My intent is to walk in peace and love, feeling that love, spreading that love, by BEING that love.
My intent is to forgive and have compassion for those who have hurt me, including myself.
My intent is to exist in each moment, with no attachment to outcomes. To observe what IS, while also affirming what I want to create.
My intent is to see every person in this Earth as a brother or a sister and as a being of the light for we are all ONE and so it is.
To recognize the higher self/good in each person, no matter what their external projection is.
My intent is to feel joy when I look out onto this world, and to let that love well up inside me like a raging river, flowing out onto everything I touch.
My intent is to feel all that I feel. Honor all feelings, but CHOOSE to move forward anyway, not being held back by anything.
My intent is to stay open to my intuition and to the messages from my higher self. To trust that I am taken care of and provided for in all moments and all situations. To trust that I will know what to do in each moment to care for myself and those that I love.
My intent is to be a soul, one of many, that works in this world to lead others into the light, to stay until the very end, however that end may come, to be a beacon of light for others to follow Home.
My intent is to tell the truth in all situations, to myself and to others.
My intent is to connect to nature and see the beauty that is all around me, with new eyes full of love...to love the Earth, my Mother, and let her nurturing love heal me completely.
My intent is to count my blessings every day and give thanks for all that I have. To thank MYSELF, for I am the creator of my own reality.
My intent is to stand brave and strong in the face of fear and darkness. To feel my fears, but continue anyway. To break out of the barriers and limitations I have put on myself.
My intent is to fully remember my power of love. To fully remember my power to create.
My intent is to affirm daily to myself and the Great Spirit:
I AM light
I AM love
I AM peace
I AM forgiveness
I AM compassion
I AM God
All that is around me is my creation.
All that is around me is as it should be.
All that is around me is right and perfect.
All that is around me is balanced and whole.
All that is around me is love....
As I AM love,
Eternally,
Never ending,
And so it is.
BLESSED BE
Saturday, December 09, 2006
strange corners
wisdom comes from strange corners.....
If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both."
~ Bodhidharma
If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both."
~ Bodhidharma
strange corners
wisdom comes from strange corners.....
If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both."
~ Bodhidharma
If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both."
~ Bodhidharma
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Why Keep Up With the Joneses?
from my MySpace site.....
Why Keep Up with the Joneses?
Category: News and Politics
A friend sent this to me. I was immediately reminded of a tee shirt I saw recently" "Poor.Ugly.Happy".
I have said it for years: this is Rome, and Rome is BURNING. The level of decadence (and I am not simply refering to the sexual extremes of the world) that pervades this country can only be a precursor to an end. What kind of end that will be will be up to us. The mega empire of Rome, which managed to last over 1000 years, had to go through some extreme changes. Perhaps, trying to be hopeful of this country's fate, I can see that we will wise up and learn that conservation, not just of natural resources, but of monetary and possessional (is that a word? Well, it is now!) ones, is vital to our sense of wellbeing. There is going to a ceiling, a point where we can go no further up, and then all we can do is fall.
This country, supposedly the richest and most powerful in the world, shares much with the history of Rome. they managed, not easily, to make it through ten centuries. I have to wonder, when we are only about 30 years into our third, where we will find the stamina, the levelheadedness, the courage, to make it for another seven.
And if we don't, what will the archeologists a millienia down the line find of us? Better yet, what will they say about what we have done?
Editorial
When the Joneses Can't Keep Up
--> ADXINFO classification="button" campaign="foxsearch2006-emailtools13a-nyt5"-->
Published: December 1, 2006
An article in yesterday's Times about obstetricians who prefer working in Botox boutiques is a reminder that the growing gap between the rich and superrich has an impact on those of us who are neither. The article, by Natasha Singer, reported that family practitioners and emergency room physicians have also jumped over into the cosmetic treatment business because the money is so much better.
As The Times has noted in a series of recent articles, the very richest earners are increasing their earnings at twice the rate of their onetime peers, and the average-rich are taking resentful note. Investment bankers are jealous of hedge-fund wunderkinds and, from the sound of it, almost every last person in Silicon Valley is envious of the founders of YouTube (with the likely exception of the Google billionaires who bought their company).
It's hard for people flying in coach to have much patience with those in first class bemoaning their lack of a personal jet. Neither policymakers nor society at large need sympathize with the longing of millionaires to become billionaires. But we do need to worry about the effects on society as a whole when members of the educated elite think they are grossly underpaid. The more they feel as if they are losing ground against their peers, the more likely they are to ditch professions in which the pay is only good — like delivering babies — in favor of less useful careers in which the compensation is off the charts — like eliminating lines from wealthy people's foreheads.
America has long had a problem attracting enough well-trained people to important but not particularly well-compensated positions, like public defender, social worker or teacher. But an era in which a cancer researcher moves over into health-care management consulting because the pay is better — as Louis Uchitelle reported in The Times this week — is something else entirely.
Part of the explanation is undoubtedly a tax code that has sent the incomes of the wealthiest sliver of the nation into hyperdrive. Another might be the spike in education costs, which send many new doctors, lawyers and scientists out into the world armed with a diploma and a six-figure debt. But the bottom line seems to be that in 21st-century America, more people can't feel successful unless they're making a killing.
Why Keep Up with the Joneses?
Category: News and Politics
A friend sent this to me. I was immediately reminded of a tee shirt I saw recently" "Poor.Ugly.Happy".
I have said it for years: this is Rome, and Rome is BURNING. The level of decadence (and I am not simply refering to the sexual extremes of the world) that pervades this country can only be a precursor to an end. What kind of end that will be will be up to us. The mega empire of Rome, which managed to last over 1000 years, had to go through some extreme changes. Perhaps, trying to be hopeful of this country's fate, I can see that we will wise up and learn that conservation, not just of natural resources, but of monetary and possessional (is that a word? Well, it is now!) ones, is vital to our sense of wellbeing. There is going to a ceiling, a point where we can go no further up, and then all we can do is fall.
This country, supposedly the richest and most powerful in the world, shares much with the history of Rome. they managed, not easily, to make it through ten centuries. I have to wonder, when we are only about 30 years into our third, where we will find the stamina, the levelheadedness, the courage, to make it for another seven.
And if we don't, what will the archeologists a millienia down the line find of us? Better yet, what will they say about what we have done?
Editorial
When the Joneses Can't Keep Up
--> ADXINFO classification="button" campaign="foxsearch2006-emailtools13a-nyt5"-->
Published: December 1, 2006
An article in yesterday's Times about obstetricians who prefer working in Botox boutiques is a reminder that the growing gap between the rich and superrich has an impact on those of us who are neither. The article, by Natasha Singer, reported that family practitioners and emergency room physicians have also jumped over into the cosmetic treatment business because the money is so much better.
As The Times has noted in a series of recent articles, the very richest earners are increasing their earnings at twice the rate of their onetime peers, and the average-rich are taking resentful note. Investment bankers are jealous of hedge-fund wunderkinds and, from the sound of it, almost every last person in Silicon Valley is envious of the founders of YouTube (with the likely exception of the Google billionaires who bought their company).
