We all know something is wrong, we all want things to be different, better. But we can't agree on what will make it better. We see the corruption going on in our own homes, we see the oppression...but how can we stand together and fight it when we look at our neighbors and see an enemy in the very place we claim to call "Home". How can whole entire Nations unite, when on the inside nations themselves are divided, from 3rd world countries to 1st world countries, we hold our differences up. Do these differences matter? Is it true that there is one large group of people believe every man should be for himself and is against social prosperity? Is it true that the methods of how to get there are so twisted to the other side that it is so wrong?
Or do we need a United Nations in our own home? We need a neutral board that is not associated with either side who can stand up and say can we all agree that these are universal values that we would all like? Do we all agree that these are the problems we face? Can we all sit down and discuss compromises and alternative solutions to get to those problems? Or are we so stubborn and insecure that it has to be all one way and the end result does not matter so long as we get our way, even if it means no one gets their way, and we can oppress each other to make things happen.
We know that there is something brewing, the government is coming out with more and more laws that feel more oppressive, they aren't fixing the problems we believe they should fix, and we're not standing up to fix them ourselves because we can't agree--and because we can't agree we let whoever draws the longest straw decide for us...but there's more unrest because we don't like the straw that was drawn and so we resist. We know that there is a growing disparity, a vast divide among the poor and among the rich and as the economy falls and threat of the way of life we have come to know, we know that something within the system has to be done, but the values we were taught, the values we believe and refuse to bend on have created an even greater divide, we don't accept that we can't just agree to disagree because we believe that the future is so in peril that it's important that others agree.
And it's true our future is in peril, for a moment, but what we need is unity. Unity between each other, Unity between our nations, we need to find a common grounds, and offer solutions. Perhaps enforcing regulation is the problem, perhaps we should build social contracts, have the change be instilled in each of us so that we are each self governing. For if we can find a universal grounds to which we stand, what need is there to enforce?
Something that does not threaten the religions and beliefs or values people have, while still allowing for life to prosper. Something that is neither "Liberal" or "Conservative" but Cooperative and Adaptive. We have to realize that our leaders will not solve our problems under whatever political faction that they choose, if they come in with motives and agendas built around aiding the groups of one people, and that should someone step in, it cannot be through the government, has to be from within Society, it has to be multiple, hundreds of people, that speak for all people with all interests in mind on a universal level, one that is humanitarian in nature and that enables the rights and beliefs of all people.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
We are all Children
"Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find you cannot eat money."
Cree prophecy
These are the beliefs that we think we Know:
Based on some old rocks the earth has been here for at the very least 4.5 billion years.
Based on the radiometric technique that our sun is 4.6 billion years old and that it will live another 5 billion years.
Based on current known fossils that 200,000 years ago Homo genus appeared, and that it is only 50,000 years ago that Modern Man as we know today evolved.
12,000 years ago humans had spread out throughout the entire world and it is only 10,000 years ago that hunter-gatherers and class distinction developed. 8,000 years ago we had an agricultural revolution, and 6,000 years ago the first proto states developed. We spent 5,000 years in antiquity, this ended when the Roman Empire which lasted 191 years fell, however ancient Antiquity itself can be divided into sections, and the Middle Age into our current era that was in the 15th century...making it 5,000 years that we have been developing into what we are.
Dinosaurs dominated the earth for 185-160 million years. We often claim Dinosaurs were unintelligent, but our basis for this is that their brains were too small. Many of us know that brain size does not determine intelligence and what we consider intelligent is very limited. For instance there are those of us who look at a tree and do not think it is intelligent, when in fact the tree is very smart. Humans breathe out carbon dioxide, trees take in carbon dioxide, the plants take in carbon dioxide leaving oxygen in the air for us to breathe, plants grow pretty flowers to attract bees to it, it doesn't kill or fight the bees, it draws them in so that they can pollinate, they grow delicious fruits just for us to eat so that we can throw the seeds out if we eat them into the earth, or onto the ground and grow another tree. This is why natural trees which have not been genetically modified and neutered by humans for profit, grow plants. It is for survival that they create a symbiosis. Sometimes we try to claim that animals that act on instinct and not "consciousness" as we know are not intelligent, but do not accept or realize that we ourselves function on instincts and that our motivations are animalistic and simplistic in their nature, and the major thing that separates us is the tools we use to survive--since we do not have the speed of a cheetah, or the strength of a bear, we have had to rely on the "intellectual" to survive, but just like everything else we are controlled by our hormones and instincts.
We don't know if dinosaurs were intelligent in the way we think of intelligence today, we don't know if they devoured their lands, or if the conditions just happened to be right for them for 185 million years before they died, and we really don't know beyond theories how they died, though we do know that there were environmental disasters that played a serious role in their demise.
Based on the lifespan on the dinosaur and our knowledge of how long we have been here, 200,000 years is not that impressive, especially if of those 200,000 years it is only 6,000 of which we began to develop more advanced forms of organizations...we are still very young indeed, and have a long ways to go...we are still in our infancy.
