fulfills the 'utterly unique' criteria. So, lets see how much thought you give this question before you look for the answer. (given below)
This is the type of attitude I need you to bring to this site. You must develop the ability to see beyond what you have been conditioned to see. That something 'utterly unique' is contained in these posts specific to you. If I'm not putting up new content doesn't mean your answer (or next step in the process) hasn't already been addressed. Make use of the archives. The 'arrow of time' is convenient for human understanding, but is irrelevant to God.
So, if you haven't already been exposed to this fact about 4, it is unlikely you will ever look at the number in the same way. Similarly, after a visit to this site, you wouldn't look at yourself in the same way, either.
ANSWER
One: has three. Two: has three. Three: has five. Four: has FOUR! Five: has four. Six: has three. Seven: has five. Eight: has five. Nine: has four. Ten: has three. Eleven: has six...got it now? [letters = number]
This is the type of attitude I need you to bring to this site. You must develop the ability to see beyond what you have been conditioned to see. That something 'utterly unique' is contained in these posts specific to you. If I'm not putting up new content doesn't mean your answer (or next step in the process) hasn't already been addressed. Make use of the archives. The 'arrow of time' is convenient for human understanding, but is irrelevant to God.
So, if you haven't already been exposed to this fact about 4, it is unlikely you will ever look at the number in the same way. Similarly, after a visit to this site, you wouldn't look at yourself in the same way, either.
ANSWER
One: has three. Two: has three. Three: has five. Four: has FOUR! Five: has four. Six: has three. Seven: has five. Eight: has five. Nine: has four. Ten: has three. Eleven: has six...got it now? [letters = number]
Monday, June 13, 2016
Kick 'Em When Their Down
You are predisposed to, "blame the victim." This is known as the "Just World Fallacy." (Melvin J. Lerner and Carolyn H. Simmons 1966) Coupled with 'affect reaction' and 'negativity bias,' the difficulty in maintaining emotional balance is a daunting task. Be that as it may, I have suggested a way of handling it. G-G-G. But you have to put in the work.
Remember as a child the 'connect the dots' books? By following the dots one was able to produce a picture (drawing) of some animal or object. What was once a vague outline became something tangible. So it is with G-G-G. You have to connect the dots. Even when the outcome (picture) is murky, or in question, follow the dots! (there are now 360 of them)
Millions of years of evolution isn't something we can wave a stick at and, presto!, undo. Still, I have provided the quickest, most efficient way, of rewiring your neural net. Laugh at it, disparage it, revile it, but for God's sake (and yours) try it! If the last 'G' (God) is abhorrent to you, leave it out. Work with Gift and Gratitude. (the last G is simply a bonus anyway) But 'work' you must.
"Cognitive theories of emotion posit that affective responses may be shaped by how individuals interpret emotion-eliciting situations. This study tested whether individual differences in interpretation bias (i.e., interpreting ambiguous scenario's in a more negative or positive manner) independently predict trait resilience and depression in medical interns. Those with a more positive interpretation bias had a higher trait resilience and a 6-fold decreased depressive symptom risk during internship. The predictive power of interpretation bias for decreased depression symptoms held over and above initial depressive symptoms, demographics and trait reappraisal. Assessing positive interpretation bias may have practical utility for predicting future well-being in at risk populations." (see; Positive interpretations bias predicts well-being in medical interns. Birgit Kleim, Hanna Thorn, Ulrike Ehlert 6-24-14 Frontiers in Psychology)
Here is the thing...if you are depressed, or a victim, people will eventually determine your depression or victimization as your fault! (Just World Fallacy) That you're getting what you deserve. Guess how you are going to react to that? You are going to fall further into your depressed state. I wish more than that for you. I do not wish to give you my boot, but a boost. But you have to put in the work.
Remember as a child the 'connect the dots' books? By following the dots one was able to produce a picture (drawing) of some animal or object. What was once a vague outline became something tangible. So it is with G-G-G. You have to connect the dots. Even when the outcome (picture) is murky, or in question, follow the dots! (there are now 360 of them)
Millions of years of evolution isn't something we can wave a stick at and, presto!, undo. Still, I have provided the quickest, most efficient way, of rewiring your neural net. Laugh at it, disparage it, revile it, but for God's sake (and yours) try it! If the last 'G' (God) is abhorrent to you, leave it out. Work with Gift and Gratitude. (the last G is simply a bonus anyway) But 'work' you must.
"Cognitive theories of emotion posit that affective responses may be shaped by how individuals interpret emotion-eliciting situations. This study tested whether individual differences in interpretation bias (i.e., interpreting ambiguous scenario's in a more negative or positive manner) independently predict trait resilience and depression in medical interns. Those with a more positive interpretation bias had a higher trait resilience and a 6-fold decreased depressive symptom risk during internship. The predictive power of interpretation bias for decreased depression symptoms held over and above initial depressive symptoms, demographics and trait reappraisal. Assessing positive interpretation bias may have practical utility for predicting future well-being in at risk populations." (see; Positive interpretations bias predicts well-being in medical interns. Birgit Kleim, Hanna Thorn, Ulrike Ehlert 6-24-14 Frontiers in Psychology)
Here is the thing...if you are depressed, or a victim, people will eventually determine your depression or victimization as your fault! (Just World Fallacy) That you're getting what you deserve. Guess how you are going to react to that? You are going to fall further into your depressed state. I wish more than that for you. I do not wish to give you my boot, but a boost. But you have to put in the work.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Islamic Mysticism
ALL...AH!
You get that, you've really got something.
(out "succinct-ed" by Alan Watts)
You get that, you've really got something.
(out "succinct-ed" by Alan Watts)
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Mind If I Play Through?
Some think I talk (type) too much. That I never use one word when ten are available. They're right. So, for all you 'succinctists' out there, let me make a concession. I'll put it as simply as I ever have.