It's hard for people flying in coach to have much patience with those in first class bemoaning their lack of a personal jet. Neither policymakers nor society at large need sympathize with the longing of millionaires to become billionaires. But we do need to worry about the effects on society as a whole when members of the educated elite think they are grossly underpaid. The more they feel as if they are losing ground against their peers, the more likely they are to ditch professions in which the pay is only good — like delivering babies — in favor of less useful careers in which the compensation is off the charts — like eliminating lines from wealthy people's foreheads.
America has long had a problem attracting enough well-trained people to important but not particularly well-compensated positions, like public defender, social worker or teacher. But an era in which a cancer researcher moves over into health-care management consulting because the pay is better — as Louis Uchitelle reported in The Times this week — is something else entirely.
Part of the explanation is undoubtedly a tax code that has sent the incomes of the wealthiest sliver of the nation into hyperdrive. Another might be the spike in education costs, which send many new doctors, lawyers and scientists out into the world armed with a diploma and a six-figure debt. But the bottom line seems to be that in 21st-century America, more people can't feel successful unless they're making a killing.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Against Nature?
Just so there is no doubt, I am personally quite straight, BUT.....I have long believed that Nature knows more about how things should be, rather than the arrogance of humankind. Seems science now is backing me up.
This is from www.livescience.com
Homosexual Animals Out of the Closet
By Sara Goudarzi
LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 16 November 2006
09:42 am ET
From male killer whales that ride the dorsal fin of another male to female bonobos that rub their genital together, the animal kingdom tolerates all kinds of lifestyles.
A first-ever museum display, "Against Nature?," which opened last month at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum in Norway, presents 51 species of animals exhibiting homosexuality.
SPECIAL REPORT
This 3-part series explores the surpring variation in reproductive strategies and sexual preferences in the animal kingdom.
PART 1
Mating Game: The Really Wild Kingdom
TODAY
Homosexual Animals Out of the Closet
PART 3: Coming Monday
Wild Sex: Where Monogomy is Rare
"Homosexuality has been observed in more than 1,500 species, and the phenomenon has been well described for 500 of them," said Petter Bockman, project coordinator of the exhibition.
The idea, however, is rarely discussed in the scientific community and is often dismissed as unnatural because it doesn't appear to benefit the larger cause of species continuation.
"I think to some extent people don't think it's important because we went through all this time period in sociobiology where everything had to be tied to reproduction and reproductive success," said Linda Wolfe, who heads the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina University. "If it doesn't have [something to do] with reproduction it's not important."
For pleasure
However, species continuation may not always be the ultimate goal, as many animals, including humans, engage in sexual activities more than is necessary for reproduction.
"You can make up all kinds of stories: Oh it's for dominance, it's for this, it's for that, but when it comes down to the bottom I think it's just for sexual pleasure," Wolfe told LiveScience.
Top 10 Gay Animals
Alternate Lifestyles in the Wild
Conversely, some argue that homosexual sex could have a bigger natural cause than just pure ecstasy: namely evolutionary benefits.
Copulation could be used for alliance and protection among animals of the same sex. In situations when a species is mostly bisexual, homosexual relationships allow an animal to join a pack.
"In bonobos for instance, strict heterosexual individuals would not be able to make friends in the flock and thus never be able to breed," Bockman told LiveScience. "In some bird species that bond for life, homosexual pairs raise young. If they are females, a male may fertilize their eggs. If they are males, a solitary female may mate with them and deposit her eggs in their nest."
Mom and Dad and Dad
Almost a quarter of black swan families are parented by homosexual couples. Male couples sometimes mate with a female just to have a baby. Once she lays the egg, they chase her away, hatch the egg, and raise a family on their own.
"Homosexuality" and "heterosexuality" are terms defined by societal boundaries, invisible in the animal kingdom.
"Many species are hermaphrodites," Bockman said. Hermaphrodites have both male and female sex organs. A lot of marine species have no sex life at all, but just squirt their eggs or semen into sea.
Some creatures even reproduce asexually, by dividing themselves into two organisms. In one species of gecko, females clone themselves.
In Our World
A Brief History of Human Sex
Sex Quiz: Myths, Taboos and Bizarre Facts
Gay Men Respond Differently to Pheromones
Mom's Genetics Could Produce Gay Sons
Like most complex issues, animal homosexuality is challenging and poorly understood. Therefore, educators tend to shy away from covering it in their teaching. Many scientists don't even want to be associated with this type of research.
"I've had primatologists offer to give me their data on homosexual behavior because they didn't want to publish it," Wolfe said.
"Against Nature?" was set up partly to demystify the concept.
The argument that a homosexual way of living cannot be accepted because it is against the "laws of nature" can now be rejected scientifically, said Geir Soli, project leader for the exhibition. "A main target for this project was to get museums involved in current debate; to show that museums are more than just a gallery for the past."
To learn more, see LiveScience's Top 10 presentation, Gay Animals: Alternate Lifestyles in the Wild.
This is from www.livescience.com
Homosexual Animals Out of the Closet
By Sara Goudarzi
LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 16 November 2006
09:42 am ET
From male killer whales that ride the dorsal fin of another male to female bonobos that rub their genital together, the animal kingdom tolerates all kinds of lifestyles.
A first-ever museum display, "Against Nature?," which opened last month at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum in Norway, presents 51 species of animals exhibiting homosexuality.
SPECIAL REPORT
This 3-part series explores the surpring variation in reproductive strategies and sexual preferences in the animal kingdom.
PART 1
Mating Game: The Really Wild Kingdom
TODAY
Homosexual Animals Out of the Closet
PART 3: Coming Monday
Wild Sex: Where Monogomy is Rare
"Homosexuality has been observed in more than 1,500 species, and the phenomenon has been well described for 500 of them," said Petter Bockman, project coordinator of the exhibition.
The idea, however, is rarely discussed in the scientific community and is often dismissed as unnatural because it doesn't appear to benefit the larger cause of species continuation.
"I think to some extent people don't think it's important because we went through all this time period in sociobiology where everything had to be tied to reproduction and reproductive success," said Linda Wolfe, who heads the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina University. "If it doesn't have [something to do] with reproduction it's not important."
For pleasure
However, species continuation may not always be the ultimate goal, as many animals, including humans, engage in sexual activities more than is necessary for reproduction.
"You can make up all kinds of stories: Oh it's for dominance, it's for this, it's for that, but when it comes down to the bottom I think it's just for sexual pleasure," Wolfe told LiveScience.
Top 10 Gay Animals
Alternate Lifestyles in the Wild
Conversely, some argue that homosexual sex could have a bigger natural cause than just pure ecstasy: namely evolutionary benefits.
Copulation could be used for alliance and protection among animals of the same sex. In situations when a species is mostly bisexual, homosexual relationships allow an animal to join a pack.
"In bonobos for instance, strict heterosexual individuals would not be able to make friends in the flock and thus never be able to breed," Bockman told LiveScience. "In some bird species that bond for life, homosexual pairs raise young. If they are females, a male may fertilize their eggs. If they are males, a solitary female may mate with them and deposit her eggs in their nest."
Mom and Dad and Dad
Almost a quarter of black swan families are parented by homosexual couples. Male couples sometimes mate with a female just to have a baby. Once she lays the egg, they chase her away, hatch the egg, and raise a family on their own.
