Monday, November 16, 2009
Who put the You in God
Every time you read the word God somewhere, replace it in your mind by saying "Myself". You will feel much better and have less anxiety about it that way. Go ahead, try it. You can thank me later.
Alchemy blog dos
The book that Hauck wrote on the Emerald Tablet actually begins by telling us the story of Balinas who was born in the year 16 C.E. in Cappadocia (now Turkey). He found the Emerald Tablet and it changed his life. He became famous in Turkey for his healing powers and lived in the temple of Asclepius. He traveled all over the world meeting with many religious groups including the Essenes and Gnostics.
Balinas felt that religious groups were slowly forgetting and losing touch with the higher powers of themselves and he wanted to help them reestablish their link. Also he was worried that religions were becoming too materialistic . On page 8 of Hauck's book, he says of Balinas, "To set an example for others, he never entered a temple or church without uttering the prayer in which he said : Grant, Oh gods, that I may have little and feel the need of nothing." This notion has a huge resonating impact with me because one of my main reasons for not going to church is to avoid the "church" itself. Beautiful buildings, Popes decked out in gold and ornate clothing, or any signs of outward riches or bodily worship have nothing to do with spirit or God and I have always deeply felt this.
I also felt that Balinas was an inspiring individual in that he spoke bluntly at times to wake people up out of their comfortable lives and impart wisdom. Found on page 11 in Hauck's book, "Balinas attacked people's laziness and overindulgence, pleading with them to share their possessions with those in need by saying, "What else, then, have we to do but shut ourselves up at home, like birds to be fattened for use, and indulge our appetites in darkness till we burst with fat?". This might have just as well been my wake up call, stop sitting around don't forget who you are (or aren't as the case may be)! That statement continues to echo in my mind and speaks directly to me.
Balinas also urged Romans to stop watching sporting events where cruelty reigned ( on opening day alone of the "Games" 9,000 -power animals- such as lions, tigers, and panthers were slaughtered for human entertainment). Instead he encouraged them to raise their consciousness level and participate in the Universe directly and not vicariously, by witnessing creation moment by moment. He claimed nothing could be more exciting than that (as you can imagine, it didn't go over well). It kind of reminds me of the saying, "Don't do drugs, be high on life". Balinas stated that he could never harm another creature because who was he to judge the life worth of "any potential vehicle of light" (a very Buddhist statement, to come many years later).
Balinas also spoke out boldly against and without fear of Roman Emperors like Nero and he was also called to influence others such as Emperor Titus. He did not just sit around and meditate and reflect but boldly went out into the world to share his great knowledge. To someone who has always been too shy to speak her opinion and has even lied about being religious just to avoid a confrontation, this sets a new idea for me of what I would like my life to be like hence forth.
Balinas had many amazing experiences that I would encourage anyone to read about. I am glad he took his thoughts to the streets, in doing so he shared his life and knowledge with us. Many others such as Jesus and Buddha did the same thing, possibly endangering their lives and with the worry that their teachings would be misunderstood but they were spiritual worriers that risked everything to teach us anyway. They risked persecution and being misunderstood, and they were but they did it for love of people. Lastly it is important to note that by living what you teach and not compromising you are become the living incarnation of your ideal.
I realize I have talked very little in this post about the actual teachings on the Tablet or Alchemy, so I will save that post for next time.
Balinas felt that religious groups were slowly forgetting and losing touch with the higher powers of themselves and he wanted to help them reestablish their link. Also he was worried that religions were becoming too materialistic . On page 8 of Hauck's book, he says of Balinas, "To set an example for others, he never entered a temple or church without uttering the prayer in which he said : Grant, Oh gods, that I may have little and feel the need of nothing." This notion has a huge resonating impact with me because one of my main reasons for not going to church is to avoid the "church" itself. Beautiful buildings, Popes decked out in gold and ornate clothing, or any signs of outward riches or bodily worship have nothing to do with spirit or God and I have always deeply felt this.
I also felt that Balinas was an inspiring individual in that he spoke bluntly at times to wake people up out of their comfortable lives and impart wisdom. Found on page 11 in Hauck's book, "Balinas attacked people's laziness and overindulgence, pleading with them to share their possessions with those in need by saying, "What else, then, have we to do but shut ourselves up at home, like birds to be fattened for use, and indulge our appetites in darkness till we burst with fat?". This might have just as well been my wake up call, stop sitting around don't forget who you are (or aren't as the case may be)! That statement continues to echo in my mind and speaks directly to me.