Civilization:
Our civilizations can be broken up into what we call ages which are often divided into parts. In any cases these Ages (which are the sum of their parts) are often followed by major collapses which we call Dark Ages, each Dark Age often follows a new Age. The most well known dark ages of Europe occuring after the collapse of the Roman Empire from the 5th-15th century, after which the Middle Ages arose in the 15th century. And the Collapse of the Bronze Age after which classical antiquity arose.
One pattern to take note of is, after the end of the greatest civilizations during the bronze age they fell, and from that arose classical antiquity to which Rome dominated, when Rome fell, from that the Middle Ages arose, and out of the Middle ages modern day society formed. And inbetween each of these fallings is always a period of noted darkness. The Bronze Age collapse caused those who lived along the agean sea and middle eastern societies to collapse, this collapse was in large part not just regional but also due to how interconnected they all were. In the past dark ages have been largely regional. Today with the growing globalization and interdependence we have placed and networked upon each other, a coming dark age due to the collapse and turmoil of one system will affect us all, and just like the ancient world.
Many people who study history and many religions and philosophies are no stranger to the concept of a collapse coming, while people differ in whether from it will arise something better, there is a pattern that collapses and mass death often follow a new era that seems more advanced and put together than the last era. What we know is that even if during the transition oppression and mass death take place, it cannot and will not last. Perhaps the reason for this sudden transition and shift has been through the express of internet, it is an informative age and this has brought many of us together while splitting others apart.
Societal Collapse (or Decline) is a phenomena known to many of us, and more about that can be read here: Societal Collapse. We are entering a new age, some of us believe that this decline or collapse will be a positive awakening, others believe it will be apocalyptic and catastrophic, some say it will be the end of humanity others say it is a beginning. No matter how we look at it, all these answers are correct, it will be destructive, it will be enlightening, and it will probably be even dystopian for a while as we transition into a new world. At any rate the truth remains that even if there were a nuclear holocaust and major environmental disasters, the earth has lived through much more hell than anything we could ever imagine and it takes a lot more to kill her. We are children in our early stages of infancy, we have not been here long. Though we have a long way to go, we are moving and learning from our mistakes, and with this growing awareness and oneness coming, we are making one step towards growth. In the wilderness, destructive fires start in nature on their own to encourage new growth. From the ashes rises the Phoenix, we are not exempt from these laws of nature, in the grand scheme of things it will get worse before it gets better, but it will get better. Even in the worst case scenario that we all die, from chaos arises peace.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
The Problems We Created
This is a problem we created, not the "banks" not the "rich", not the "anybody else" but us. We created a society to which we rewarded and made the world in such a way where the rules were, "Survival of the Fittest", we may have not been entirely understanding of what people were saying to us, but the environment was made right and encouraged by our actions to work against us in the name of being for us, and Greed and self-interest were the motivations behind all of our actions.
It's easy to blame the Rich for our problems but in actuality it is that we allow people to profit off of us so that we can in turn get the same treatment, or the same opportunity to it.
Furthermore we have created a society where we look at the Rich as climbing to the top on their own, when every dollar they have was given to them by us. Every celebrity, every rich man has money because we gave them money, for our own entertainment. It is no wonder we make them celebrities and then try to make scandals to take them down, because we become jealous of what we have given them and wish to take it back. And the Elite think those below are the mindless rats, and that they were smarter than everyone else got out of the game, but they are just as worried as the rats, and so they can never have enough money, they are always worried about losing what they think they have...but if you can lose it, it was never yours to begin with, perhaps holding on was the problem. And those beneath the Elite feel oppressed and forced into a rigid system, and feel weak and suppressed.
Their blood and sweat is what made the Elite and yet the Elite take all the credit and give nothing back and those below accept that because they would do the same if they could. And as a society we become broken. We become divided and hurt and broken due to a society that is largely capitalistic in nature. Designed to exploit humans and the environment, to view life as no more as a commodity, a value a number...and we are all responsible for it, we created the right circumstances to be exhorted, we permitted it, if only for the thought that it was fair ground and in our position we would do the same--it is our right to consume and take, and to be ungrateful, and to harm and compete and justify it. To ignore that in the wild those that cooperate and form symbiotic relationships are the ones who survive...but nothing, no one can survive under a society that is built only to consume, to eat, based on greed and glutton, and fear of losing. It is not sustainable. The ecosystem is built in such a way that it is interconnected and interdependent, this is the way nature works, and this is the way we are learning we must work too, it is this way because life cannot be sustained any other way. And when the animals die, and the fish die, and everything dies and we think we're the last one standing, we won't be, because the humans will be dead not just because we killed all our food and destroyed the trees and the air we breathed and not just because of the environment but because we destroyed ourselves too...this cannot be sustained, and sooner or later we will be forced whether by our own choice or force to work together or die, and there will be those who choose to die, but there will be those who choose to live.
Still when we think of Celebrities another group of Elite, we think people who love them are fanatical and crazy, that they worship idols, that it is a strange thing that we are drawn to actresses and musicians, and the sort. We are drawn to the part of them that they have showed us that we connect with, and we argue that we don't really love them we only love what they can do, without understanding the psychology behind why we connect with them to begin with, and the psychology to why they reject and shun the overwhelming masses.