"Homosexuality" and "heterosexuality" are terms defined by societal boundaries, invisible in the animal kingdom.
"Many species are hermaphrodites," Bockman said. Hermaphrodites have both male and female sex organs. A lot of marine species have no sex life at all, but just squirt their eggs or semen into sea.
Some creatures even reproduce asexually, by dividing themselves into two organisms. In one species of gecko, females clone themselves.
In Our World
A Brief History of Human Sex
Sex Quiz: Myths, Taboos and Bizarre Facts
Gay Men Respond Differently to Pheromones
Mom's Genetics Could Produce Gay Sons
Like most complex issues, animal homosexuality is challenging and poorly understood. Therefore, educators tend to shy away from covering it in their teaching. Many scientists don't even want to be associated with this type of research.
"I've had primatologists offer to give me their data on homosexual behavior because they didn't want to publish it," Wolfe said.
"Against Nature?" was set up partly to demystify the concept.
The argument that a homosexual way of living cannot be accepted because it is against the "laws of nature" can now be rejected scientifically, said Geir Soli, project leader for the exhibition. "A main target for this project was to get museums involved in current debate; to show that museums are more than just a gallery for the past."
To learn more, see LiveScience's Top 10 presentation, Gay Animals: Alternate Lifestyles in the Wild.
Monday, October 16, 2006
BE THE CHANGE.....BE AWARE
Monday, October 16, 2006
Changes today
A message sent to me by a friend........be aware
A Cosmic Trigger Event will occur on the 17th of October 2006.
By Raphiem/Blue
This is the beginning, one of many trigger events to come between now and 2013. An ultraviolet (UV) pulse beam radiating from higher dimensions in universe-2 will cross paths with the Earth on this day. Earth will remain approximately within this UV beam for 17 hours of your time.
This beam resonates with the heart chakra, it is radiant fluorescent in nature, blue/magenta in color. Although it resonates in this frequency band, it is above the color frequency spectrum of your universe-1 which you, Earth articulate in. However due to the nature of your soul and soul groups operating from Universe-2 frequency bands it will have an effect.
The effect is every thought and emotion will be amplified intensely one million-fold. Yes, we will repeat, all will be amplified one millions time and more.
Every thought, every emotion, every intent, every will, no matter if it is good, bad, ill, positive, negative, will be amplified one million times in strength.
What does this mean ?
Since all matter manifest is due to your thoughts, i.e. what you focus on, this beam will accelerate these thoughts and solidify them at an accelerated rate making them manifest a million times faster than they normally would.
For those that do not comprehend. Your thoughts, what you focus on create your reality.
This UV beam thus can be a dangerous tool. For if you are focused on thoughts which are negative to your liking they will manifest into your reality almost instantly. Then again this UV beam can be a gift if you choose it to be.
Mission-1017 requires approximately one million people to focus on positive, benign, good willed thoughts for themselves and the Earth and Humanity on this day. Your thoughts can be of any nature of your choosing, but remember whatever you focus on will be made manifest in a relatively faster than anticipated time frame. To some the occurrences may almost be bordering on the miracle.
All we ask is positive thoughts of love, prosperity, healing, wealth, kindness, gratitude be focused on.
This UV beam comes into full affect for 17hrs on the 17th of October 2006.
No matter what time zone you are in the hours are approximately 10:17am on the 17th of October to 1:17am on the 18th of October.
The peak time will be 17:10 (5:10pm) on the 17th October.
You do not need to be in a meditative state through out this time, though that would be beneficial. The main key time no matter what time zone you are in will be the peak time of 17:10 (5:10 pm). Perhaps at this time if you can find a peaceful spot or location to focus. The optimum is out in the vicinity of grounded nature, likened to that of a large tree or next to the ocean waves.
Focus on whatever it is you desire. What is required for the benefit of all Earth and HUmanity is positive thoughts of loving nature.
We call this UV beam trigger event, "818" gateway.
Please forward this message to as many people as you know who will use this cosmic trigger event to focus positive, good willed thoughts.
We require approximately 1-million people across globe to actively participate in this event. Please use whatever communication mediums you have at your disposal. Reach out to as many people as possible. We require 1-million plus people at the least to trigger a shift for humanity from separation
and fragmentation to one of unification and oneness.
This is your opportunity to take back what is rightfully yours i.e. Peace and Prosperity for all Earth and Mankind.
Mission1017
Raphiem/Blue
Changes today
A message sent to me by a friend........be aware
A Cosmic Trigger Event will occur on the 17th of October 2006.
By Raphiem/Blue
This is the beginning, one of many trigger events to come between now and 2013. An ultraviolet (UV) pulse beam radiating from higher dimensions in universe-2 will cross paths with the Earth on this day. Earth will remain approximately within this UV beam for 17 hours of your time.
This beam resonates with the heart chakra, it is radiant fluorescent in nature, blue/magenta in color. Although it resonates in this frequency band, it is above the color frequency spectrum of your universe-1 which you, Earth articulate in. However due to the nature of your soul and soul groups operating from Universe-2 frequency bands it will have an effect.
The effect is every thought and emotion will be amplified intensely one million-fold. Yes, we will repeat, all will be amplified one millions time and more.
Every thought, every emotion, every intent, every will, no matter if it is good, bad, ill, positive, negative, will be amplified one million times in strength.
What does this mean ?
Since all matter manifest is due to your thoughts, i.e. what you focus on, this beam will accelerate these thoughts and solidify them at an accelerated rate making them manifest a million times faster than they normally would.
For those that do not comprehend. Your thoughts, what you focus on create your reality.
This UV beam thus can be a dangerous tool. For if you are focused on thoughts which are negative to your liking they will manifest into your reality almost instantly. Then again this UV beam can be a gift if you choose it to be.
Mission-1017 requires approximately one million people to focus on positive, benign, good willed thoughts for themselves and the Earth and Humanity on this day. Your thoughts can be of any nature of your choosing, but remember whatever you focus on will be made manifest in a relatively faster than anticipated time frame. To some the occurrences may almost be bordering on the miracle.
All we ask is positive thoughts of love, prosperity, healing, wealth, kindness, gratitude be focused on.
This UV beam comes into full affect for 17hrs on the 17th of October 2006.
No matter what time zone you are in the hours are approximately 10:17am on the 17th of October to 1:17am on the 18th of October.
The peak time will be 17:10 (5:10pm) on the 17th October.
You do not need to be in a meditative state through out this time, though that would be beneficial. The main key time no matter what time zone you are in will be the peak time of 17:10 (5:10 pm). Perhaps at this time if you can find a peaceful spot or location to focus. The optimum is out in the vicinity of grounded nature, likened to that of a large tree or next to the ocean waves.
Focus on whatever it is you desire. What is required for the benefit of all Earth and HUmanity is positive thoughts of loving nature.
We call this UV beam trigger event, "818" gateway.
Please forward this message to as many people as you know who will use this cosmic trigger event to focus positive, good willed thoughts.
We require approximately 1-million people across globe to actively participate in this event. Please use whatever communication mediums you have at your disposal. Reach out to as many people as possible. We require 1-million plus people at the least to trigger a shift for humanity from separation
and fragmentation to one of unification and oneness.
