december
I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
Charles Dickens
Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it "white".
Bing Crosby
A good conscience is a continual Christmas.
Benjamin Franklin
Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.
Dale Evans
T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Clement Clarke Moore
november
Compassion and the Individual
Tenzin Gyatso; The Fourteenth Dalai Lama
The purpose of life
ONE GREAT QUESTION underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life? I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hope that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them.
I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affect this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. I don’t know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.How to achieve happiness
For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us. Unless we are either gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life. If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small. Hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace.
From my own limited experience I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion.
The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.
As long as we live in this world we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but every one who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind!
Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others’ suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase.
Our need for love
Ultimately, the reason why love and compassion bring the greatest happiness is simply that our nature cherishes them above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. It results from the profound interdependence we all share with one another. However capable and skillful an individual may be, left alone, he or she will not survive. However vigorous and independent one may feel during the most prosperous periods of life, when one is sick or very young or very old, one must depend on the support of others.
Inter-dependence, of course, is a fundamental law of nature. Not only higher forms of life but also many of the smallest insects are social beings who, without any religion, law or education, survive by mutual cooperation based on an innate recognition of their interconnectedness. The most subtle level of material phenomena is also governed by interdependence. All phenomena from the planet we inhabit to the oceans, clouds, forests and flowers that surround us, arise in dependence upon subtle patterns of energy. Without their proper interaction, they dissolve and decay.
It is because our own human existence is so dependent on the help of others that our need for love lies at the very foundation of our existence. Therefore we need a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others.
We have to consider what we human beings really are. We are not like machine-made objects. If we are merely mechanical entities, then machines themselves could alleviate all of our sufferings and fulfill our needs.continue the message here
october
EGO: the current state of humanity
When you don't cover up the world with words and labels, a sense of the miraculous returns to your life that was lost a long time ago when humanity, instead of using thought, became possessed by it. Then a depth returns to your life and things regain their newness, their freshness. And the greatest miracle is the experiencing of your essential self as prior to any words, thoughts, mental labels, and images. For this to happen, you need to disentangle your sense of I, of Beingness, from all the things it has become mixed up with, that is to say, identified with. That disentanglement is what this book is about.
The quicker you are in attaching verbal or mental labels to things, people, or situations, the more shallow and lifeless your reality becomes, and the more deadened you become to reality, the miracle of life that continuously unfolds within and around you. In this way, cleverness may be gained, but wisdom is lost, and so are joy, love, creativity, and aliveness. They are concealed in the still gap between the perception and the interpretation. Of course we have to use words and thoughts. They have their own beauty but do we need to become imprisoned in them?
The word "I" embodies the greatest error and the deepest truth, depending on how it is used. It is the most frequently used word (and) the most misleading. "I" embodies a primordial error, an illusory sense of identity – the ego. This is what Albert Einstein, who had deep insights not only into the reality of space and time but also into human nature, referred to as "an optical illusion of consciousness." That illusory self becomes the basis for all further misinterpretations of your life which becomes a reflection of the original illusion.
The good news is: If you can recognize illusion as illusion, it dissolves. The recognition of illusion is also its ending. Its survival depends on your mistaking it for reality. In the seeing of who you are not, the reality of who you are emerges by itself. What is the nature of this illusory self?
What you usually refer to when you say "I" is not who you are. The infinite depth of who you are is confused with a sound produced by the vocal cords or the thought of "I" in your mind.
When a child learns that a sound is his or her name, the child begins to equate a word, which in the mind becomes a thought of who he or she is. Soon they learn the magic word "I" and equate it with their name. Then other thoughts merge with the I-thought – me and mine to designate things that are somehow part of "I." This is identification with objects, which means investing things with a sense of self, thereby deriving an identity from them. When "my" toy breaks intense suffering arises. Not because of its value – the child will soon lose interest in it, and it will be replaced – but because of the thought of "mine." It became part of the child's sense of self.
And as the child grows, the original I-thought attracts other thoughts to itself. Thoughts of its gender, possessions, body, nationality, race, religion, etc. Also roles like mother, accumulated knowledge or opinions, likes and dislikes, things that happened to "me" in the past, that further define my sense of self as "me and my story"... ultimately no more than thoughts... invested with a sense of self. This mental construct is what you normally refer to when you say "I." To be more precise: usually it is not you who speaks when you think “I” but some aspect of the mental construct, the ego.