Balinas also urged Romans to stop watching sporting events where cruelty reigned ( on opening day alone of the "Games" 9,000 -power animals- such as lions, tigers, and panthers were slaughtered for human entertainment). Instead he encouraged them to raise their consciousness level and participate in the Universe directly and not vicariously, by witnessing creation moment by moment. He claimed nothing could be more exciting than that (as you can imagine, it didn't go over well). It kind of reminds me of the saying, "Don't do drugs, be high on life". Balinas stated that he could never harm another creature because who was he to judge the life worth of "any potential vehicle of light" (a very Buddhist statement, to come many years later).
Balinas also spoke out boldly against and without fear of Roman Emperors like Nero and he was also called to influence others such as Emperor Titus. He did not just sit around and meditate and reflect but boldly went out into the world to share his great knowledge. To someone who has always been too shy to speak her opinion and has even lied about being religious just to avoid a confrontation, this sets a new idea for me of what I would like my life to be like hence forth.
Balinas had many amazing experiences that I would encourage anyone to read about. I am glad he took his thoughts to the streets, in doing so he shared his life and knowledge with us. Many others such as Jesus and Buddha did the same thing, possibly endangering their lives and with the worry that their teachings would be misunderstood but they were spiritual worriers that risked everything to teach us anyway. They risked persecution and being misunderstood, and they were but they did it for love of people. Lastly it is important to note that by living what you teach and not compromising you are become the living incarnation of your ideal.
I realize I have talked very little in this post about the actual teachings on the Tablet or Alchemy, so I will save that post for next time.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Alchemy blog- Uno
Thinking that I might have several more alchemy related blog entries, I think I will just refer to this as the first one.
As part of my all spiritual all-the-time line up of books, I'm reading a book called "The Emerald Tablet" by Dennis William Hauck. It is an information packed wild read about the Emerald Tablet, which contained alchemical teachings. Hauck makes the case that Alchemy, at times in history, was purposely used to be entirely symbolic of the actual spiritual teachings that it professed.
What some considered the pseudo-science of Alchemy was actually a cover for a type of living spiritual art that aimed at transforming the base metal of "Lead' in a person's soul to a higher consciousness represented by the precious metal Gold. The teachings in the Tablet were being cleverly disguised from the dominant (book burning, head loping) churches of the time. The introduction takes you on a fascinating ride throughout history following the Tablet from Ancient Egypt at its inception through the hands of various owners and discoverers. The book also discuses how the teachings in the Tablet influenced every major religion and modern day society. Also what I really love about alchemy is that is brought science and spirituality together in a unique combination that might not be found in the world again.
The Tablet's true author is unknown but some think it was written by Hermes Trismegistis ( also known as the father of The Hermetic Tradition). On Wiki you can read all of the various translations of the Tablet. If you really want to read an in-depth discourse on who wrote the Emerald Tablet itself and where it came from, this web site has lots of info. Also, here is an incredibly interesting interview with the author of this book Dennis Hauck. I wish I had more time to detail it all because it is very interesting stuff. However I will do the best I can to summarize parts of the material.
The Tablet was said to have been infused in all levels of Egyptian culture. It is one of the oldest recorded teachings in the world. It is the spiritual analogy to what Latin root words are to our language. The Tablet's teachings pop up in all religions a plenty (Buddhism, Hinduism, Gnosticism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) but with new packaging added by the subsequent religions. The Emerald Tablet could also be thought of as the Divine Cook Book. Existing on many levels in order to speak to many different kinds of peoples, it provides a recipe that if followed diligently, eventually leads back to the One Mind, which everything came from.
People who used Alchemy in their lives felt that they were connected with their work and that the greater their character became the better result they would have in any kind of experiment with alchemy. This is a similar concept to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, specifically the observer effect. This effect in quantum mechanics states that the observer of the experiment determines and can alter the results simply by observing the experiment. Also alchemists believed they must be pure in order to produce meaningful results in life and tried to conquer their egos, ordinary lusts, and need for worldly possessions. Alchemists lived their lives like a chemistry lab experiment, going through the phases one would go through in a laboratory to produce a pure element, except they were working on their character and soul at the same time with the same processes. The steps they went through were calcination, dissolution, fermentation, distillation, and coagulation. All the steps are symbolic and have very in depth meaning. Hauck does a good job of describing what they mean and even providing modern day pop-culture examples to show us how this process still exists in everyday life. This book is full of the most magnificent symbology that you will ever come across.