We are designed to imprint on faces and people, to connect, so it is no wonder that we create fan bases around people who allow us to connect on an emotional level we rarely achieve in our personal life where many of us feel isolated from each other, we are designed to connect, we want to connect. But what if the world weren't created in such a way where we need to vegetate in front of a screen, to get release and enjoy the life of someone else, to connect with fictional characters, or people on a tv screen, what if we could connect with each and everyone of the people around us--we wouldn't need TV to fill that void. Our need to be entertained is a method of escape, it is a symptom of the problem. Our desire to connect shows when we are drawn to these characters and fall in love with these idols on screen, our separation is shown when they are overwhelmed by the 1:100000 ratio, so we make it even, we make it a 100000:1000000 ratio, where the love and connection is spread out among us all, where this growing isolation diminishes and we find connection and love with even a neighbour who thinks the most diverse thoughts. Because we accept, love, and understand each other. And realize that we are the sum of our parts.
Furthermore we have created a society where we look at the Rich as climbing to the top on their own, when every dollar they have was given to them by us. Every celebrity, every rich man has money because we gave them money, for our own entertainment. It is no wonder we make them celebrities and then try to make scandals to take them down, because we become jealous of what we have given them and wish to take it back. And the Elite think those below are the mindless rats, and that they were smarter than everyone else got out of the game, but they are just as worried as the rats, and so they can never have enough money, they are always worried about losing what they think they have...but if you can lose it, it was never yours to begin with, perhaps holding on was the problem. And those beneath the Elite feel oppressed and forced into a rigid system, and feel weak and suppressed.
"No. There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody."
Elizabeth Warren
Their blood and sweat is what made the Elite and yet the Elite take all the credit and give nothing back and those below accept that because they would do the same if they could. And as a society we become broken. We become divided and hurt and broken due to a society that is largely capitalistic in nature. Designed to exploit humans and the environment, to view life as no more as a commodity, a value a number...and we are all responsible for it, we created the right circumstances to be exhorted, we permitted it, if only for the thought that it was fair ground and in our position we would do the same--it is our right to consume and take, and to be ungrateful, and to harm and compete and justify it. To ignore that in the wild those that cooperate and form symbiotic relationships are the ones who survive...but nothing, no one can survive under a society that is built only to consume, to eat, based on greed and glutton, and fear of losing. It is not sustainable. The ecosystem is built in such a way that it is interconnected and interdependent, this is the way nature works, and this is the way we are learning we must work too, it is this way because life cannot be sustained any other way. And when the animals die, and the fish die, and everything dies and we think we're the last one standing, we won't be, because the humans will be dead not just because we killed all our food and destroyed the trees and the air we breathed and not just because of the environment but because we destroyed ourselves too...this cannot be sustained, and sooner or later we will be forced whether by our own choice or force to work together or die, and there will be those who choose to die, but there will be those who choose to live.
Still when we think of Celebrities another group of Elite, we think people who love them are fanatical and crazy, that they worship idols, that it is a strange thing that we are drawn to actresses and musicians, and the sort. We are drawn to the part of them that they have showed us that we connect with, and we argue that we don't really love them we only love what they can do, without understanding the psychology behind why we connect with them to begin with, and the psychology to why they reject and shun the overwhelming masses.
We are designed to imprint on faces and people, to connect, so it is no wonder that we create fan bases around people who allow us to connect on an emotional level we rarely achieve in our personal life where many of us feel isolated from each other, we are designed to connect, we want to connect. But what if the world weren't created in such a way where we need to vegetate in front of a screen, to get release and enjoy the life of someone else, to connect with fictional characters, or people on a tv screen, what if we could connect with each and everyone of the people around us--we wouldn't need TV to fill that void. Our need to be entertained is a method of escape, it is a symptom of the problem. Our desire to connect shows when we are drawn to these characters and fall in love with these idols on screen, our separation is shown when they are overwhelmed by the 1:100000 ratio, so we make it even, we make it a 100000:1000000 ratio, where the love and connection is spread out among us all, where this growing isolation diminishes and we find connection and love with even a neighbour who thinks the most diverse thoughts. Because we accept, love, and understand each other. And realize that we are the sum of our parts.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Unity + Peace = Utopia or Evolution?
It is not uncommon to hear our fellow brethren say that such ideas of alternative economies no longer based on greed and consumerism are ideas of Utopia that won't work. Many of us have heard people we value say that grand governments didn't work because they were founded on Utopian ideals and mankind is naturally selfish. We hear how the ideas of Unity and Peace between
Our idea of Utopia equivalent to Heaven or Nirvana, in order to exist must be enforced, and this leads to holocaust and genocide, of submission and conformity to the ideals of other people, because mankind is by nature fallible. This idea of Utopia is extremely narrow and limited. Currently we see very real fears of Utopia's turning into Dystopia's due to ideals based on "fear", when we believe the people must be controlled and regulated, we set up police states, and systems in which because we don't trust the people around us, we have to manipulate and control them to such an extent that requires eliminating all privacy. Historically control has always been rebelled against and rejected and may last but never longer than a few hundred years.