"I am the Source and I am the Course."
You get that, you've really got something.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Back Stage
The dynamic of what just took place on this blog was rather interesting, wasn't it? Take another look at the last paragraph of the May 30th post, "What Next?" Now look at the last sentence. (That's what's next...) The June 1st title was, "I Knew That Was Going To Happen!," where I smugly admit G-G-G is like the scientific theory of determinism. And yesterday brought us "Manifestation," a first time ever (for this site) guest blog by Robin Lee.
Know this--I first became aware of Robin Lee May 4th of last month. I read an article about soul mates at "Rebelle Society," that happened to be penned by her. I was curious and looked to see if she was on Facebook. She was, so I 'messaged' to tell her how much I enjoyed her article. Her reply was gracious. No further contact was made until yesterday (though I had made comments on her thread) when I asked permission to use "Love Letter." That article was actually written a year ago--June 1st of 2015. Here is Robin's explanation for posting it on Facebook: "One year ago today I published this piece after writing while shaking from the very core of my being, in the midst of one of the most deeply painful (read: transformative) periods of my life so far. May it be of service to you as we transition gradually out of spring and into the full bloom of summer. Trust, and let go."
Know this--within an hour of my post of June 1st, I had read Robin's Facebook entry and messaged Gwenn. (11:10 AM PST) I asked her if it was possible to place an entire article (and picture) in the blog rather than 'linking' it. She didn't respond until the next morning, June 2nd. (6:12 AM). She said that yes, it could be done, but to e-mail it to her. I said I would do so after obtaining the authors permission. By 6:47 AM I had Robin's authorization. The rest was a waiting game. Gwenn is a very busy girl. I knew she was teaching a yoga class that morning and the best case scenario for getting the post back would be mid-afternoon. It was 7:27 PM when Gwenn let me know I could look over the results. At 8:44 PM it (Manifestation) was published. The importance I placed on getting it posted in one calendar day had been realized. (I felt the whole dynamic to be so wonderfully revealing that it became, in my mind, time sensitive.)
Know this--nobody really likes to hear how sausage is made, you just want to enjoy them. And reading about the nuts and bolts that go into a post, or a series of posts, is boring. But think: What Next--I Knew That Was Going to Happen!--Manifestation. It doesn't get any more overt. God is hitting you over the head with a spiritual 2 x 4. And if you can't recognize God when He appears, how will you be able to test the validity of G-G-G?
Know this--within an hour of my post of June 1st, I had read Robin's Facebook entry and messaged Gwenn. (11:10 AM PST) I asked her if it was possible to place an entire article (and picture) in the blog rather than 'linking' it. She didn't respond until the next morning, June 2nd. (6:12 AM). She said that yes, it could be done, but to e-mail it to her. I said I would do so after obtaining the authors permission. By 6:47 AM I had Robin's authorization. The rest was a waiting game. Gwenn is a very busy girl. I knew she was teaching a yoga class that morning and the best case scenario for getting the post back would be mid-afternoon. It was 7:27 PM when Gwenn let me know I could look over the results. At 8:44 PM it (Manifestation) was published. The importance I placed on getting it posted in one calendar day had been realized. (I felt the whole dynamic to be so wonderfully revealing that it became, in my mind, time sensitive.)
Know this--nobody really likes to hear how sausage is made, you just want to enjoy them. And reading about the nuts and bolts that go into a post, or a series of posts, is boring. But think: What Next--I Knew That Was Going to Happen!--Manifestation. It doesn't get any more overt. God is hitting you over the head with a spiritual 2 x 4. And if you can't recognize God when He appears, how will you be able to test the validity of G-G-G?
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Manifestation
I teach Gift-Gratitude-God. Taking events in your life, no matter there outward appearance, and perceiving them as a 'gift.' I have suggested that if you do so, and are genuinely grateful for the gift, an aspect of God will be revealed. Today, I am going to share with you how this would look. One manifestation of the Infinite. The article below was written by a young woman named Robin Lee. I asked her permission to use the piece. I ask you to remove your sandals* before reading it.
* "remove your sandals," is a reference to Moses' meeting with God on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 3:5)
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
I Knew That Was Going To Happen!
The following is from Sean Carroll's (theoretical physicist at California Institute of Technology) new book "The Big Picture." (Dutton-Penguin Random House 2016)
"There is a bit of a mismatch between Laplace's (Pierre-Simon Marquis de Laplace) notion of determinism and what most people think of when they hear the 'the future is determined.' The latter phrase conjures up images of destiny or fate--the idea that what will eventually happen has 'already been decided,' with the implication that it's been decided by someone, or something."
"The physical notion of determinism is different from destiny or fate in a subtle but crucial way: because Laplace's Demon doesn't actually exist, the future may be determined by the present, but literally nobody knows what it will be. When we think of destiny, we think of something like the Three Fates of Greek mythology or the Weird Sisters of Shakespeare's Macbeth, wizened oracles who will use riddles to indicate our future path, from which we will try to escape from and fail. The real universe is nothing like that. It's more like an annoying child who likes to approach people and say, 'I know what's going to happen next!' Then, when you ask what will happen, the child says, 'I can't tell you.' And after it happens, they say, 'See? I knew that was going to happen!' That's the universe for you."
I can't begin to tell you how amused I was by this example. And it was difficult not to add my own emphasis or italics. (the paragraphs appear exactly as they do in the book, with the exception of giving you Laplace's full name) Here is a theoretical physicist saying determinism is like a bratty, know-it-all kid, messing with your mind. Which reminds me exactly of how I come across! The whole process of G-G-G is determined. If you follow the formula, the outcome is assured. If you don't follow the formula, the outcome is assured. ('I know what's going to happen next!') The choice people make is obvious--easily detectable in body language, facial expression, and what is at the core of their conversation(s).