This is your opportunity to take back what is rightfully yours i.e. Peace and Prosperity for all Earth and Mankind.
Mission1017
Raphiem/Blue
Saturday, September 16, 2006
37 Practices of a Bodhisattva
Copied from myspace, with thanks to my friends there:
From: Emanations of Consciousness
Date: Sep 15, 2006 9:31 PM
Subject 37 Practices of Bodhisattva's (Crucial Wisdom)
Body: Thank You:
HimalayanHope
Crucial Wisdom
1
Right now, you have a good boat, fully equipped and available -- hard to find.
To free others and you from the sea of samsara,
Day and night, fully alert and present,
Study, reflect, and meditate -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
2
Attraction to those close to you catches you in its currents;
Aversion to those who oppose you burns inside;
Indifference that ignores what needs to be done is a black hole.
Leave your homeland -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
3
Don't engage disturbances and reactive emotions gradually fade away;
Don't engage distractions and spiritual practice naturally grows;
Keep awareness clear and vivid and confidence in the way arises.
Rely on silence -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
4
You will separate from long-time friends and relatives;
You will leave behind the wealth you worked to build up;
The guest, your consciousness, will move from the inn, your body.
Forget the conventional concerns -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
5
With some friends, the three poisons keep growing,
Study, reflection, and meditation weaken,
And loving kindness and compassion fall away.
Give up bad friends -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
6
With some teachers, your shortcomings fade away and
Abilities grow like the waxing moon.
Hold such teachers dear to you,
Dearer than your own body -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
7
Locked up in the prison of their own patterning
Whom can ordinary gods protect?
Who can you count on for refuge?
Go for refuge in the Three Jewels -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
8
The suffering in the lower realms is really hard to endure.
The Sage says it is the result of destructive actions.
For that reason, even if your life is at risk,
Don't engage in destructive actions -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
9
The happiness of the three worlds disappears in a moment,
Like a dewdrop on a blade of grass.
The highest level of freedom is one that never changes.
Aim for this -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
10
For time without beginning, mothers have lovingly cared for you.
If they are still suffering, how can you be happy?
To free limitless sentient beings,
Give rise to awakening mind -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
11
All suffering comes from wanting your own happiness.
Complete awakening arises from the intention to help others.
So, exchange completely your happiness
For the suffering of others -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
12
Even if someone, driven by desperate want,
Steals, or makes someone else steal, everything you own,
Dedicate to him your body, your wealth, and
All the good you've ever done or will do -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
13
Even if you have done nothing wrong at all
And someone still tries to take your head off,
Spurred by compassion,
Take all his or her evil into you -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
14
Even if someone broadcasts to the whole universe
Slanderous and ugly rumors about you,
In return, with an open and caring heart,
Praise his or her abilities -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
15
Even if someone humiliates you and denounces you
In front of a crowd of people,
Think of this person as your teacher
And humbly honor him -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
16
Even if a person you have cared for as your own child
Treats you as his or her worst enemy,
Lavish him or her with loving attention
Like a mother caring for her ill child -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
17
Even if your peers or subordinates,
Put you down to make themselves look better,
Treat them respectfully as you would your teacher:
Put them above you -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
18
When you are down and out, held in contempt,
Desperately ill, and emotionally crazy,
Don't lose heart. Take into you
The suffering and negativity of all beings -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
19
Even when you are famous, honored by all,
And as rich as the god of wealth himself,
Don't be pompous. Know that the magnificence of existence
Has no substance -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
20
If you don't subdue the opponent inside, your own anger,
Although you subdue opponents outside, they just keep coming.
Muster the forces of loving kindness and compassion
And subdue your own mind -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
21
Sensual pleasures are like salty water:
The deeper you drink, the thirstier you become.
Any object that you attach to,
Right away, let it go -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
22
Whatever arises in experience is your own mind.
Mind itself is free of any conceptual limitations.
Know that and don't generate
Subject-object fixations -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
23
When you come across something you enjoy,
Though beautiful to experience, like a summer rainbow,
Don't take it as real.
Let go of attachment -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
24
All forms of suffering are like dreaming that your child has died.
Taking confusion as real wears you out.
When you run into misfortune,
Look at it as confusion -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
25
If those who want to be awake have to give even their bodies,
What need is there to talk about things that you simply own.
Be generous, not looking
For any return or result -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
26
If you can't tend to your needs because you have no moral discipline,
Then intending to take care of the needs of others is simply a joke.
Observe ethical behavior without concern
For conventional existence -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
27
For bodhisattvas who want to be rich in virtue
A person who hurts you is a precious treasure.
Cultivate patience for everyone,
Completely free of irritation or resentment -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
28
Listeners and solitary buddhas, working only for their own welfare,
Are seen to practice as if their heads were on fire.
To help all beings, pour your energy into practice:
It's the source of all abilities -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
29
Understanding that reactive emotions are dismantled
By insight supported by stillness,
Cultivate meditative stability that passes right by
The four formless states -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
30
Without wisdom, the five perfections
Are not enough to attain full awakening.
Cultivate wisdom, endowed with skill
And free from the three domains -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
31
If you don't go into your own confusion,
You may just be a materialist in practitioner's clothing.
Constantly go into your own confusion
And put an end to it -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
32
You undermine yourself when you react emotionally and
Grumble about the imperfections of other bodhisattvas.
Of the imperfections of those who have entered the Great Way,
Don't say anything -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
33
When you squabble with others about status and rewards,
You undermine learning, reflection, and meditation.
Let go of any investment in your family circle
Or the circle of those who support you -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
34
Abusive language upsets others
And undermines the ethics of a bodhisattva.
So, don't upset people or
Speak abusively -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
35
When reactive emotions acquire momentum, it's hard to make remedies work.
A person in attention wields remedies like weapons,
Crushing reactive emotions such as craving
As soon as they arise -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
36
In short, in everything you do,
Know what is happening in your mind.
By being constantly present and alert
You bring about what helps others -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
37
To dispel the suffering of beings without limit,
With wisdom freed from the three spheres
Direct all the goodness generated by these efforts
To awakening -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
.
From: Emanations of Consciousness
Date: Sep 15, 2006 9:31 PM
Subject 37 Practices of Bodhisattva's (Crucial Wisdom)
Body: Thank You:
HimalayanHope
Crucial Wisdom
1
Right now, you have a good boat, fully equipped and available -- hard to find.
To free others and you from the sea of samsara,
Day and night, fully alert and present,
Study, reflect, and meditate -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
2
Attraction to those close to you catches you in its currents;
Aversion to those who oppose you burns inside;
Indifference that ignores what needs to be done is a black hole.
Leave your homeland -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
3
Don't engage disturbances and reactive emotions gradually fade away;
Don't engage distractions and spiritual practice naturally grows;
Keep awareness clear and vivid and confidence in the way arises.
Rely on silence -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
4
You will separate from long-time friends and relatives;
You will leave behind the wealth you worked to build up;
The guest, your consciousness, will move from the inn, your body.
Forget the conventional concerns -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
5
With some friends, the three poisons keep growing,
Study, reflection, and meditation weaken,
And loving kindness and compassion fall away.