We naturally oppose being oppressed and controlled, or at least once we become aware that we are, since high conditioning might make us feel that we are free or that it is necessary to live by the hand of an iron fist because it is believed we cannot with education and changing the values we teach to our children be self-governing because the self-governing we have now is based and rewarded by a system that corrupts, degrades, and taints our very being. This is then turned inward as being the fallible nature of mankind.
But if we rethink what Utopia is, rather about working together and acceptance, respecting our differences, and finding new ways to resolve conflict rather than a world without conflict then what we have is nothing more than one step closer to a better more efficient, self sustainable way of living. We can rationalize why the world is a dog eat dog world, why it's survival of the fittest, and all about the individual's needs, desires and projecting our individual values onto society, but it doesn't change that the next stage of change will stem from the need of working together and thinking about how our actions effect our brethren. This will evolve through a growing number of movements and organizations, that are built around educating people on alternative forms of communication, resolving conflicts, and behaviours, non-denominational movements that emphasize our spiritual well being and our need to rethink how we think.
Our idea of Utopia equivalent to Heaven or Nirvana, in order to exist must be enforced, and this leads to holocaust and genocide, of submission and conformity to the ideals of other people, because mankind is by nature fallible. This idea of Utopia is extremely narrow and limited. Currently we see very real fears of Utopia's turning into Dystopia's due to ideals based on "fear", when we believe the people must be controlled and regulated, we set up police states, and systems in which because we don't trust the people around us, we have to manipulate and control them to such an extent that requires eliminating all privacy. Historically control has always been rebelled against and rejected and may last but never longer than a few hundred years.
We naturally oppose being oppressed and controlled, or at least once we become aware that we are, since high conditioning might make us feel that we are free or that it is necessary to live by the hand of an iron fist because it is believed we cannot with education and changing the values we teach to our children be self-governing because the self-governing we have now is based and rewarded by a system that corrupts, degrades, and taints our very being. This is then turned inward as being the fallible nature of mankind.
But if we rethink what Utopia is, rather about working together and acceptance, respecting our differences, and finding new ways to resolve conflict rather than a world without conflict then what we have is nothing more than one step closer to a better more efficient, self sustainable way of living. We can rationalize why the world is a dog eat dog world, why it's survival of the fittest, and all about the individual's needs, desires and projecting our individual values onto society, but it doesn't change that the next stage of change will stem from the need of working together and thinking about how our actions effect our brethren. This will evolve through a growing number of movements and organizations, that are built around educating people on alternative forms of communication, resolving conflicts, and behaviours, non-denominational movements that emphasize our spiritual well being and our need to rethink how we think.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Breaking Boundaries
If we are to live among each other there are personal boundaries we'll have to break, truce's we'll have to make. One of the principal understandings of Oneness is that, though it can be viewed as very humanitarian and altruistic, it is also about our survival. We cannot survive without all of our brothers and sisters, we need global Solidarity in order to survive.
Solidarity, is the integration and degree and type of integration shown by a society or group with peple and their neighbors. It refers to the ties in a society -social relations- that behind people to one another. It is social cohesion based upon the dependence individuals have on each other in more advanced societies. Although individuals perform different tasks and often have different values and interest, the order and very solidarity of society depends on their reliance on each other to perform their specified tasks. Organic here is referring to the interdependence of the component parts.Solidarity is a phenomena that we see every day increasingly as we have become more and more developed, as life has progressed we are now beginning to realize that if we are to survive we must not think of ourselves as an "island" so to speak but pieces to the puzzle. It recognizes that in order for us to survive as individuals we must survive as a whole.
In order to achieve Solidarity we must make a Truce with each other, regardless of where we stand Spiritually or Scientifically.
Why now?
Truce: In today's world we can no longer afford war. Global climate change is effecting human beings on an indiscriminate scale, it does not care who we are. With the advancement of technology and growing fear and separation among people threats of terroism from various organizations and nuclear threats, threaten our existence as a whole. There is a short comical animation floating on youtube called, "The End of Ze World", it states that provided we don't die by global climates, the end of the world will come about by the destruction of ourselves at our own hands. Living independently is no longer sustainable, it is time for solidarity.
Steps
- Awareness: Becoming aware of the problem and of current infrastructures and targeting their causes, as well as becoming aware of the intricate connections between all of us.
- Knowledge: Educating oneself on the various methods and implementations both proven and proposed.
- Application: In application we test and apply what we have learned to our lives and the lives around us and adjust it accordingly. There are various methods to application, one doesn't need to go out and join non profit organizations and social groups to make a difference. The change starts internally with us as individuals. If we apply various techniques for self awareness and inner peace into our own lives we can positively effect the world around us a great example of this butterfly effect is the concept of Pay it Forward, both a film and a concept. Each of us becomes a cataclysm for change by applying the changes within themselves. How we think about old solutions are critical, practicing tolerance, learning new and more effective techniques of resolving problems through reconciliations that promote respect of all parties rather than practicing violence, submission and control are some of among the many things that must happen, becoming aware of our thoughts and replacing maladaptive thought patterns with more beneficial ones.