So why do people make the choices they make? Here is the beginning of the answer: "The most serious lying is when we know perfectly well that we do not and cannot know the truth about things and never act accordingly. We always think and act as though we do know the truth. This is lying. For instance, we know nothing about ourselves, and we really know we know nothing, yet we never recognize or admit the fact; we never confess it even to ourselves, we think and act and speak as though we knew who we are. (emphasis mine) This is the origin, the beginning of lying." ~Ouspensky The Fourth Way
"There is a bit of a mismatch between Laplace's (Pierre-Simon Marquis de Laplace) notion of determinism and what most people think of when they hear the 'the future is determined.' The latter phrase conjures up images of destiny or fate--the idea that what will eventually happen has 'already been decided,' with the implication that it's been decided by someone, or something."
"The physical notion of determinism is different from destiny or fate in a subtle but crucial way: because Laplace's Demon doesn't actually exist, the future may be determined by the present, but literally nobody knows what it will be. When we think of destiny, we think of something like the Three Fates of Greek mythology or the Weird Sisters of Shakespeare's Macbeth, wizened oracles who will use riddles to indicate our future path, from which we will try to escape from and fail. The real universe is nothing like that. It's more like an annoying child who likes to approach people and say, 'I know what's going to happen next!' Then, when you ask what will happen, the child says, 'I can't tell you.' And after it happens, they say, 'See? I knew that was going to happen!' That's the universe for you."
I can't begin to tell you how amused I was by this example. And it was difficult not to add my own emphasis or italics. (the paragraphs appear exactly as they do in the book, with the exception of giving you Laplace's full name) Here is a theoretical physicist saying determinism is like a bratty, know-it-all kid, messing with your mind. Which reminds me exactly of how I come across! The whole process of G-G-G is determined. If you follow the formula, the outcome is assured. If you don't follow the formula, the outcome is assured. ('I know what's going to happen next!') The choice people make is obvious--easily detectable in body language, facial expression, and what is at the core of their conversation(s).
So why do people make the choices they make? Here is the beginning of the answer: "The most serious lying is when we know perfectly well that we do not and cannot know the truth about things and never act accordingly. We always think and act as though we do know the truth. This is lying. For instance, we know nothing about ourselves, and we really know we know nothing, yet we never recognize or admit the fact; we never confess it even to ourselves, we think and act and speak as though we knew who we are. (emphasis mine) This is the origin, the beginning of lying." ~Ouspensky The Fourth Way
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
What Next?
Regarding your spirituality, nothing. Visiting this site indicates you have probably done more than enough. Enough reading, workshops, meditations, prayers. I advise you to simply stop. Stop trying to be, and just be. So how does one get out of one's own way?
Obviously my answer is G-G-G. In another post I called it a "hack". (as in altering the software of your neural network--which has a propensity towards negative interpretations. See 'Source of Gratitude' 11-15-15, as one example) However, if I were to be more precise, G-G-G is a spiritual algorithm. A set of instructions that allows you to solve a problem. The problem? You tell me. I am reduced to painting with as broad a brush as possible, given I write to an unspecified, general audience.
To allow for an overview, though, I have taken on the most obvious issue's that beset people, (not being good enough, unworthy of love, inability to forgive oneselve, general self-loathing, ongoing self-sabotage, etc. etc. etc!) and have addressed them throughout the blog. My contention is to view what you are going through (whatever it might be) as a gift. That the answer you need, are looking for, is what life is bringing you. God (the Presence, Ultimate Reality, Infinite Intelligence--whatever you are comfortable calling It) is knock, knock, knocking on your door saying, 'this is Me. Let Me in.' And when it is something we think is nice, beneficial, or beautiful, we swing the door wide open. Yes! God loves me! When the opposite occurs, however, we expend tremendous amounts of energy slamming the door shut and pushing our weight up against it to bar entry. 'No, no, no! I can't handle the loss, I don't want the pain, I've had enough humiliation. Please, go away!'
So the experience is denied. It becomes what you run from, suppress. It terrorizes you. If, at some point, it bubbles up from the subconscious, you ruthlessly repress it. And so an aspect of God is rejected. "But Pat," comes the angry retort, "God isn't _____!" (fill in the blank) Really? How would you know? What is below the pain, loss, grief, or rejection? What is it that's actually there beyond the emotion of the experience?
That's what's next...
Obviously my answer is G-G-G. In another post I called it a "hack". (as in altering the software of your neural network--which has a propensity towards negative interpretations. See 'Source of Gratitude' 11-15-15, as one example) However, if I were to be more precise, G-G-G is a spiritual algorithm. A set of instructions that allows you to solve a problem. The problem? You tell me. I am reduced to painting with as broad a brush as possible, given I write to an unspecified, general audience.
To allow for an overview, though, I have taken on the most obvious issue's that beset people, (not being good enough, unworthy of love, inability to forgive oneselve, general self-loathing, ongoing self-sabotage, etc. etc. etc!) and have addressed them throughout the blog. My contention is to view what you are going through (whatever it might be) as a gift. That the answer you need, are looking for, is what life is bringing you. God (the Presence, Ultimate Reality, Infinite Intelligence--whatever you are comfortable calling It) is knock, knock, knocking on your door saying, 'this is Me. Let Me in.' And when it is something we think is nice, beneficial, or beautiful, we swing the door wide open. Yes! God loves me! When the opposite occurs, however, we expend tremendous amounts of energy slamming the door shut and pushing our weight up against it to bar entry. 'No, no, no! I can't handle the loss, I don't want the pain, I've had enough humiliation. Please, go away!'