Many great figures have spent their lives trying to discern the messages in the Tablet, here are a few examples. Isaac Newton dedicated much of his life to studying Alchemy and in fact studied alchemy longer than the comparatively small portion of physics he is known for. He did his own translation of the Emerald Tablet in 1680. Newtons "Hypothesis of Light" and his theories on Gravity (actions at a distance, even through a vacuum) might have been influenced by Alchemy.
The Tablet had a lot of influence on the famous psychiatrist Carl Jung, who also studied Alchemy. His theory of "The Collective Unconscious" is the same as what the Tablet calls the "One Mind" that is available to everyone. Carl Jung studied Gnosticism and its connections with the Tablet and felt like they were a bridge between spiritual wisdom handed down starting with the Egyptians and a new future of mind sciences. He had one of the largest collections of rare alchemical and Taoist books in the world.
Carl Jung had this to say about his studies:
[Alchemy] represented the historical link with Gnosticism, and . . . a continuity therefore existed between past and present. Grounded in the natural philosophy of the Middle Ages, alchemy formed the bridge on the one hand into the past, to Gnosticism, and on the other into the future, to the modern psychology of the unconscious" Memories, Dreams, Reflections of C.G. Jung, ed. by Aniela Jaffe, transl. by R. and C. Winston (Vintage, 1963) p.192-193 Jung also wrote an amazing must-read treatise on his work called, "Psychology and Alchemy" and gave lectures all over the world about his findings. I have always been interested in Carl Jung, he is like an old friend to me as I have sat up many late nights reading through his work. He is one historic figure I wish that I could have known. I love that he loved alchemy. - you have reached the end of post uno
As part of my all spiritual all-the-time line up of books, I'm reading a book called "The Emerald Tablet" by Dennis William Hauck. It is an information packed wild read about the Emerald Tablet, which contained alchemical teachings. Hauck makes the case that Alchemy, at times in history, was purposely used to be entirely symbolic of the actual spiritual teachings that it professed.
What some considered the pseudo-science of Alchemy was actually a cover for a type of living spiritual art that aimed at transforming the base metal of "Lead' in a person's soul to a higher consciousness represented by the precious metal Gold. The teachings in the Tablet were being cleverly disguised from the dominant (book burning, head loping) churches of the time. The introduction takes you on a fascinating ride throughout history following the Tablet from Ancient Egypt at its inception through the hands of various owners and discoverers. The book also discuses how the teachings in the Tablet influenced every major religion and modern day society. Also what I really love about alchemy is that is brought science and spirituality together in a unique combination that might not be found in the world again.
The Tablet's true author is unknown but some think it was written by Hermes Trismegistis ( also known as the father of The Hermetic Tradition). On Wiki you can read all of the various translations of the Tablet. If you really want to read an in-depth discourse on who wrote the Emerald Tablet itself and where it came from, this web site has lots of info. Also, here is an incredibly interesting interview with the author of this book Dennis Hauck. I wish I had more time to detail it all because it is very interesting stuff. However I will do the best I can to summarize parts of the material.
The Tablet was said to have been infused in all levels of Egyptian culture. It is one of the oldest recorded teachings in the world. It is the spiritual analogy to what Latin root words are to our language. The Tablet's teachings pop up in all religions a plenty (Buddhism, Hinduism, Gnosticism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) but with new packaging added by the subsequent religions. The Emerald Tablet could also be thought of as the Divine Cook Book. Existing on many levels in order to speak to many different kinds of peoples, it provides a recipe that if followed diligently, eventually leads back to the One Mind, which everything came from.
People who used Alchemy in their lives felt that they were connected with their work and that the greater their character became the better result they would have in any kind of experiment with alchemy. This is a similar concept to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, specifically the observer effect. This effect in quantum mechanics states that the observer of the experiment determines and can alter the results simply by observing the experiment. Also alchemists believed they must be pure in order to produce meaningful results in life and tried to conquer their egos, ordinary lusts, and need for worldly possessions. Alchemists lived their lives like a chemistry lab experiment, going through the phases one would go through in a laboratory to produce a pure element, except they were working on their character and soul at the same time with the same processes. The steps they went through were calcination, dissolution, fermentation, distillation, and coagulation. All the steps are symbolic and have very in depth meaning. Hauck does a good job of describing what they mean and even providing modern day pop-culture examples to show us how this process still exists in everyday life. This book is full of the most magnificent symbology that you will ever come across.