Reflection: Tower of Babel
1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” 8 So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:1-9
The Tower of Babel is the story of the tendency in each of us to try to build a better world without God. This secular world is where man reigns without God and attempts to do something great outside of God. There is an insatiable desire in man for self-glorification, for a world built on pride. We too struggle daily with the desire to Glorify ourselves, building a world outside the plan of God. The story in Genisis tells of the division, rivalry, and misunderstanding to which this leads. What can man produce without God? Like the tower of Babel, dreams built on false hopes eventually Collapse.
- 'The Anawim Way' - Liturgical Meditations for the Baptism of the Lord.
If we look at this passage and see God as a contradiction as a jealous God, then we may view God's attempt as malicious. Perhaps God wants us to be confused, want's us to war against our brothers and sisters. But regardless of whether we view God as the divine within each of us, or an omnipotent being all knowing and wise, the message at its core can be seen right now. Many people believe that this story references Babylon, during the age of Babylon the lingua franca in the Near East around that time was Akkadian.
We don't need to travel back into the past to understand what went on. It has been said that we live in a world, a society that rewards greed, aggression and egotism. We view the "West" as a symbolism of this present Monopoly but we don't realize that this is a cycle that has happened repeatedly, the west is not evil anymore than any other civilization that is present today that functions on similar principals. At it's core we are in Societies which reward compeition in the name of being "better" with Greed. In the book the Tao of Abundance, Laurence G. Boldt said that we live in a world today where what gets left done or undone is determined on the basis of money. Money is not used as a tool for Good rather for Greed, we want more money so that we can live happily for ourselves and our select children. We do not think about our brothers and sisters, and so we struggle, and we see poverty on a global scale, and all of this is hurting the environment, which has led Scientists to predict that we will see dramatic weather changes, the ice caps are melting and this in turn will cause massive flooding similar to what is mentioned in the various scriptures and history books of the past. In some of these stories and beliefs only the most virtuous will survive. And who are the most virtuous? It is one belief that the virtuous are the people who will realize in time that we can't survive without each other, love is the way.
There are those of us who would use the Tower of Babel as an excuse for why we should avoid coming together, but there are others who realize that the root of evil is not about coming together so much as it is our foundation, the bridge we stand on. What scares us is the knowledge that "The Road to hell is paved with good intentions". America's foundation was based on good intent. Democracy too this was based on good intentions. The Republic it's system was based with good intentions. Even Hitler the man who destroyed millions of lives, had good intentions. He is one of the most well known examples of what happens when we separate ourselves into "Higher and Lower", a lot of the downfalls of our system is not that we are inherently "bad" but that the vast majority of us haven't yet figured it out, that we cannot think only of ourselves neither can we think for only our social class or group. We cannot put ourselves above or below people nor can we continue to justify it: The effects just don't add up to those thought processes. All those good intentions mean nothing when our values are out of whack and we don't understand the effects of our actions the result is chaos.
We have seen what happens when we walk down this path throughout history. It's not enough for us to keep doing the same thing, how many times will we continue this periodic cycle between Dark ages and Golden Ages before we realize that we can only move forward as one in a Society that rewards compassion, diversity, acceptance, oneness, and the very virtues so many of us value but struggle to apply. Some people feel they know the answer. So often we hear why it can't be done, but why not try? How much can it hurt to show compassion, to treat our neighbour with respect and love, to accept each other for our differences, uniting to be strong together? The answer to those questions vary, but ultimately what is done resides in whether or not you will think for "I" or think with "Us".
Is Oneness a Religion?
What is Religion? One understanding of Religion is that it is a Way of Life, a Way of Being, we apply religion to religious organizations, often they have guidelines that must be applied in order to live a better life, and often these organizations concern the afterlife. When Religion does not concern the afterlife it becomes a "Philosophy", which rather than being a doctrine acts more as a principal. Countries often have a set of code, philosophies that set the stage according to what we should value and place emphasis on.
And Science? Science in it's origins is a philosophy, whereas today Science is a broad term for branches of knowledge, the knowledge that is approved by the Scientists can then be applied to form a Philosophy or Religion based on those rules, similar to scriptures and text.
In the world a clear line has been drawn between Science and Spirituality. The metaphysical form has no place in the extreme Scientific community because it cannot be tested or proved satisfactorily, to the extent where the results or the same. vs. Spirituality which in some other extremes because it focuses on the emphasis of what cannot be tested. But as time has come to pass and especially in this New era, the lines between Science and Spirituality have been blurring. As more and more evidence is found to show that we are connected, and more and more need to work together, Spirituality which concerns the mind and a person's well being naturally becomes more and more important. Our way of life, what we do and how we perceive the world. There are different sects and derivatives, different "ideas" on what causes what, what will happen in the end, but the methodology and core values and beliefs are still the same.
We all want the same thing for ourselves and for our close brethren, even the most extremist ruler who implements nefarious methods of achieving an end wishes only good. The problem is not that we want life to be good, is the process we create of selecting who is allowed this goodness. We live in a world where we believe everyone does not have the right to happiness, that happiness must be earned. When we believe that not everyone has a right to happiness we segregate people, create lines, we force conformity within our own group, create exiles and in doing so we separate ourselves. Cults, religions, social groups, and orders are notorious for doing so.