So the experience is denied. It becomes what you run from, suppress. It terrorizes you. If, at some point, it bubbles up from the subconscious, you ruthlessly repress it. And so an aspect of God is rejected. "But Pat," comes the angry retort, "God isn't _____!" (fill in the blank) Really? How would you know? What is below the pain, loss, grief, or rejection? What is it that's actually there beyond the emotion of the experience?
That's what's next...
Saturday, May 21, 2016
SOS
Send Out Saviors
That is the word on the street and the proclamation from heaven. You are needed--now!
Qualifications: A willing heart and recognition of who you actually are.
All else will become apparent.
That is the word on the street and the proclamation from heaven. You are needed--now!
Qualifications: A willing heart and recognition of who you actually are.
All else will become apparent.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
You're Up
Yep, your names been called. Front and center. Let's go. Move it!
That is what yesterday's post was all about. If you continue to wait for God to fix you, or the world, pick out a casket. You will die with all the unfulfilled longings that make up your daily existence. If, however, you want to change the world, then change yourself. Take on the mantle of savior, saint, guru, teacher--or, if need be, (and you are truly enlightened) the title of worthless avatar, lazy monk, or prickly priest. Quit letting the idea of you becoming perfect before committing stop you in your tracks. You are never going to be perfect! (sorry to break that bit of news to you)
Instead, perhaps, you can share your life story without all the guile, blame, and self-deception you usually employ. Forgo the masking of your insecurities and self-loathing, everyone does that. Teach them something they rarely (if ever) see. Authenticity. Here I am in all my majestic worthlessness! Yes, I am fallible. No, I don't have all the answers. And guess what? That's my teaching!
Something rare is invariably considered precious, valuable. So it is with an individual who can reveal themselves as they are--stripped of all artifice. And this you can begin teaching today. Do so.
That is what yesterday's post was all about. If you continue to wait for God to fix you, or the world, pick out a casket. You will die with all the unfulfilled longings that make up your daily existence. If, however, you want to change the world, then change yourself. Take on the mantle of savior, saint, guru, teacher--or, if need be, (and you are truly enlightened) the title of worthless avatar, lazy monk, or prickly priest. Quit letting the idea of you becoming perfect before committing stop you in your tracks. You are never going to be perfect! (sorry to break that bit of news to you)
Instead, perhaps, you can share your life story without all the guile, blame, and self-deception you usually employ. Forgo the masking of your insecurities and self-loathing, everyone does that. Teach them something they rarely (if ever) see. Authenticity. Here I am in all my majestic worthlessness! Yes, I am fallible. No, I don't have all the answers. And guess what? That's my teaching!
Something rare is invariably considered precious, valuable. So it is with an individual who can reveal themselves as they are--stripped of all artifice. And this you can begin teaching today. Do so.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
No Longer Christian, But Christ
Understanding the title of this post is a literal suggestion, feel free to teach G-G-G. If you genuinely can't get to the point of it being a literal reality (you being the anointed one) then consider going back to 2012 and begin at the beginning; Aurora.
(If you need to ask does 'no longer Jewish, but Jehovah,' or 'no longer Muslim, but Mohammad,' apply--of course it does! It's back to Aurora for you as well.)
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
What Time Is It
I have suggested in other posts that God isn't something because He is everything. I know this is difficult. It sounds weird. "Pat," I can hear you saying, "He would have to be something if He were everything." Perhaps. But the following excerpt from the book, "God (A Guide for the Perplexed)" by Keith Ward, may aid us in the paradox; albeit with his discourse on time. (page 134)
"Time, despite Aristotle, did have a beginning (most modern physicists would agree with this). You can always ask, 'What existed before the first moment of time?'--but the question does not really make sense. It is like asking, 'What positive integer exists before the number 1?' The answer is that it is the first positive integer. So, if time is a relation between events, and there is an event that is not preceded by any other event, that is the beginning of time. No problem."
"God, however, is the creator of time. So God does not exist before it. God must exist completely outside and beyond it, not in a temporal way at all. God is absolutely timeless. In God there is no before and after, and God does not exist at any time. It follows that God does not now exist."
"The point is that God does exist. But there is no time at which God exists. The whole of time, from beginning to end, is created by God. Because of that, it is just as true to say that God creates at the end of time as it is to say that God creates at the beginning. If we imagine the whole of time as a line from A to Z, then the whole line is made by God in one and the same act." (all emphasis mine)
I think this argument is easier because we can picture a distinction between God and time. The position that there is 'no time at which God exists,' is an understandable concept (time being a byproduct of God's creation). It may be more difficult to embrace the idea of God not being something. It is the limitations of something, the inherent specificity of the word, which makes it inapplicable. Just as God is nothing (no thing) neither is He something (some thing). He is everything. (every thing)
Of course there may be those who claim this is all a matter of semantics. They would not be wrong. When it comes to God we can't be sure...even if we insist we have had a divine revelation. Many have had revelations (Abraham--Moses--Jesus--Mohammad--Joseph Smith, etc). Are we to believe that God has altered His message? Revised it? Updated it? Or can we allow for personal visions that are consistent with a universal longing for that inexplicable something that is everything we ever dreamed of? Time will tell.
"Time, despite Aristotle, did have a beginning (most modern physicists would agree with this). You can always ask, 'What existed before the first moment of time?'--but the question does not really make sense. It is like asking, 'What positive integer exists before the number 1?' The answer is that it is the first positive integer. So, if time is a relation between events, and there is an event that is not preceded by any other event, that is the beginning of time. No problem."
"God, however, is the creator of time. So God does not exist before it. God must exist completely outside and beyond it, not in a temporal way at all. God is absolutely timeless. In God there is no before and after, and God does not exist at any time. It follows that God does not now exist."