Many great figures have spent their lives trying to discern the messages in the Tablet, here are a few examples. Isaac Newton dedicated much of his life to studying Alchemy and in fact studied alchemy longer than the comparatively small portion of physics he is known for. He did his own translation of the Emerald Tablet in 1680. Newtons "Hypothesis of Light" and his theories on Gravity (actions at a distance, even through a vacuum) might have been influenced by Alchemy.
The Tablet had a lot of influence on the famous psychiatrist Carl Jung, who also studied Alchemy. His theory of "The Collective Unconscious" is the same as what the Tablet calls the "One Mind" that is available to everyone. Carl Jung studied Gnosticism and its connections with the Tablet and felt like they were a bridge between spiritual wisdom handed down starting with the Egyptians and a new future of mind sciences. He had one of the largest collections of rare alchemical and Taoist books in the world.
Carl Jung had this to say about his studies:
[Alchemy] represented the historical link with Gnosticism, and . . . a continuity therefore existed between past and present. Grounded in the natural philosophy of the Middle Ages, alchemy formed the bridge on the one hand into the past, to Gnosticism, and on the other into the future, to the modern psychology of the unconscious" Memories, Dreams, Reflections of C.G. Jung, ed. by Aniela Jaffe, transl. by R. and C. Winston (Vintage, 1963) p.192-193 Jung also wrote an amazing must-read treatise on his work called, "Psychology and Alchemy" and gave lectures all over the world about his findings. I have always been interested in Carl Jung, he is like an old friend to me as I have sat up many late nights reading through his work. He is one historic figure I wish that I could have known. I love that he loved alchemy. - you have reached the end of post uno
Monday, October 12, 2009
Stop it, you are freaking me out
I am reading a book called "The Way of Divine Love" by Sister Josefa Menendez. I'm only about 10 pages into the intro so far but it's freaking me out. It talks about the "victims" that Jesus chooses to suffer with him for the eternal pain he feels because he is rejected by sinners and to help with the promise to cancel out their sins. These chosen, but also highly willing victims for Jesus, endure the suffering to compensate for thousands or millions of sinning souls who are in darkness.
As if that wasn't motivation enough to sleep in on Sunday lest you be victimized, apparently the Devil is told to have at these victims and God allows them to suffer more punishment from the Devil than he would a normal person. This is just to prove that they will never succumb to the Devil no matter what they suffer.
I'm only 10 pages in like I said but I think they are implying it ends by the victims outer shell being stripped away and the tenderized meaty bits being ingested by Jesus forever and ever, ah men. Also, according to this book, I am so going to hell for that comment.
I think I will continue reading out of curiosity and with an open mind. I would have to say though that at least the introduction to the book is a little heavy on the hell fire and damnation cow bell.
As if that wasn't motivation enough to sleep in on Sunday lest you be victimized, apparently the Devil is told to have at these victims and God allows them to suffer more punishment from the Devil than he would a normal person. This is just to prove that they will never succumb to the Devil no matter what they suffer.
I'm only 10 pages in like I said but I think they are implying it ends by the victims outer shell being stripped away and the tenderized meaty bits being ingested by Jesus forever and ever, ah men. Also, according to this book, I am so going to hell for that comment.
I think I will continue reading out of curiosity and with an open mind. I would have to say though that at least the introduction to the book is a little heavy on the hell fire and damnation cow bell.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sage advice
Some sage advice I recived from Dad :
I like the simplicity.... If you need complexity, you can go to church or read about the Pleiadeans.
I like the simplicity.... If you need complexity, you can go to church or read about the Pleiadeans.
Do not go gentle, even tonight
DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
-Dylan Thomas
Some analysts of this poem feel that it is about fighting for your life when you are near death. Some people with cancer have taken it on as their mantra to cling to life at all costs. I say it is also a cheer for the human race, young and old alike. You have to fight for your life while you are still very much alive. Don't let the TV take you. Don't sit passively by and let the light of your contribution to this world be diminished. Act or speak out passionately about whatever it is you believe in. Rage against the dying of the light and do not go gentle, even tonight.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Why I think Jesus should neither be feared nor worshiped
Jesus, as a person, was asking us just to walk with him a while and see the world as he does, through his filter. I do believe Jesus was a real person, every bit as real as the Buddha or Krishna ( speaker in the Bhagavad-gita). His teachings are full of inspiration and something that humans should all strive for and what could be wrong with that. I do not know if he is the son of God but if he is, that's great too.