Give up bad friends -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
6
With some teachers, your shortcomings fade away and
Abilities grow like the waxing moon.
Hold such teachers dear to you,
Dearer than your own body -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
7
Locked up in the prison of their own patterning
Whom can ordinary gods protect?
Who can you count on for refuge?
Go for refuge in the Three Jewels -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
8
The suffering in the lower realms is really hard to endure.
The Sage says it is the result of destructive actions.
For that reason, even if your life is at risk,
Don't engage in destructive actions -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
9
The happiness of the three worlds disappears in a moment,
Like a dewdrop on a blade of grass.
The highest level of freedom is one that never changes.
Aim for this -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
10
For time without beginning, mothers have lovingly cared for you.
If they are still suffering, how can you be happy?
To free limitless sentient beings,
Give rise to awakening mind -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
11
All suffering comes from wanting your own happiness.
Complete awakening arises from the intention to help others.
So, exchange completely your happiness
For the suffering of others -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
12
Even if someone, driven by desperate want,
Steals, or makes someone else steal, everything you own,
Dedicate to him your body, your wealth, and
All the good you've ever done or will do -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
13
Even if you have done nothing wrong at all
And someone still tries to take your head off,
Spurred by compassion,
Take all his or her evil into you -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
14
Even if someone broadcasts to the whole universe
Slanderous and ugly rumors about you,
In return, with an open and caring heart,
Praise his or her abilities -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
15
Even if someone humiliates you and denounces you
In front of a crowd of people,
Think of this person as your teacher
And humbly honor him -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
16
Even if a person you have cared for as your own child
Treats you as his or her worst enemy,
Lavish him or her with loving attention
Like a mother caring for her ill child -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
17
Even if your peers or subordinates,
Put you down to make themselves look better,
Treat them respectfully as you would your teacher:
Put them above you -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
18
When you are down and out, held in contempt,
Desperately ill, and emotionally crazy,
Don't lose heart. Take into you
The suffering and negativity of all beings -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
19
Even when you are famous, honored by all,
And as rich as the god of wealth himself,
Don't be pompous. Know that the magnificence of existence
Has no substance -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
20
If you don't subdue the opponent inside, your own anger,
Although you subdue opponents outside, they just keep coming.
Muster the forces of loving kindness and compassion
And subdue your own mind -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
21
Sensual pleasures are like salty water:
The deeper you drink, the thirstier you become.
Any object that you attach to,
Right away, let it go -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
22
Whatever arises in experience is your own mind.
Mind itself is free of any conceptual limitations.
Know that and don't generate
Subject-object fixations -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
23
When you come across something you enjoy,
Though beautiful to experience, like a summer rainbow,
Don't take it as real.
Let go of attachment -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
24
All forms of suffering are like dreaming that your child has died.
Taking confusion as real wears you out.
When you run into misfortune,
Look at it as confusion -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
25
If those who want to be awake have to give even their bodies,
What need is there to talk about things that you simply own.
Be generous, not looking
For any return or result -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
26
If you can't tend to your needs because you have no moral discipline,
Then intending to take care of the needs of others is simply a joke.
Observe ethical behavior without concern
For conventional existence -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
27
For bodhisattvas who want to be rich in virtue
A person who hurts you is a precious treasure.
Cultivate patience for everyone,
Completely free of irritation or resentment -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
28
Listeners and solitary buddhas, working only for their own welfare,
Are seen to practice as if their heads were on fire.
To help all beings, pour your energy into practice:
It's the source of all abilities -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
29
Understanding that reactive emotions are dismantled
By insight supported by stillness,
Cultivate meditative stability that passes right by
The four formless states -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
30
Without wisdom, the five perfections
Are not enough to attain full awakening.
Cultivate wisdom, endowed with skill
And free from the three domains -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
31
If you don't go into your own confusion,
You may just be a materialist in practitioner's clothing.
Constantly go into your own confusion
And put an end to it -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
32
You undermine yourself when you react emotionally and
Grumble about the imperfections of other bodhisattvas.
Of the imperfections of those who have entered the Great Way,
Don't say anything -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
33
When you squabble with others about status and rewards,
You undermine learning, reflection, and meditation.
Let go of any investment in your family circle
Or the circle of those who support you -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
34
Abusive language upsets others
And undermines the ethics of a bodhisattva.
So, don't upset people or
Speak abusively -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
35
When reactive emotions acquire momentum, it's hard to make remedies work.
A person in attention wields remedies like weapons,
Crushing reactive emotions such as craving
As soon as they arise -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
36
In short, in everything you do,
Know what is happening in your mind.
By being constantly present and alert
You bring about what helps others -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
37
To dispel the suffering of beings without limit,
With wisdom freed from the three spheres
Direct all the goodness generated by these efforts
To awakening -- this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
A Moment to Ponder
Are human beings stupid enough to think that finding a boat somewhere in foreign mountains is enough to PROVE their religion is the right one?
Once again, the search for Noah's Ark has made it to scientific headlines, and yet again, those fanatics intent on proving something that has ZERO bearing on their faith are spouting off about it. New pictures of the area on Mt. Ararat that supposedly contains the remenants of a large boat(supposedly far larger than the Titanic) show me only an ice-covered mountain that has some tectonic shifting going on. There is no direct evidence of a human built ship, but the ones who want to see that particular thing see it, while those with more logical minds see what is really there. I do get tired of this stuff.
Why is it that humans, who claim to have "faith" in something intangible as God, still look for physical evidence that the human species and very specifically, their own religion, is special? I mean, come on! Some folk here in San Antonio recently started calling a tree that was leaking water holy, even after it was proven that the root system had gotten into a city water line, and the water coming out of the tree was exactly what was coming out of any tap in any house on the same street. Many refused to believe it wasn't divine intervention. and actually, the water had other things in it, very dangerous substances if the labs are to be believed, and people still kept collecting it to consume. what will they blame their future illness on?
I think it comes down to responsibility for one's own actions. Yet again. This is a serious problem among religions that toot ever lasting life and absolution, and they aren't just the Christian ones. too many people look for a way to get forgiven for doing things they bloody well know are wrong, rather than doing what's right in the first place.
Once again, the search for Noah's Ark has made it to scientific headlines, and yet again, those fanatics intent on proving something that has ZERO bearing on their faith are spouting off about it. New pictures of the area on Mt. Ararat that supposedly contains the remenants of a large boat(supposedly far larger than the Titanic) show me only an ice-covered mountain that has some tectonic shifting going on. There is no direct evidence of a human built ship, but the ones who want to see that particular thing see it, while those with more logical minds see what is really there. I do get tired of this stuff.
Why is it that humans, who claim to have "faith" in something intangible as God, still look for physical evidence that the human species and very specifically, their own religion, is special? I mean, come on! Some folk here in San Antonio recently started calling a tree that was leaking water holy, even after it was proven that the root system had gotten into a city water line, and the water coming out of the tree was exactly what was coming out of any tap in any house on the same street. Many refused to believe it wasn't divine intervention. and actually, the water had other things in it, very dangerous substances if the labs are to be believed, and people still kept collecting it to consume. what will they blame their future illness on?