"The point is that God does exist. But there is no time at which God exists. The whole of time, from beginning to end, is created by God. Because of that, it is just as true to say that God creates at the end of time as it is to say that God creates at the beginning. If we imagine the whole of time as a line from A to Z, then the whole line is made by God in one and the same act." (all emphasis mine)
I think this argument is easier because we can picture a distinction between God and time. The position that there is 'no time at which God exists,' is an understandable concept (time being a byproduct of God's creation). It may be more difficult to embrace the idea of God not being something. It is the limitations of something, the inherent specificity of the word, which makes it inapplicable. Just as God is nothing (no thing) neither is He something (some thing). He is everything. (every thing)
Of course there may be those who claim this is all a matter of semantics. They would not be wrong. When it comes to God we can't be sure...even if we insist we have had a divine revelation. Many have had revelations (Abraham--Moses--Jesus--Mohammad--Joseph Smith, etc). Are we to believe that God has altered His message? Revised it? Updated it? Or can we allow for personal visions that are consistent with a universal longing for that inexplicable something that is everything we ever dreamed of? Time will tell.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Where Credit Is Due
On January 12, 2013, I wrote the post, Let Us Pray. I feel it appropriate to give you an update.
The person referenced relocated to northern California 16 months ago for a job opportunity. He was (more or less) forced to move into his youngest son's apartment for financial reasons (not all that easy when you are 61 years of age). Two weeks ago he got a raise which enabled him to get his own place. Every step along the way he has confronted his fears, doubts, and insecurities; and lived to tell about it. All the stress inherent relocating, starting a new job, sharing his son's living space--as well as the collateral damage of a failed relationship due to drug use--have been overcome. He is a success story and needs to be celebrated. I would yell, "rah," if it wasn't such a dead giveaway. (private joke) So, I will leave it at, "thank you." And if any of you happened to lift your voice in prayer with me for him, thank you as well.
(Note of Interest: The July 30th, 2015, post Master Meister is about the son in question.)
Update: 2-28-16 You know, I'm not entirely happy with the response to this post. It makes me feel as though further disclosure is required, so let me add this: the raise the person of the post got was $30,000.00 a year. Yeah, that's right, THIRTY THOUSAND. A year. Think about it.
The person referenced relocated to northern California 16 months ago for a job opportunity. He was (more or less) forced to move into his youngest son's apartment for financial reasons (not all that easy when you are 61 years of age). Two weeks ago he got a raise which enabled him to get his own place. Every step along the way he has confronted his fears, doubts, and insecurities; and lived to tell about it. All the stress inherent relocating, starting a new job, sharing his son's living space--as well as the collateral damage of a failed relationship due to drug use--have been overcome. He is a success story and needs to be celebrated. I would yell, "rah," if it wasn't such a dead giveaway. (private joke) So, I will leave it at, "thank you." And if any of you happened to lift your voice in prayer with me for him, thank you as well.
(Note of Interest: The July 30th, 2015, post Master Meister is about the son in question.)
Update: 2-28-16 You know, I'm not entirely happy with the response to this post. It makes me feel as though further disclosure is required, so let me add this: the raise the person of the post got was $30,000.00 a year. Yeah, that's right, THIRTY THOUSAND. A year. Think about it.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Confirmation
The following is from the appendix of the book "Thou Art That," by Joseph Campbell (edited by Eugene C. Kennedy). The excerpt is from an article by Eugene that appeared in the New York Times, Easter Sunday, 1979, entitled; "Earthrise--The Dawning of a New Spiritual Awareness."
Kennedy: If Heaven and Earth were divided, so too were the body and soul, nature and supernature, flesh and spirit. The universe was ordered in a hierarchical fashion and so too were the churches.
Campbell: This divided model allowed us to think that there was a spiritual order, separate or divided from our own experience. Think of how we spoke about things according to the old model. Everything was seen from earthbound eyes. The sun rose and set. Joshua stopped both the sun and moon to have time to finish a slaughter. With the moon walk, the religious myth that sustained these notions could no longer be held. With our view of earthrise, we could see that the earth and heavens were no longer divided but that the earth is in the heavens. There is no division and all the theological notions based on the distinction between the heavens and the earth collapse with that realization. There is unity in the universe and a unity in our experience. We can no longer look for a spiritual order outside of our own experience.
I have been suggesting this was the case for 3 and 1/2 years. (more than 340 posts) And though I'm reluctant name-dropping, I invoked Joseph Campbell because I feel a real sense of urgency. If you've been following the on-going political campaign(s) in America, perhaps you share my alarm. It is time to remember what you have forgotten. I can't teach you anything you don't already know, all I can do is help you remember. So remember!
Kennedy: If Heaven and Earth were divided, so too were the body and soul, nature and supernature, flesh and spirit. The universe was ordered in a hierarchical fashion and so too were the churches.
Campbell: This divided model allowed us to think that there was a spiritual order, separate or divided from our own experience. Think of how we spoke about things according to the old model. Everything was seen from earthbound eyes. The sun rose and set. Joshua stopped both the sun and moon to have time to finish a slaughter. With the moon walk, the religious myth that sustained these notions could no longer be held. With our view of earthrise, we could see that the earth and heavens were no longer divided but that the earth is in the heavens. There is no division and all the theological notions based on the distinction between the heavens and the earth collapse with that realization. There is unity in the universe and a unity in our experience. We can no longer look for a spiritual order outside of our own experience.
I have been suggesting this was the case for 3 and 1/2 years. (more than 340 posts) And though I'm reluctant name-dropping, I invoked Joseph Campbell because I feel a real sense of urgency. If you've been following the on-going political campaign(s) in America, perhaps you share my alarm. It is time to remember what you have forgotten. I can't teach you anything you don't already know, all I can do is help you remember. So remember!