I believe you can still study and love the teachings of someone who got sucked into a religious dogma with out being religious. It does not have to be one or the other although some make you think you have to choose but notice, they usually do it with fear or guilt as a motivator. For me, this thought provided me with freedom to study and learn teachings from many sources, keeping the good and useful bits but not getting caught up in the religious scaffolding.
I do personally believe Jesus and maybe others in conjunction wrote the Course in Miracles, a book that I frequent. It was written to set the record straight about his time here and what we perceived wrong. When I read the ACIM, I really try hard to imagine anyone else writing it. I think that it's still possible that someone else did write it but list would be really short. Its concepts are far beyond things that most people have available to them. I'm not all that into Christian symbolism as a mantra to live by but I find the ideas put forth in ACIM difficult to ignore.
In ACIM, Jesus tells us why we should not worship him. ACIM p. 7 Revelation, Time and Miracles :
"Awe should be reserved for revelation, to which it is perfectly and correctly applicable. It is not appropriate for miracles because a state of awe is worshipful, implying that one of a lesser order stands before his Creator. You are a perfect creation, and should experience awe only in the Presence of the Creator of perfection. The miracle is therefore a sign of love among equals. Equals should not be in awe of one another because awe implies inequality. It is therefore an inappropriate reaction to me. An elder brother is entitled to respect for his greater experience, and obedience for his greater wisdom. He is also entitled to love because he is a brother, and to devotion if he is devoted. It is only my devotion that entitles me to yours. There is nothing about me that you cannot attain. I have nothing that does not come from God. The difference between us now is that I have nothing else. This leaves me in a state which is only potential in you."
Does this sound like a guy (or person) who is beating you over the head with eternity or damnation or a guy that came here so that we would worship him? It sounds like to me that he is trying to lift us up out of the slums of where we sometimes exist with each other to a higher place, where we can see more clearly our relationship with and to all things. He is letting you know that if you worship him you set yourself apart but if you strive to be like him in action then he has nothing that you can not achieve or that does not belong to you.
It is a beautiful message of encouragement that everyone can live in a better world based on their actions. You get back what you put in and at some level it is a closed system. Being worthy is not something that should be granted through a ceremony or a Hail Mary but something that is only earned, through a devotion to doing right by others.
I have also studied a lot about Edgar Cayce, deemed "The Sleeping Prophet". One of his statements that always sticks with me as good advice to live by is, "Know Thy Ideal". It is akin to the notion that if you think good things, good things will come. Cayce encouraged everyone to explore their life and know their ideal and when your ideal is set, your life becomes automatically pulled towards what you have set as that ideal. I am constantly reminded that if you don't know your ideal then you will just aimlessly wander, which can be educational too for a while I suppose. However I do think it takes some mental searching and effort to discover your ideal and then set your life on that course so that you can act. Mostly people probably don't know that they don't know what their ideal is.
I am thankful that the teaching of Jesus are available as are many others to help us form our ideals. I see him simply as an "older brother" that has gone before to help bring light to the world and all the other if's and's or but's were added later by people seeking to control people in some respect or other. I promise I will post other things on this blog than my thoughts about Jesus but I thought this needed to be said.
I believe you can still study and love the teachings of someone who got sucked into a religious dogma with out being religious. It does not have to be one or the other although some make you think you have to choose but notice, they usually do it with fear or guilt as a motivator. For me, this thought provided me with freedom to study and learn teachings from many sources, keeping the good and useful bits but not getting caught up in the religious scaffolding.
I do personally believe Jesus and maybe others in conjunction wrote the Course in Miracles, a book that I frequent. It was written to set the record straight about his time here and what we perceived wrong. When I read the ACIM, I really try hard to imagine anyone else writing it. I think that it's still possible that someone else did write it but list would be really short. Its concepts are far beyond things that most people have available to them. I'm not all that into Christian symbolism as a mantra to live by but I find the ideas put forth in ACIM difficult to ignore.