In Oneness, we live by the belief that everyone has the right to happiness, that everyone has a divine being inside of them. That we are all great regardless of creed or other forms of identification. We have reached an age where segregating ourselves cannot be sustainable if we are to survive. An age where we cannot restrict access to a product because we feel we are better and deserve it more than our brothers and sisters.
We need the collective mind and strength of our brothers and sisters to be strong, and we need diversity. Oneness isn't about being the same it's about recognizing that at the core we ARE the same, and that each of us has something different to offer, each of us together can build a community, can live and thrive, we have to learn acceptance of those who think different from us, tolerance. At some point for those of us who have religions and philosophies that preach segregation and hate for those who don't follow "their" way or guidelines without realizing the inherent truth passed down to all people in all scriptures, that that sort of mindset creates more boundaries and borders, it is our perception of life that must change if we are to achieve our fullest potential.
And Science? Science in it's origins is a philosophy, whereas today Science is a broad term for branches of knowledge, the knowledge that is approved by the Scientists can then be applied to form a Philosophy or Religion based on those rules, similar to scriptures and text.
In the world a clear line has been drawn between Science and Spirituality. The metaphysical form has no place in the extreme Scientific community because it cannot be tested or proved satisfactorily, to the extent where the results or the same. vs. Spirituality which in some other extremes because it focuses on the emphasis of what cannot be tested. But as time has come to pass and especially in this New era, the lines between Science and Spirituality have been blurring. As more and more evidence is found to show that we are connected, and more and more need to work together, Spirituality which concerns the mind and a person's well being naturally becomes more and more important. Our way of life, what we do and how we perceive the world. There are different sects and derivatives, different "ideas" on what causes what, what will happen in the end, but the methodology and core values and beliefs are still the same.
We all want the same thing for ourselves and for our close brethren, even the most extremist ruler who implements nefarious methods of achieving an end wishes only good. The problem is not that we want life to be good, is the process we create of selecting who is allowed this goodness. We live in a world where we believe everyone does not have the right to happiness, that happiness must be earned. When we believe that not everyone has a right to happiness we segregate people, create lines, we force conformity within our own group, create exiles and in doing so we separate ourselves. Cults, religions, social groups, and orders are notorious for doing so.
In Oneness, we live by the belief that everyone has the right to happiness, that everyone has a divine being inside of them. That we are all great regardless of creed or other forms of identification. We have reached an age where segregating ourselves cannot be sustainable if we are to survive. An age where we cannot restrict access to a product because we feel we are better and deserve it more than our brothers and sisters.
We need the collective mind and strength of our brothers and sisters to be strong, and we need diversity. Oneness isn't about being the same it's about recognizing that at the core we ARE the same, and that each of us has something different to offer, each of us together can build a community, can live and thrive, we have to learn acceptance of those who think different from us, tolerance. At some point for those of us who have religions and philosophies that preach segregation and hate for those who don't follow "their" way or guidelines without realizing the inherent truth passed down to all people in all scriptures, that that sort of mindset creates more boundaries and borders, it is our perception of life that must change if we are to achieve our fullest potential.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Oneness
Oneness is a concept that can irk or connect people. Many of us view Oneness as something very spiritual, perhaps even almost like it's own massive religion, since religion itself is associated with spirituality so much so that some people may shun it on the grounds of linguistic limitations.
It has been learned that Oneness can not be taught, cannot be told. It may be understood on an intellectual level, but the concept of oneness must be experienced. It can only be lived. In Buddhism one is encouraged to question, to apply what is being told and taught to see if it holds some bearing to truth to our reality. We can't simply say doing this and that will help me live a better life, we have to apply this and that, to see if they work for us. If we cannot see it in this life, then perhaps we are not ready to. Oneness is the gradual awakening of people which cannot be forced with missionaries.
It begins through action. For every awakened or awakening being who acts upon the love for their brother and sister, who reaches out a hand of love and compassion we enable another person to experience on their own time, to see for themselves that it can be done, inner peace can be lived. But it is not until they turn this knowledge inwards, perhaps after reaching a large amount of despair and realizes that the same conclusions won't work anymore. That if we are to survive we must transmute greed into compassion, hate into love, anger into patience, and so on.
Nearly every religion and culture has a form of virtues which are all transmutations of our primal nature, our primal nature is not demonic or evil, it is just what it is. The concept of Oneness not only exists on a spiritual or philosophical level, but more and more on a Scientific level where Scientists too are coming to the conclusion that we too are one. Different terms are used combined with different methodologies and variations, but often with similar goals and self-interests in mind. In the end we are reaching a time when Science is reinforcing our values rather than breaking them apart if we look closely enough. Oneness isn't about One religion though, at this point and time there are so many religions out there because we each have different methods that work for us. Oneness is more about accepting each other for our differences, and coming together rather than segregating, seeing ourselves as one big interconnected tribe or chorus, playing different instruments and singing different notes all part of the same song.