Friday, February 5, 2016
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Pimp Daddy
Abram was renamed Abraham (Genesis 17:5) by God because, "...thou shall be a father of many nations." What kind of guy did the Almighty choose to multiply so that his descendants would be, "as the stars in the heaven, and as the sand which is on the sea shore?" (Genesis 22:17) A cowardly, craven, POS (see; urban dictionary) that was ready, willing, and able, to pimp out his wife to save his own skin, that's who. Take a look at Genesis Chapter 12 if you don't believe me.
Heading south from Canaan into Egypt due to famine, Abram says to his wife Sarai; (verse 12-15) "...when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it might be well with ME for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house."
Abram receives "...sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels" for her sake." (verse 16) This means in payment. I (Pharaoh) get the woman, you get all of the above. But God threatens Pharaoh in a dream with, "great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife." Pharaoh naturally goes to Abram and asks what kind of game he is playing ("what is this thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was your wife?"-verse 18) and boots him out of the country. No mention of the Pharaoh demanding all-of-the-above, back.
Apparently this scam worked so well that God and recently christened Abraham (see above) run it again. Chapter 20 reveals Abraham sojourning south toward Gerar. Here the same scenario unfolds with King Abimelech. He takes Sarah (renamed at Genesis 17:15) because Abraham tells him she is his sister. Another dream, (this time though, death is threatened--verse 3) and another bewildered royal asking, "what sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?" (verse 10) Abraham offers up the same pathetic story: "they will slay me for my wife's sake." (verse 11) Naturally, such integrity must be rewarded, so we read in verse 14; "And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants and women servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife." Abimelech actually throws in an additional thousand pieces of silver, so that, "thus she was reproved." (verse 16)
A good father teaches his son a trade, and Abraham isn't any exception. Chapter 26 of Genesis has his son Isaac use the same old con game on the ultra gullible Abimelech. Same story line, (Rebekah is his sister; verse 7) same rational, (fear for his own life) same [implied] results. (see verse 12 and 13 after Abimelech's speech, verse 10 and 11) We can rest assured, however, that in each case the propriety of Sarah and Rebekah was preserved--no matter that the most powerful man in each region had been played for a fool. God set things right by threatening the innocent with "plagues" or "death" if they didn't restore the here-to-for unknown wife to their despicable husbands. And be sure to kick in a bundle of goodies for the deception.
Of course these accounts are preposterous. God as depicted (all-powerful) could have easily prevented the lustful eye and action of Pharaoh or King. But for some reason it is allowed--and the stories indicate it was for ill-gotten gains. The innocent are duped so our man of God gets rich. I guess the truth is, like Baby Powder in the movie "How High," we can claim: "I'm gonna tell you something, this pimpin' I got in my blood, it came from a family tree. My granddaddy was a pimp. My great-great-great granddaddy was a pimp. I'm talking about pimpin' since been pimpin' since been pimpin'! It's in my blood."
Heading south from Canaan into Egypt due to famine, Abram says to his wife Sarai; (verse 12-15) "...when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it might be well with ME for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house."
Abram receives "...sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels" for her sake." (verse 16) This means in payment. I (Pharaoh) get the woman, you get all of the above. But God threatens Pharaoh in a dream with, "great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife." Pharaoh naturally goes to Abram and asks what kind of game he is playing ("what is this thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was your wife?"-verse 18) and boots him out of the country. No mention of the Pharaoh demanding all-of-the-above, back.
Apparently this scam worked so well that God and recently christened Abraham (see above) run it again. Chapter 20 reveals Abraham sojourning south toward Gerar. Here the same scenario unfolds with King Abimelech. He takes Sarah (renamed at Genesis 17:15) because Abraham tells him she is his sister. Another dream, (this time though, death is threatened--verse 3) and another bewildered royal asking, "what sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?" (verse 10) Abraham offers up the same pathetic story: "they will slay me for my wife's sake." (verse 11) Naturally, such integrity must be rewarded, so we read in verse 14; "And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants and women servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife." Abimelech actually throws in an additional thousand pieces of silver, so that, "thus she was reproved." (verse 16)
A good father teaches his son a trade, and Abraham isn't any exception. Chapter 26 of Genesis has his son Isaac use the same old con game on the ultra gullible Abimelech. Same story line, (Rebekah is his sister; verse 7) same rational, (fear for his own life) same [implied] results. (see verse 12 and 13 after Abimelech's speech, verse 10 and 11) We can rest assured, however, that in each case the propriety of Sarah and Rebekah was preserved--no matter that the most powerful man in each region had been played for a fool. God set things right by threatening the innocent with "plagues" or "death" if they didn't restore the here-to-for unknown wife to their despicable husbands. And be sure to kick in a bundle of goodies for the deception.
Of course these accounts are preposterous. God as depicted (all-powerful) could have easily prevented the lustful eye and action of Pharaoh or King. But for some reason it is allowed--and the stories indicate it was for ill-gotten gains. The innocent are duped so our man of God gets rich. I guess the truth is, like Baby Powder in the movie "How High," we can claim: "I'm gonna tell you something, this pimpin' I got in my blood, it came from a family tree. My granddaddy was a pimp. My great-great-great granddaddy was a pimp. I'm talking about pimpin' since been pimpin' since been pimpin'! It's in my blood."
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Pax Vobiscum
If you enjoy the day, forget the way, whether you make up or break up; peace be with you.
If it's all too much, no where near enough, if you get to the top or crash when you drop; peace be with you.
If you won the girl, lost the job, saw it through to the end or started all over again; peace be with you.
If you enjoy the hustle or don't move a muscle; peace be with you.
If you fly off in a rage or meet to engage; peace be with you.
If you're down on your luck and don't give a fuck; peace be with you.
If you think you're forgotten or badly begotten; peace be with you.
If you are living in sin or reborn again; peace be with you.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, know that regardless, I'm there for you.
Signed, God
If you enjoy the hustle or don't move a muscle; peace be with you.
If you fly off in a rage or meet to engage; peace be with you.