In ACIM, Jesus tells us why we should not worship him. ACIM p. 7 Revelation, Time and Miracles :
"Awe should be reserved for revelation, to which it is perfectly and correctly applicable. It is not appropriate for miracles because a state of awe is worshipful, implying that one of a lesser order stands before his Creator. You are a perfect creation, and should experience awe only in the Presence of the Creator of perfection. The miracle is therefore a sign of love among equals. Equals should not be in awe of one another because awe implies inequality. It is therefore an inappropriate reaction to me. An elder brother is entitled to respect for his greater experience, and obedience for his greater wisdom. He is also entitled to love because he is a brother, and to devotion if he is devoted. It is only my devotion that entitles me to yours. There is nothing about me that you cannot attain. I have nothing that does not come from God. The difference between us now is that I have nothing else. This leaves me in a state which is only potential in you."
Does this sound like a guy (or person) who is beating you over the head with eternity or damnation or a guy that came here so that we would worship him? It sounds like to me that he is trying to lift us up out of the slums of where we sometimes exist with each other to a higher place, where we can see more clearly our relationship with and to all things. He is letting you know that if you worship him you set yourself apart but if you strive to be like him in action then he has nothing that you can not achieve or that does not belong to you.
It is a beautiful message of encouragement that everyone can live in a better world based on their actions. You get back what you put in and at some level it is a closed system. Being worthy is not something that should be granted through a ceremony or a Hail Mary but something that is only earned, through a devotion to doing right by others.
I have also studied a lot about Edgar Cayce, deemed "The Sleeping Prophet". One of his statements that always sticks with me as good advice to live by is, "Know Thy Ideal". It is akin to the notion that if you think good things, good things will come. Cayce encouraged everyone to explore their life and know their ideal and when your ideal is set, your life becomes automatically pulled towards what you have set as that ideal. I am constantly reminded that if you don't know your ideal then you will just aimlessly wander, which can be educational too for a while I suppose. However I do think it takes some mental searching and effort to discover your ideal and then set your life on that course so that you can act. Mostly people probably don't know that they don't know what their ideal is.
I am thankful that the teaching of Jesus are available as are many others to help us form our ideals. I see him simply as an "older brother" that has gone before to help bring light to the world and all the other if's and's or but's were added later by people seeking to control people in some respect or other. I promise I will post other things on this blog than my thoughts about Jesus but I thought this needed to be said.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
What is in that "Tenth of an Inch", you will decide.
There is a Zen saying that says, "Heaven and Hell are but a tenth of an inch apart". I believe the Earth fills that space between the tenth of an inch and our individual perception of our situation on Earth tells us which way to lean. Obviously great beauty is available to us on Earth and unthinkable hellish manifestations are here as well. There is no point in studying or fearing Heaven or Hell when both are available in the here and now, here on Earth.
Perception is a huge personal responsibility. Perception can also influence others to see the world as you do, for better or worse. If you saw the world and thought it was good and held up that mirror for others to look into, would they not have a better chance of seeing it that way then if you held up a poster advertising space for rent in hell? Your perception of the world ultimately determines the way you will act towards it and what you will receive back.
I believe that religions and spiritual teachings from all over the world have many shards of light in their teachings and should not be discounted. However I think that some things that are taught by people in these organizations are wrong (ie. infused with fear and material things as their focus) and that is the main reason I choose not to participate in organized religions and other spiritual practices. Anytime fear is allowed to enter a thought system, it is headed in the wrong direction. It is very difficult for humans to avoid fear as it is a very powerful motivator and can be deeply present at subconscious levels.
As an example, Salvation, Atonement, Judgement Day are sometimes ideas that are taught as things that will occur at some future date, allowing fear and dread of damnation to slip in. I believe the only thing we have available to us ever in this life is the present moment. If we live for any ideas such as what our future will be like (imagining those who will get into Heaven-judging them or imagining if we will get in Heaven- judging ourselves) we are ignoring a valuable opportunity to make what we will of our present situation. It is clear that we can either live in a hellish state here or one of bliss and joy right now depending on how we see and how we act. If we are to be judged by how we saw and treated others at some future date, then our bases would be covered by living that way now, so why wait? Living for something in the future, some ultimate cosmic judgement date, only produces fear. Fear induced kindness (subconscious or not) to others or simply for the sake of saving your soul seems extremely damaging to the self and who would want to accept such fear motivated kindness from someone anyway?
Perception, are we just dreaming it anyway?