It has been learned that Oneness can not be taught, cannot be told. It may be understood on an intellectual level, but the concept of oneness must be experienced. It can only be lived. In Buddhism one is encouraged to question, to apply what is being told and taught to see if it holds some bearing to truth to our reality. We can't simply say doing this and that will help me live a better life, we have to apply this and that, to see if they work for us. If we cannot see it in this life, then perhaps we are not ready to. Oneness is the gradual awakening of people which cannot be forced with missionaries.
It begins through action. For every awakened or awakening being who acts upon the love for their brother and sister, who reaches out a hand of love and compassion we enable another person to experience on their own time, to see for themselves that it can be done, inner peace can be lived. But it is not until they turn this knowledge inwards, perhaps after reaching a large amount of despair and realizes that the same conclusions won't work anymore. That if we are to survive we must transmute greed into compassion, hate into love, anger into patience, and so on.
Nearly every religion and culture has a form of virtues which are all transmutations of our primal nature, our primal nature is not demonic or evil, it is just what it is. The concept of Oneness not only exists on a spiritual or philosophical level, but more and more on a Scientific level where Scientists too are coming to the conclusion that we too are one. Different terms are used combined with different methodologies and variations, but often with similar goals and self-interests in mind. In the end we are reaching a time when Science is reinforcing our values rather than breaking them apart if we look closely enough. Oneness isn't about One religion though, at this point and time there are so many religions out there because we each have different methods that work for us. Oneness is more about accepting each other for our differences, and coming together rather than segregating, seeing ourselves as one big interconnected tribe or chorus, playing different instruments and singing different notes all part of the same song.
The Shadow
In Ancient Egypt the concept of Soul was broken into many parts:
In Psychology the concept of Shadow as described my Carl Jung is the shadow of our Ego. It is the darker part that exists within our subconscious, the part that we reject. Nefarious in it's perceived nature, primal, where our instincts and projects lay, it is most dangerous because we have separated ourselves from it or embraced it into our entire being. The shadow is our dark side in psychology. It is important then to become aware of the darker parts inside of us, to know that to each of us there is a darker side, that to every "demon" we see in the world, is just another projection of us. To see the dark side within us without identifying with it, to accept ourselves in our whole form.
Another concept is Persona it is the root which creates Personality, and means mask. The mask was used in theater to exemplify what the character stood for rather than to conceal the character. The Persona is the face we represent to the world and to ourselves. It differs from Shadow in that, the Shadow in psychology is part of the subconscious the dark side of ourselves that we reject.
In Jung's perception the world is built by universal symbols called Archetypes, these archetypes represent the human journey and which role each of us may choose to take. There are many archetypes which exist, but in essence Archetypes are manifestations of nature embodied in the form of a person, personality, or behaviour.
In New Age Spirituality The Higher Self is the part of ourselves that is wise and all knowing, a guide in our life. The Higher Self is by some definitions our cosmic self, it is the part of us that are one with all. It does not differentiate between separate, it is vast and expansive and all knowing. It is wise and infinite, it is God, Allah, and whatever higher being. It is beyond nature and Ego and transcends into a world that can not be told only felt and experienced.
Here on Lake Chala the Shadow is neither bad nor good, it is the persona, the mask to which we wear, to our eyes it appears as colourful, it is a servant to our true self, higher self, or core, it functions independently and with various purposes critical to our survival. Like a child it must process and learn, to refine it's tools and transmute what it knows. When the Shadow is unconscious of it's being, and sees itself as separate and identifies solely with it's Ego self, it becomes dangerous. When the Shadow or Ego is used as a tool for good, it begins to resonate on a higher frequency closer to our Oneness. Here on Lake Chala the Shadow is our mask we identify with in this form, what we are aware of. We use it to interact with other brothers and sisters, because we have forgotten how to communicate without words, and have lost touch with our One Soul, without the mask we just are and need no communication. The mask allows us to function, and as such in this time and place the Shadow is arguably necessary in order to get to the next stage of our life. To reject our brothers and sisters is in essence to reject a part of ourselves. Here the Shadow is the Persona, the mask, it's dark shadows perceived as colourful on a grand scale. The Shadow is not to be shunned or rejected, but accepted, to see it for what it is and not for what it is not.
- Khat was the body which decayed in death.
- Ka was "life force" the spark or breath which made the khat come alive.
- Ib was our motivations, thoughts, all emotion, intelligence, and morals came from here.
- Ren was the name, given at birth and for as long as that name was spoken in our memory that being would live.
- Sheut is the Shadow, the least understood of all. It can not exist without the person, nor the person without it. Even when we don't see it, it is there, it's travel is limitless.
- Ba is the Psyche or soul, to each person a soul was unique, it was the personality, to which all things animate or inanimate had. (Ego)
- Akh = Ba+Ka (ghost), the transformations of the dead into the living by combining two parts of the soul.
In Egypt Khat decayed but Ka lived and stayed near it's place of death. The heart (our thoughts and desires) could be weighed and judged in the afterlife by Ma'at. There were many ways to destroy or harm a soul, if Ammut devoured the Shadow, or if someone crossed out a name and ceased to speak it--the person no longer lived, improper burials, etc.