I think it comes down to responsibility for one's own actions. Yet again. This is a serious problem among religions that toot ever lasting life and absolution, and they aren't just the Christian ones. too many people look for a way to get forgiven for doing things they bloody well know are wrong, rather than doing what's right in the first place.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Connection
This morning, a tiny child, too young to be from the womb yet, left this plane, almost as fast as she got into it. It has sorely affected someone close to me who was closer to this child's source than I. Still, that one and I have become connected, and what he was going through affected me for much of the day.
how does one teach another Truth? How does one help others understand the connection between all things, so that grief may be recognised for what it is: fear of being left alone, selfish desire to keep someone loved near, a clinging to the physical world.
It is a hard task in this life to break away from the physical biase that we have. It serves its purpose, making for a point of focus in this lesson we call life, but beyond that........illusion.
How do you teach eyes and ears and skin and brain to look beyond, further down in the submolecular world, past all preconceptions? How does one tell another that this isn't real, is not what we are, without sounding to most "sane" ears like a nut?
The human species is on the brink of an evolutionary change, one that might quite literally get down to the atomic level. We are developing beyond the need for this "reality", and it is happening inspite of all the atrocities we weild on each other nearly daily. It feels like a huge bomb, anxious to explode, because to hold all that power in takes more strength than it has. Something has to give.
I ramble, because I do not know how to aide someone in this growth step. It is like havin children, and having to watch them become independant, knowing as much as you hate it, it has to be. Sometime, you have to let go of their hands.
I really do think sometimes that true ignorance just might be bliss. It can be so very hard to be in the Now, just to Be.
how does one teach another Truth? How does one help others understand the connection between all things, so that grief may be recognised for what it is: fear of being left alone, selfish desire to keep someone loved near, a clinging to the physical world.
It is a hard task in this life to break away from the physical biase that we have. It serves its purpose, making for a point of focus in this lesson we call life, but beyond that........illusion.
How do you teach eyes and ears and skin and brain to look beyond, further down in the submolecular world, past all preconceptions? How does one tell another that this isn't real, is not what we are, without sounding to most "sane" ears like a nut?
The human species is on the brink of an evolutionary change, one that might quite literally get down to the atomic level. We are developing beyond the need for this "reality", and it is happening inspite of all the atrocities we weild on each other nearly daily. It feels like a huge bomb, anxious to explode, because to hold all that power in takes more strength than it has. Something has to give.
I ramble, because I do not know how to aide someone in this growth step. It is like havin children, and having to watch them become independant, knowing as much as you hate it, it has to be. Sometime, you have to let go of their hands.
I really do think sometimes that true ignorance just might be bliss. It can be so very hard to be in the Now, just to Be.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Say what?!
Okay, let me get this right.....we have gone from being told that we now have twelve planets in the solar system to being told now that one of the planets isn't one.....
Not only am I thoroughly confused,I am disgusted. Humans are so bloody arrogant! How the hell do we know what constitutes a planet?! For all we know, there's life on some bloody asteroid out their in the Kuniper Belt (I know I spelled that wrong, but I am flustered!) And to boot, scientists have been spending way too much time and money arguing over this stupid piece of pseudo-knowledge! Aren't there more pressing things to be concerned with?!
Okay I will stop ranting. It is actually too trivial a thing to get so wound up about. Truly, the only ones I think I can trust are the astrologers! I believe they have about 10 planets now, and a couple of other bodies they consider signifigant enough to give space to on a detailed natal chart. Astrology is based on the concept, upheld by Einstein himself I might add, that other celestial bodies exert force upon us. It has truth to it, because space is not a void, as was once thought. Molecules may be further apart than say in a dense body such as your own, or this planet, but they are none the less there. If one bothers the surface of the water, are not the vibrations of that motion felt elsewhere within that body of water? Of course they are: basic physics. It goes to stand that though they might be minute, the motions of the planets, etc., around the sun affect the sun. That's how most of the other planets found in our galaxy have been tracked down: they cause a wobble in their star's movement. Oh yeah, that means we should include in such a reading which way the wind was blowing the day you were born, and if there were any earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, but let's be at least a little sensible! Have you ever actually seen a natal chart?! They are tough enough to interprete!
Seriously though, I wish science would get on with more important things than "he said, she said." What an incredibly trivial abuse of what should be considered brilliant minds!
Not only am I thoroughly confused,I am disgusted. Humans are so bloody arrogant! How the hell do we know what constitutes a planet?! For all we know, there's life on some bloody asteroid out their in the Kuniper Belt (I know I spelled that wrong, but I am flustered!) And to boot, scientists have been spending way too much time and money arguing over this stupid piece of pseudo-knowledge! Aren't there more pressing things to be concerned with?!
Okay I will stop ranting. It is actually too trivial a thing to get so wound up about. Truly, the only ones I think I can trust are the astrologers! I believe they have about 10 planets now, and a couple of other bodies they consider signifigant enough to give space to on a detailed natal chart. Astrology is based on the concept, upheld by Einstein himself I might add, that other celestial bodies exert force upon us. It has truth to it, because space is not a void, as was once thought. Molecules may be further apart than say in a dense body such as your own, or this planet, but they are none the less there. If one bothers the surface of the water, are not the vibrations of that motion felt elsewhere within that body of water? Of course they are: basic physics. It goes to stand that though they might be minute, the motions of the planets, etc., around the sun affect the sun. That's how most of the other planets found in our galaxy have been tracked down: they cause a wobble in their star's movement. Oh yeah, that means we should include in such a reading which way the wind was blowing the day you were born, and if there were any earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, but let's be at least a little sensible! Have you ever actually seen a natal chart?! They are tough enough to interprete!
Seriously though, I wish science would get on with more important things than "he said, she said." What an incredibly trivial abuse of what should be considered brilliant minds!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Humans are just plain stupid.
I haven't had much time to write here lately, obviously, but the willful and idiotic stupidity I see being displayed today warrants a few moments on the keys.
LiveScience.com reports that the earth, specifically this northern hemisphere, is hotter now than it has been for the last 400 years, and maybe for the last two milleinia. Our jack-ass driven government says nnaahhhh....it ain't that bad. And besides, if it was, 5 million people might lose their jobs.......
How stupid are these people, for real? I am flabberghasted that humans just cannot see in their minds' eyes the potential reaction to their actions, or in this case, failure to act. Is the almighty greed upon which most of the governing body of this nation based truly so completely blind?! and better yet, are those who keep voting these self-serving jackasses into office (this means you, folks)willing to keep putting up with being mislead, lied to, and placated while the only home we have slowly kills us off because we are too stupid to give up some of our technology?
There have been five mojour extinctions on this planet ( I will assume most who might read this are intelligent enough to accept that this planet is about 4.5 BILLION years old?.) Each was caused by sudden changes in the environment, by whatever means, that tested all living things' ability to survive. Each time, more than 96% of all life on the planet was wiped out. The way science writes about it, we get the impression that it happened instantly, by our standards. We forget that a lifetime for one of us isn't even a blink in the time line of the planet, the galaxy, or the universe. This latest problem has been building up for almost two centuries; that's a reasonable amount of time to create an extinction, and it is precisely what is happening.