ACIM has many poetic moments that refer to us as being in a dream state (which the Native Americans and Aboriginal people also thought). Sometimes we dream that we are being crucified by others through their sins, their judgement on us, or their hate for us, etc.. This is why sin is not really possible on a higher level, because the dreamer is always safe at home (Heaven or in a spirit state or what you will) and the dreamer is never truly injured (in an eternal state) by what others seem to "do" to him. However while you are dreaming it seems all too real until you wake up. In this dream it is your responsibility to wake up and make the right choice, to take it all back once you realize where the error lies. It is all very metaphorical and allegorical. I find the opening statement, "The world is full of miracles", a very encouraging line because who couldn't use more miracles?
ACIM: p. 595 The Undoing Of Fear
"This world is full of miracles. They stand in shining silence next to every dream of pain and suffering, of sin and guilt. They are the dream's alternative, the choice to be the dreamer, rather than deny the active role in making up the dream. They are the glad effects of taking back the consequences of sickness to its cause. The body is released because the mind acknowledges "this is not done to me, but I am doing this." And thus the mind is free to make another choice instead. Beginning here, salvation will proceed to change the course of every step in the descent to separation, until all the steps have been retraced, the ladder gone, and all the dreaming of the world undone.
Perception is a huge personal responsibility. Perception can also influence others to see the world as you do, for better or worse. If you saw the world and thought it was good and held up that mirror for others to look into, would they not have a better chance of seeing it that way then if you held up a poster advertising space for rent in hell? Your perception of the world ultimately determines the way you will act towards it and what you will receive back.
I believe that religions and spiritual teachings from all over the world have many shards of light in their teachings and should not be discounted. However I think that some things that are taught by people in these organizations are wrong (ie. infused with fear and material things as their focus) and that is the main reason I choose not to participate in organized religions and other spiritual practices. Anytime fear is allowed to enter a thought system, it is headed in the wrong direction. It is very difficult for humans to avoid fear as it is a very powerful motivator and can be deeply present at subconscious levels.
As an example, Salvation, Atonement, Judgement Day are sometimes ideas that are taught as things that will occur at some future date, allowing fear and dread of damnation to slip in. I believe the only thing we have available to us ever in this life is the present moment. If we live for any ideas such as what our future will be like (imagining those who will get into Heaven-judging them or imagining if we will get in Heaven- judging ourselves) we are ignoring a valuable opportunity to make what we will of our present situation. It is clear that we can either live in a hellish state here or one of bliss and joy right now depending on how we see and how we act. If we are to be judged by how we saw and treated others at some future date, then our bases would be covered by living that way now, so why wait? Living for something in the future, some ultimate cosmic judgement date, only produces fear. Fear induced kindness (subconscious or not) to others or simply for the sake of saving your soul seems extremely damaging to the self and who would want to accept such fear motivated kindness from someone anyway?
Perception, are we just dreaming it anyway?
ACIM has many poetic moments that refer to us as being in a dream state (which the Native Americans and Aboriginal people also thought). Sometimes we dream that we are being crucified by others through their sins, their judgement on us, or their hate for us, etc.. This is why sin is not really possible on a higher level, because the dreamer is always safe at home (Heaven or in a spirit state or what you will) and the dreamer is never truly injured (in an eternal state) by what others seem to "do" to him. However while you are dreaming it seems all too real until you wake up. In this dream it is your responsibility to wake up and make the right choice, to take it all back once you realize where the error lies. It is all very metaphorical and allegorical. I find the opening statement, "The world is full of miracles", a very encouraging line because who couldn't use more miracles?
ACIM: p. 595 The Undoing Of Fear
"This world is full of miracles. They stand in shining silence next to every dream of pain and suffering, of sin and guilt. They are the dream's alternative, the choice to be the dreamer, rather than deny the active role in making up the dream. They are the glad effects of taking back the consequences of sickness to its cause. The body is released because the mind acknowledges "this is not done to me, but I am doing this." And thus the mind is free to make another choice instead. Beginning here, salvation will proceed to change the course of every step in the descent to separation, until all the steps have been retraced, the ladder gone, and all the dreaming of the world undone.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Why sin is a perception
It takes a body to sin. If you only perceive people as bodies then you will only see them as capable of sin. This will cause you to live in fear of the sin that you see everywhere in everyone. If you believe that people are more than just their bodies then you will be able to look past any perceived sin to find out what the real source of their behavior is and what would be an appropriate response, if any. Yes, I do believe in pure concentrated evil and I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about smaller things we judge others for on a daily basis. In this journal entry I am trying to be mindful of this concept and find ways to apply it in my life.