If you're down on your luck and don't give a fuck; peace be with you.
If you think you're forgotten or badly begotten; peace be with you.
If you are living in sin or reborn again; peace be with you.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, know that regardless, I'm there for you.
Signed, God
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
The Fall
Has there ever been a bigger crock of shit than the idea of original sin? That because the first man and woman (Adam and Eve) ate of the Tree of Knowledge (Good and Evil), they were not only banished from Paradise, but humanity as a whole was forever enslaved by a sinful nature? Give me a break! Lets go to the text and find out what really happened.
Genesis 2 verse 16 and 17; And the Lord God commanded the man saying, "Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.
So they did and God exiled them from the garden. But reading Genesis 3:22 and 23 tells the true motivation God had for banishing them: "Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever--therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken."
There is a troubling inconsistency here. God said man could eat of every tree except the tree of good and evil. Why should eating from the 'tree of life' be problematic? Why didn't God want us to "live forever?" Wasn't the idea that we were going to live forever already tacitly implied, so long as we didn't eat from the tree of good and evil? God seems worried that we might actually become 'like one of Us.' Isn't that the WHOLE purpose of life? Be sinless, become godlike, and thereby obtain the Kingdom of God forever and ever? As to, 'the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die,' is just another example where you can't take the Bible literally. (so don't)
The lunacy continues with the flood story (Genesis chapter 6 and 7) where God wipes out humanity with the exception of Noah and his family. What, exactly, was the point? If man now carries "original sin," what good did it do to eradicate them? And why such a standard of perfection if one third of the angels in heaven (higher than man [Hebrews 2:7] and BASKING in the glory of God) rebelled against Him? (Revelations 12:4-9) Didn't the angels have an unbelievable advantage, yet they fell as well?
Here's the caveat--the escape hatch for God. Free will. He gave man and the angels "free will." So we made our bed and have to sleep in it. Nonsense! Adam and Eve had NO CONCEPT of good and evil in the first place. (inside joke, first place: Eden) They didn't know UNTIL they ate of the tree of knowledge of GOOD and EVIL that they were doing something evil. If you tell a child that it is wrong to eat a cookie before dinner, but the child doesn't KNOW right from wrong, how do you condemn him for eating the cookie? It's absurd. The text collapses in on it's own fallacy. It really came down to God enforcing a--don't do it because I said so--ultimatum, which totally invalidates the idea of "free will."
Bottom line? You aren't inherently bad--quite the contrary. God loves you. You get to experience Him through interaction with Life. However that manifests itself, God will continue to love you. Above all, make that your fall back position.
Genesis 2 verse 16 and 17; And the Lord God commanded the man saying, "Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.
So they did and God exiled them from the garden. But reading Genesis 3:22 and 23 tells the true motivation God had for banishing them: "Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever--therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken."
There is a troubling inconsistency here. God said man could eat of every tree except the tree of good and evil. Why should eating from the 'tree of life' be problematic? Why didn't God want us to "live forever?" Wasn't the idea that we were going to live forever already tacitly implied, so long as we didn't eat from the tree of good and evil? God seems worried that we might actually become 'like one of Us.' Isn't that the WHOLE purpose of life? Be sinless, become godlike, and thereby obtain the Kingdom of God forever and ever? As to, 'the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die,' is just another example where you can't take the Bible literally. (so don't)
The lunacy continues with the flood story (Genesis chapter 6 and 7) where God wipes out humanity with the exception of Noah and his family. What, exactly, was the point? If man now carries "original sin," what good did it do to eradicate them? And why such a standard of perfection if one third of the angels in heaven (higher than man [Hebrews 2:7] and BASKING in the glory of God) rebelled against Him? (Revelations 12:4-9) Didn't the angels have an unbelievable advantage, yet they fell as well?
Here's the caveat--the escape hatch for God. Free will. He gave man and the angels "free will." So we made our bed and have to sleep in it. Nonsense! Adam and Eve had NO CONCEPT of good and evil in the first place. (inside joke, first place: Eden) They didn't know UNTIL they ate of the tree of knowledge of GOOD and EVIL that they were doing something evil. If you tell a child that it is wrong to eat a cookie before dinner, but the child doesn't KNOW right from wrong, how do you condemn him for eating the cookie? It's absurd. The text collapses in on it's own fallacy. It really came down to God enforcing a--don't do it because I said so--ultimatum, which totally invalidates the idea of "free will."
Bottom line? You aren't inherently bad--quite the contrary. God loves you. You get to experience Him through interaction with Life. However that manifests itself, God will continue to love you. Above all, make that your fall back position.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Complexity
Well, thanks so very much Pat. If, as you suggest, the Old Testament is untrustworthy, that nullifies the New Testament as well. What is there left to believe in?
The simplest answer I have is, you. The belief that God will interact with you on a personal level. That your current understanding of God is so restrictive it renders the concept meaningless--other than the level of fear utilized (punishment for all eternity; hell) to keep you from running amok.
The harder answer is, understanding complexity. I am going to try and provide an example. Lets look at the possibility of arranging three numbers, 1-2-3. (to make it easier, I am going to use the letters in my name; P-A-T) There are six possible combinations. (123 pat--231 atp--312 tpa--321 tap--213 apt--132 pta) But if I were to use seven numbers, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 (my full name, P-A-T-R-I-C-K) how many combinations would there be? You probably don't know and most likely don't have any idea how to figure it out. But if I provided you a formula, you could arrive at the answer quickly. (Solution: 1 x 2 x 3 = 6; 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 = 5040) There are 5040 different combinations to arranging 7 numbers or (in this case) letters. Going from the combinations of the word PAT to PATRICK, is like going from the Bible to a true understanding of God. There is an exponential aspect to comprehending the Deity.