There's a really big catch to this: humans are causing what is bringing on the 6th planetwide extinction, and humans will be killed off, by their own hand, by their own willful ignorance, like the animals we are.
No one ever asked before if the thing that caused an extinction before managed to survive that same situation. I can pretty well guarantee, it didn't. And neither will we, vanity, greed and stupidity aside. We are not greater than Nature, though we can affect Her.
"Man did not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand in it. What he does to the web, he does to himself." Chief Seattle
There. Now back to lunch. I am really ashamed sometimes to be human. Find me a way to be proud again, without the vanity. Give the Gods reason to love us again.
LiveScience.com reports that the earth, specifically this northern hemisphere, is hotter now than it has been for the last 400 years, and maybe for the last two milleinia. Our jack-ass driven government says nnaahhhh....it ain't that bad. And besides, if it was, 5 million people might lose their jobs.......
How stupid are these people, for real? I am flabberghasted that humans just cannot see in their minds' eyes the potential reaction to their actions, or in this case, failure to act. Is the almighty greed upon which most of the governing body of this nation based truly so completely blind?! and better yet, are those who keep voting these self-serving jackasses into office (this means you, folks)willing to keep putting up with being mislead, lied to, and placated while the only home we have slowly kills us off because we are too stupid to give up some of our technology?
There have been five mojour extinctions on this planet ( I will assume most who might read this are intelligent enough to accept that this planet is about 4.5 BILLION years old?.) Each was caused by sudden changes in the environment, by whatever means, that tested all living things' ability to survive. Each time, more than 96% of all life on the planet was wiped out. The way science writes about it, we get the impression that it happened instantly, by our standards. We forget that a lifetime for one of us isn't even a blink in the time line of the planet, the galaxy, or the universe. This latest problem has been building up for almost two centuries; that's a reasonable amount of time to create an extinction, and it is precisely what is happening.
There's a really big catch to this: humans are causing what is bringing on the 6th planetwide extinction, and humans will be killed off, by their own hand, by their own willful ignorance, like the animals we are.
No one ever asked before if the thing that caused an extinction before managed to survive that same situation. I can pretty well guarantee, it didn't. And neither will we, vanity, greed and stupidity aside. We are not greater than Nature, though we can affect Her.
"Man did not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand in it. What he does to the web, he does to himself." Chief Seattle
There. Now back to lunch. I am really ashamed sometimes to be human. Find me a way to be proud again, without the vanity. Give the Gods reason to love us again.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
namaste
"Stripped of his questions, the journalist has no identity."
How true. It is in the self-searching that I have found my most words, and also some of my greatest misery, because I am exposed to the rawness of the human experience. We in this country in particular are taught from very early on to lust after things. It can be possessions, which never truly fill the gaping hole in the soul, or a quest for the perfect f**k, or better yet, the prince in shining armour that every guy wants to live up to being and every girl thinks she can mold out of whatever man she manages to finally be willing to put up with. Most of us end up settling for what irritates us least, and if we are very very lucky, we find someone we become friends with, and one day realize we really do love them to the depth of our being.
The above quote is from a National Geographic article about Buddhism in this world today. The basics- the release of want, desire, ambition, the self- are pretty lost on most people in the age of crass materialism. Yet...the soul still pines for a connectedness to all other things that most religions and all of everything else cannot grant. It is hard to live simply in a world that actually depends on its people living in a state of debt. If the average American could work his/her way out of debt, learn to live within his/her means, and be content, the world economy would quite literally collapse. I personally think it would be a good thing, but an awful lot of people would not.
I am a student of Sai Baba, a Hindi born teacher from India, who speaks much of the same things: the giving up of one's identity of self to gain greater enlightenment through detachment. It is really a hard path to follow, but I know it is the right one. The media blitz of everyday life teaches me over and over that I am not enough as I am, but most own more, do more, be more, or be unhappy. I am sorry to say I fall prey to this line of thinking way too much. I don't even have it in me to fight for a relationship I feel in my heart could be the one that should be for the rest of this mortal life. Part of me is so battered down with self-esteem problems, I find it hard to believe that anyone looks at me in a positive light.
Needless to say, I have a ways to go with the Eightfold Path.
I adore the Dalai Lama, in his current incarnation. He has this ability to look at all things, good or bad, and find the most positive side to all of it. I recently read the most amazing thing about one of the most horrendous acts of human rights violation since the holocaust- the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Yes, it was horrible. Yes, thousands died and many more still punished for having faith in something besides communism. BUT....and this is the part that makes one stop and think.....if it had NOT happened..... we wouldn't have His Holiness out here, talking, writing, BEING the amazing example of compassion and selflessness that he is. His world, his country was stripped away from him, and he forgave. He found within himself a level of calm that allowed him to step back and make lemonade from one of the biggest batches of lemons the human race has ever made. I know his mere presence out there has made an impression on my life. Baba has too, for similar reasons.
Now, I look for that place in myself where the questions become whispers, and eventually will become silent. I look for the point in this physical existance where I know I am one, quite literally, with everything else, everywhere, and every time, every universe. It is a tough journey, but I know it's the right one.
I hope we meet along the way.
How true. It is in the self-searching that I have found my most words, and also some of my greatest misery, because I am exposed to the rawness of the human experience. We in this country in particular are taught from very early on to lust after things. It can be possessions, which never truly fill the gaping hole in the soul, or a quest for the perfect f**k, or better yet, the prince in shining armour that every guy wants to live up to being and every girl thinks she can mold out of whatever man she manages to finally be willing to put up with. Most of us end up settling for what irritates us least, and if we are very very lucky, we find someone we become friends with, and one day realize we really do love them to the depth of our being.
The above quote is from a National Geographic article about Buddhism in this world today. The basics- the release of want, desire, ambition, the self- are pretty lost on most people in the age of crass materialism. Yet...the soul still pines for a connectedness to all other things that most religions and all of everything else cannot grant. It is hard to live simply in a world that actually depends on its people living in a state of debt. If the average American could work his/her way out of debt, learn to live within his/her means, and be content, the world economy would quite literally collapse. I personally think it would be a good thing, but an awful lot of people would not.
I am a student of Sai Baba, a Hindi born teacher from India, who speaks much of the same things: the giving up of one's identity of self to gain greater enlightenment through detachment. It is really a hard path to follow, but I know it is the right one. The media blitz of everyday life teaches me over and over that I am not enough as I am, but most own more, do more, be more, or be unhappy. I am sorry to say I fall prey to this line of thinking way too much. I don't even have it in me to fight for a relationship I feel in my heart could be the one that should be for the rest of this mortal life. Part of me is so battered down with self-esteem problems, I find it hard to believe that anyone looks at me in a positive light.
Needless to say, I have a ways to go with the Eightfold Path.
I adore the Dalai Lama, in his current incarnation. He has this ability to look at all things, good or bad, and find the most positive side to all of it. I recently read the most amazing thing about one of the most horrendous acts of human rights violation since the holocaust- the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Yes, it was horrible. Yes, thousands died and many more still punished for having faith in something besides communism. BUT....and this is the part that makes one stop and think.....if it had NOT happened..... we wouldn't have His Holiness out here, talking, writing, BEING the amazing example of compassion and selflessness that he is. His world, his country was stripped away from him, and he forgave. He found within himself a level of calm that allowed him to step back and make lemonade from one of the biggest batches of lemons the human race has ever made. I know his mere presence out there has made an impression on my life. Baba has too, for similar reasons.