A Course In Miracles (ACIM) says in Ch 22, p476 :
"Let not the form of his mistakes keep you from him whose holiness is yours. Let not the vision of his holiness, the sight of which would show you your forgiveness, be kept from you by what the body's eyes can see. Let your awareness of your brother not be blocked by your perception of his sins and of his body. What is there in him that you would attack except what you associate with his body, which you believe can sin? Beyond his errors is his holiness and your salvation. You gave him not his holiness, but tried to see your sins in him to save yourself. And yet, his holiness is your forgiveness. Can you be saved by making sinful the one whose holiness is your salvation?"
I particularly like the part where it says, "You gave him not his holiness, but tried to see your sins in him to save yourself.". Psychologists might call that projection. It happens without your conscious knowledge and takes dedication and awareness and persistence to be able to catch it in the moment it is happening. Everyone is or has been guilty of it, the pot calling the kettle black. This is a major recurring theme in ACIM, the idea of crucifying your brother in the hopes of saving yourself. It is an image and a concept that fascinates me.
That is how I believe you are saved today, in the here and now, through the kindness and understanding of others. Perhaps if there is anything we could possibly need to be saved from, it is ourselves. I do believe we can take responsibility for saving ourselves based upon how we treat others and not wait on someone else to magically grant us salvation without us having to put forth any effort. Aren't things more valuable when they are earned instead of granted anyway?
A Course In Miracles (ACIM) says in Ch 22, p476 :
"Let not the form of his mistakes keep you from him whose holiness is yours. Let not the vision of his holiness, the sight of which would show you your forgiveness, be kept from you by what the body's eyes can see. Let your awareness of your brother not be blocked by your perception of his sins and of his body. What is there in him that you would attack except what you associate with his body, which you believe can sin? Beyond his errors is his holiness and your salvation. You gave him not his holiness, but tried to see your sins in him to save yourself. And yet, his holiness is your forgiveness. Can you be saved by making sinful the one whose holiness is your salvation?"
I particularly like the part where it says, "You gave him not his holiness, but tried to see your sins in him to save yourself.". Psychologists might call that projection. It happens without your conscious knowledge and takes dedication and awareness and persistence to be able to catch it in the moment it is happening. Everyone is or has been guilty of it, the pot calling the kettle black. This is a major recurring theme in ACIM, the idea of crucifying your brother in the hopes of saving yourself. It is an image and a concept that fascinates me.
That is how I believe you are saved today, in the here and now, through the kindness and understanding of others. Perhaps if there is anything we could possibly need to be saved from, it is ourselves. I do believe we can take responsibility for saving ourselves based upon how we treat others and not wait on someone else to magically grant us salvation without us having to put forth any effort. Aren't things more valuable when they are earned instead of granted anyway?
To begin at the beginning, if there is such a thing
I wanted to start this blog a while ago due to thoughts rolling around in my head but they weren't done cooking yet. I'm still not sure they are done but something wanted to come out, hopefully not in an Alien movie kind of way.
I wanted to use this blog to talk about Spiritual things that I am interested in. I'm finding it is important to do the things we are afraid of in life and that sinking into a comforting routine and becoming sedimentary (yes I said sedimentary, collecting layers of dust or rock) is akin to a living death. Your heart still beats and you function routinely but no one is actually home in your wayward vessel.
I study A Course In Miracles, various works by Jean Klein, Dr. David Hawkins, Byron Katie, Edgar Cayce and many more. I also am interested in many other topics, including Native American Teachings and East Indian spiritual works. What you will find here are quotes and thoughts about things that particularly spoke to me. This is more of a reflection journal for me.
I make no attempt to convince anyone of anything, not one iota.
I wanted to use this blog to talk about Spiritual things that I am interested in. I'm finding it is important to do the things we are afraid of in life and that sinking into a comforting routine and becoming sedimentary (yes I said sedimentary, collecting layers of dust or rock) is akin to a living death. Your heart still beats and you function routinely but no one is actually home in your wayward vessel.
I study A Course In Miracles, various works by Jean Klein, Dr. David Hawkins, Byron Katie, Edgar Cayce and many more. I also am interested in many other topics, including Native American Teachings and East Indian spiritual works. What you will find here are quotes and thoughts about things that particularly spoke to me. This is more of a reflection journal for me.
I make no attempt to convince anyone of anything, not one iota.
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