That said, I have provided a formula to simplify the complexities involved. (Gift--Gratitude--God) But the formula isn't the answer, it is only the means of arriving at the answer. The subtleties, nuances, and variations, are yours and yours alone. Your journey entails a series of revelations to different aspects of the Deity. Your interpretation of those aspects determines your well-being. Your well-being is contingent on you understanding the nature of your existence (why am I here). The reason you are here is to experience God. That you don't like, appreciate, or embrace those aspects of God you are currently experiencing, is an entirely different question than the realization that you are. As to the reasons why you are experiencing what you are, is specific to you--and can't be answered in a post intended for a general audience. However, if you feel as though you need specifics, you can e-mail me at wpgrogan@aol.com.
The simplest answer I have is, you. The belief that God will interact with you on a personal level. That your current understanding of God is so restrictive it renders the concept meaningless--other than the level of fear utilized (punishment for all eternity; hell) to keep you from running amok.
The harder answer is, understanding complexity. I am going to try and provide an example. Lets look at the possibility of arranging three numbers, 1-2-3. (to make it easier, I am going to use the letters in my name; P-A-T) There are six possible combinations. (123 pat--231 atp--312 tpa--321 tap--213 apt--132 pta) But if I were to use seven numbers, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 (my full name, P-A-T-R-I-C-K) how many combinations would there be? You probably don't know and most likely don't have any idea how to figure it out. But if I provided you a formula, you could arrive at the answer quickly. (Solution: 1 x 2 x 3 = 6; 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 = 5040) There are 5040 different combinations to arranging 7 numbers or (in this case) letters. Going from the combinations of the word PAT to PATRICK, is like going from the Bible to a true understanding of God. There is an exponential aspect to comprehending the Deity.
That said, I have provided a formula to simplify the complexities involved. (Gift--Gratitude--God) But the formula isn't the answer, it is only the means of arriving at the answer. The subtleties, nuances, and variations, are yours and yours alone. Your journey entails a series of revelations to different aspects of the Deity. Your interpretation of those aspects determines your well-being. Your well-being is contingent on you understanding the nature of your existence (why am I here). The reason you are here is to experience God. That you don't like, appreciate, or embrace those aspects of God you are currently experiencing, is an entirely different question than the realization that you are. As to the reasons why you are experiencing what you are, is specific to you--and can't be answered in a post intended for a general audience. However, if you feel as though you need specifics, you can e-mail me at wpgrogan@aol.com.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Elucidate
If ever there was a key to unraveling Old Testament scripture, it is the Cyrus Cylinder. Comparing passages in 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Isaiah, and Daniel, to what the cylinder actually states, we can see how the Jews took reality and recast it to glorify their tribal god. One example of what the cylinder says versus the Biblical rendition: Cylinder: "Marduk, the great lord, bestowed on me as my destiny the great magnanimity of one who loves Babylon, and I every day sought him out in awe." Isaiah 45:1 "Thus saith the Lord to his anointed (messiah), to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him..."
The formula in the Old Testament (indeed, everywhere in Mesopotamia) was victory is caused by the power of the deity, whereas defeat came by way of defective, unfaithful humans. Reading (1st or 2nd) Kings or Chronicles, the formula becomes downright tedious. It is like the boss who takes personal credit for any successful project, but vehemently denounces his staff when things are delayed or messed up. Anyone like working for that type of boss? Then why would you have him as your God?
The formula in the Old Testament (indeed, everywhere in Mesopotamia) was victory is caused by the power of the deity, whereas defeat came by way of defective, unfaithful humans. Reading (1st or 2nd) Kings or Chronicles, the formula becomes downright tedious. It is like the boss who takes personal credit for any successful project, but vehemently denounces his staff when things are delayed or messed up. Anyone like working for that type of boss? Then why would you have him as your God?
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Together
Though I falter often, I believe in this link with all my heart...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp1dfoTV_z4
(perhaps a day will come when MM will see this and remember)
(perhaps a day will come when MM will see this and remember)
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Oversight
"So much has been said and sung of beautiful young girls, why doesn't somebody wake up to the beauty of old women?"
~Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom's Cabin)
~Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom's Cabin)
Friday, January 1, 2016
Patience My Ass
Job is the paragon of patience in the Bible. (see; James 5:11 KJV) What a joke! Job whines, bitches, and bellyaches with the best of them. He curses the day he was born in chapter 3 (starting with verse 3) and carries on through chapter 30 verses 20-21 (I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not. Thou art cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me). Understand, I have no problem with Job's reaction to losing all he's got (including his health). What I have a problem with is the superficial depiction (ie, "the patience of Job") that persists to this day about Job's true response. Unrealistic, suggested superhuman endurance in the face of abject adversity lends itself to self-condemnation and, possibly, self-loathing. Do not do this to yourself.
As I have said in other posts, honor your initial reaction to the events in your life. If you need to rage, rage! If you need to curl up in a little ball and cry like a baby, do so. If you wish to denounce God, by all means have at it ('Thou art cruel to me'). What I ask you not to do, is decide that this is all there is. That the story ends with you overwhelmed, victimized, beaten. That is not your destiny. Nor is it what the story of Job illustrates. Even after his endless kvetching, Job is restored, and more. (42:12) That is the moral of the story, not Job's patience. After tragedy or catastrophe, let it be your story as well.
As I have said in other posts, honor your initial reaction to the events in your life. If you need to rage, rage! If you need to curl up in a little ball and cry like a baby, do so. If you wish to denounce God, by all means have at it ('Thou art cruel to me'). What I ask you not to do, is decide that this is all there is. That the story ends with you overwhelmed, victimized, beaten. That is not your destiny. Nor is it what the story of Job illustrates. Even after his endless kvetching, Job is restored, and more. (42:12) That is the moral of the story, not Job's patience. After tragedy or catastrophe, let it be your story as well.
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