Now, I look for that place in myself where the questions become whispers, and eventually will become silent. I look for the point in this physical existance where I know I am one, quite literally, with everything else, everywhere, and every time, every universe. It is a tough journey, but I know it's the right one.
I hope we meet along the way.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
An Irony? Time will tell.
Quite literally millions of birds worldwide are being slaughtered out of fear. The fear is that the newest strain of flu they have gotten is going to find a way to mutate into a human virus, and start infecting all of us, potentially killing a good portion of the human species, a la the plague or even the flu epidemic of the 1920's (I think that's when it was. It killed millions, but not a whole lotta birds, 'cept for chicken soup....)
sorry about that run on sentence.
I just have this image of progression in my head: dinos, after the extinction of the biggest of them, becoming birds. Birds getting steadily smaller and lightweight. At one time the larger ones may have fed on the smaller of our ancestors; we in turn started feeding on the more catchable ones of the birds. Eventually we domesticate what will become the common chicken, in all its forms, and it becomes one of the mainstays of diets around the world, both in its unrealized young (eggs) and its adults (KFC.)
We have in fact become so dependent on the chicken, that the latest outbreak of this flu, in Africa, (our starting point, incidentally) threatens to destroy not only potential economy, but one of the most important food sources for the incredibly large poverty stricken section of the population. Somehow, it feels like Nature getting even with us for the arrogance, yet again. The next thing that needs to happen is a fungal infection of the most common rice types around the world. (There are hundreds of types of rice, grown all over the world, at all altitudes. If you only know Uncle Ben's, you might as well eat at McDonald's.) The most common food eaten daily, and sometimes the only meal eaten all day, is rice. Attack that successfully and one guarantees the demise of much of our two legged species.
We really are a foolish bunch, aren't we? And getting worse! Americans have such a restrictive diet that if our food sources dried up for one reason or another, a good percentage of us wouldn't be able to go on. We would be mortified by what might have to become food, as it is around the world: bugs. The single largest source for protein among humans around the world is bugs. Yeah, I ain't too keen on the idea of sucking back on of them big fat beetle larvae I have seen some aborigines eat, but at least it ain't starving. Hey some dude in NYC made a popular dish out of what way too many seamen have spent HOURS trying to get off of their boats: barnacles. Yup. Gourmet meal......I swear humans will eat anything that ain't nailed down. Evidence? Sushi. Ick.
anyway, I do digess. There is some weird cycle of exchange building in my head about the relation between our evolution, bird evolution, and this flu's evolution. The mere fact that Nature keeps trying to produce epidemics that directly affect us should be some kind of clue that we need to heed. There is a reason that She is tryng to find a way to curtail our population, and even drastically reduce it, violently, if need be. Any dog that can still fight will do whatever it takes to be rid of a flea infestion. That's all we really amount to on this planet, when one admits to the misbelief that we are "special" in the Creatour's eye. Still, a dog can have many fleas, and it not be an infestation. I wouldn't call it symbiosis exactly, but they can live together, as long as one respects the other to a certain point. we have forgotten that respect, and She is demanding repayment.
I will be curious as I continue to age to see exactly what starts happening to the species as these collectives of diseases, plagues, droughts, floods, famines and other such "natural" disasters become more and more frequent. They have in the relatively short time since I was a kid and started paying any attention to such thngs. What will happen to our grace and dignity, supposed hallmarks of our blessed-ness among the living things of the world, when faced with the inability to stop the reshaping of the planet's face through its own actions.
I daresay it might be one time I will be glad that my son never knew this world.
sorry about that run on sentence.
I just have this image of progression in my head: dinos, after the extinction of the biggest of them, becoming birds. Birds getting steadily smaller and lightweight. At one time the larger ones may have fed on the smaller of our ancestors; we in turn started feeding on the more catchable ones of the birds. Eventually we domesticate what will become the common chicken, in all its forms, and it becomes one of the mainstays of diets around the world, both in its unrealized young (eggs) and its adults (KFC.)
We have in fact become so dependent on the chicken, that the latest outbreak of this flu, in Africa, (our starting point, incidentally) threatens to destroy not only potential economy, but one of the most important food sources for the incredibly large poverty stricken section of the population. Somehow, it feels like Nature getting even with us for the arrogance, yet again. The next thing that needs to happen is a fungal infection of the most common rice types around the world. (There are hundreds of types of rice, grown all over the world, at all altitudes. If you only know Uncle Ben's, you might as well eat at McDonald's.) The most common food eaten daily, and sometimes the only meal eaten all day, is rice. Attack that successfully and one guarantees the demise of much of our two legged species.
We really are a foolish bunch, aren't we? And getting worse! Americans have such a restrictive diet that if our food sources dried up for one reason or another, a good percentage of us wouldn't be able to go on. We would be mortified by what might have to become food, as it is around the world: bugs. The single largest source for protein among humans around the world is bugs. Yeah, I ain't too keen on the idea of sucking back on of them big fat beetle larvae I have seen some aborigines eat, but at least it ain't starving. Hey some dude in NYC made a popular dish out of what way too many seamen have spent HOURS trying to get off of their boats: barnacles. Yup. Gourmet meal......I swear humans will eat anything that ain't nailed down. Evidence? Sushi. Ick.
anyway, I do digess. There is some weird cycle of exchange building in my head about the relation between our evolution, bird evolution, and this flu's evolution. The mere fact that Nature keeps trying to produce epidemics that directly affect us should be some kind of clue that we need to heed. There is a reason that She is tryng to find a way to curtail our population, and even drastically reduce it, violently, if need be. Any dog that can still fight will do whatever it takes to be rid of a flea infestion. That's all we really amount to on this planet, when one admits to the misbelief that we are "special" in the Creatour's eye. Still, a dog can have many fleas, and it not be an infestation. I wouldn't call it symbiosis exactly, but they can live together, as long as one respects the other to a certain point. we have forgotten that respect, and She is demanding repayment.
I will be curious as I continue to age to see exactly what starts happening to the species as these collectives of diseases, plagues, droughts, floods, famines and other such "natural" disasters become more and more frequent. They have in the relatively short time since I was a kid and started paying any attention to such thngs. What will happen to our grace and dignity, supposed hallmarks of our blessed-ness among the living things of the world, when faced with the inability to stop the reshaping of the planet's face through its own actions.
I daresay it might be one time I will be glad that my son never knew this world.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
another pop quiz
| You Are a Visionary Soul |
 You are a curious person, always in a state of awareness. Connected to all things spiritual, you are very connected to your soul. You are wise and bright: able to reason and be reasonable. Occasionally, you get quite depressed and have dark feelings. You have great vision and can be very insightful. In fact, you are often profound in a way that surprises yourself. Visionary souls like you can be the best type of friend. You are intuitive, understanding, sympathetic, and a good healer. Souls you are most compatible with: Old Soul and Peacemaker Soul |
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