In Buddhism the concept of "Soul"/"Ego" is called Atman, and it too is broken into many parts:
- Form (Rupa) it is the material body. (Khat)
- Consciousness (Vijnana) it is the mind, intellect, mentality.
- Sensory Feeling (Vedana), the Perceptions, touch, taste, smell, sound, sight etc.
- Will (Samskara)-acts of intent verbally, physically, mentally which translate into acts.
- Conceptualization (Samjna)-the part of the mind that rationalizes and makes sense of the world.
These together create the Atman. Clinging to the Atman causes suffering (dukkha) the individual self is considered to be a hinderance, and at the core all beings are Anatta this translates into "No Soul" but can be more accurately verbalized as "One Essence", it is the belief that we are all connected and not separate, and constantly changing. It is our attachment to that which will change, and our desire to keep things the same that causes us suffering rather than accepting, adapting, and moving with the flow.
In Psychology the concept of Shadow as described my Carl Jung is the shadow of our Ego. It is the darker part that exists within our subconscious, the part that we reject. Nefarious in it's perceived nature, primal, where our instincts and projects lay, it is most dangerous because we have separated ourselves from it or embraced it into our entire being. The shadow is our dark side in psychology. It is important then to become aware of the darker parts inside of us, to know that to each of us there is a darker side, that to every "demon" we see in the world, is just another projection of us. To see the dark side within us without identifying with it, to accept ourselves in our whole form.
Another concept is Persona it is the root which creates Personality, and means mask. The mask was used in theater to exemplify what the character stood for rather than to conceal the character. The Persona is the face we represent to the world and to ourselves. It differs from Shadow in that, the Shadow in psychology is part of the subconscious the dark side of ourselves that we reject.
In Jung's perception the world is built by universal symbols called Archetypes, these archetypes represent the human journey and which role each of us may choose to take. There are many archetypes which exist, but in essence Archetypes are manifestations of nature embodied in the form of a person, personality, or behaviour.
In New Age Spirituality The Higher Self is the part of ourselves that is wise and all knowing, a guide in our life. The Higher Self is by some definitions our cosmic self, it is the part of us that are one with all. It does not differentiate between separate, it is vast and expansive and all knowing. It is wise and infinite, it is God, Allah, and whatever higher being. It is beyond nature and Ego and transcends into a world that can not be told only felt and experienced.
Here on Lake Chala the Shadow is neither bad nor good, it is the persona, the mask to which we wear, to our eyes it appears as colourful, it is a servant to our true self, higher self, or core, it functions independently and with various purposes critical to our survival. Like a child it must process and learn, to refine it's tools and transmute what it knows. When the Shadow is unconscious of it's being, and sees itself as separate and identifies solely with it's Ego self, it becomes dangerous. When the Shadow or Ego is used as a tool for good, it begins to resonate on a higher frequency closer to our Oneness. Here on Lake Chala the Shadow is our mask we identify with in this form, what we are aware of. We use it to interact with other brothers and sisters, because we have forgotten how to communicate without words, and have lost touch with our One Soul, without the mask we just are and need no communication. The mask allows us to function, and as such in this time and place the Shadow is arguably necessary in order to get to the next stage of our life. To reject our brothers and sisters is in essence to reject a part of ourselves. Here the Shadow is the Persona, the mask, it's dark shadows perceived as colourful on a grand scale. The Shadow is not to be shunned or rejected, but accepted, to see it for what it is and not for what it is not.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Shadow Lake Chala
The above image is a painting of Lake Chala, it is one with us and we with it. The name and image appeared when a small section of "In Lak'ech Ala K'in" meaning "I am another yourself", it is Mayan and is the same as Namaste, "The divine in me recognizes the divine in you". Searching for something simple to post as the blog link, Lakechala was chosen, when typed into a search image, a Lake of the name Chala appeared. Thus the name lakechala was chosen. Another phrase to be mentioned is "Mitakuye Oyasin" from the Lakota, it stands for "All my relations" or "We are all related". The concept of oneness, quantum interconnectedness, collective, unity, is not an unknown concept to us. It appears in various cultures around the world, and has been passed down with us in it's various forms, from the dawn of time. We see it still today, in new forms, coloured with bells and whistles, yet it's core remains the same. We seek to divide ourselves from the other, in this division we breed mistrust. But at the core, beyond the language, it is all the same. We find it hard to wrap around the concept, when it is only the thoughts we hear in our head, but those of us who have searched within, to see the world outside and beyond us, and touched it with our hearts have come to the same conclusion. That we are One, and it is only through Unity that we may move foreward. What is written here cannot be taught, it is one that can only be experienced for itself, on it's own time when one is ready. If not in this life, then in the next. What is written here is not unique, and has been said in many words from many Shadows, both unknown and known to our current awareness. Here like the Rachni who sing with one song, another voice is added. Together we strengthen in unity, one voice of colours added to the next. In our song, the hope that in unity all of our brothers and sisters will lay down their arms and sing as one. Each new voice morphed into a single song, brings us further from discord and closer to peace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)