Most people are completely identified with the incessant stream of mind, of compulsive thinking, most of it repetitive and pointless. There is no ”I” apart from their thought processes and emotions. This is the meaning of being spiritually unconscious. When told that there is a voice in their head that never stops speaking, they say, “What voice?” or angrily deny it, which of course is the voice, the unobserved mind. It could be looked upon as an entity that has possessed them.
excerpted from ‘a new earth’, pp. 26-30, ©2005 by eckhart tolle
september
Fault-Finders and Appreciators
There are two kinds of seeing in the world, two modes of looking at everything. The first is the fault-finding mode. When we’re in this mode, all we look for are the flaws, sins and imperfections of people, situations and the world. Our eyes are tuned to the “what’s-wrong frequency.” The second is appreciation mode. In this mode we see flaws and imperfections but we’re not obsessed with them; we’re looking for something to appreciate and keeping our eyes tuned to the “what’s-good frequency.”
I’ve had friends of both persuasions and I can tell you the appreciators are a lot easier to be around than the fault-finders. Fault-finders are generally not too happy — self-satisfied, often, but seldom truly happy. And joy doesn’t exactly follow them around either.
Appreciators, on the other hand, are generally happy — they feed on appreciation, after all — and joy follows them around like the scent of lilacs.
We’ve all met both kind of seers in the world. We deal with them every day in countless different roles. Think about your experience with these two kinds of people for a minute and ask yourself this question: what kind of friend do you want to be to yourself?
We know that fault-finding is toxic to the people who do it and those to whom it’s done. We know, just as well, that appreciation is nourishing to both the people who practice it and the people it’s directed at. So if we practice either one of these within ourselves, we get a double dose of the fruit. If we choose fault-finding, we make ourselves sick by being a fault-finder and being a victim of a fault-finder.
If we choose appreciation, we heal ourselves by its practice and by virtue of being appreciated. To appreciate is simply to be aware of, to value and be thankful for. Not that difficult, really. Practicing it, however, is a choice and habit. Make the choice and follow it through and the habit will follow.
Here’s what I’ve found as I’ve tried to practice this: If I’m in a funk, depressed, angry, wallowing, it’s a red flag telling me I’ve shifted to fault-finding mode. These are always connected just as appreciation and contentment are connected. Indeed, appreciation is key to contentment, to well-being.
Deciding how we want to look at ourselves — as appreciators or fault-finders — is the same as deciding to be well or ill. We need to be a friend to ourselves, and a good friend, not one who’s constantly pointing out flaws we already know about. It’s something I’ve been striving to accomplish for years and still struggle with daily. I guess I’m making progress though, because now, instead of pointing out to myself daily that I still haven’t mastered it, I get up most days with an appreciation for my effort and tenacity, if nothing else. I’m still here and so are you. That’s worth appreciating.
© 2007 by Troy Chapman
http://sacredmatters.blogspot.com
august
Ancient Wisdom
If you want to know God, look inside your heart.
You can keep giving because there is no end to your wealth.
You act without expectation,
Succeed without taking credit,
And know that you’re equal to everyone else.
Nothing in the world
Is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
Nothing can surpass it.
The soft overcomes the hard,
The gentle overcomes the rigid.
Everyone knows this is true,
But few can put it into practice.
So remain serene in the midst of sorrow,
And keep your heart always filled
With the loving kindness of God.
july
Generosity
Renouncing
any religiosity,
dancing on the grave
of my sour hostility,
Questing for treasure
at the roots of the tree,
gratefully praising
the passion within me.
Is an openness to my
new serenity,
and a connection
beckoning to me
that all I truly feel at last
is generosity.
© 2007 by scott bush
june
A depolarizing view -
What I Think About Evolution
By Sam Brownback, Op-Ed contributor, New York Times 5/31/07
In our sound-bite political culture, it is unrealistic to expect that every complicated issue will be addressed with the nuance or subtlety it deserves. So I suppose I should not have been surprised earlier this month when, during the first Republican presidential debate, the candidates on stage were asked to raise their hands if they did not “believe” in evolution. As one of those who raised his hand, I think it would be helpful to discuss the issue in a bit more detail and with the seriousness it demands.
The premise behind the question seems to be that if one does not unhesitatingly assert belief in evolution, then one must necessarily believe that God created the world and everything in it in six 24-hour days. But limiting this question to a stark choice between evolution and creationism does a disservice to the complexity of the interaction between science, faith and reason.
The heart of the issue is that we cannot drive a wedge between faith and reason. I believe wholeheartedly that there cannot be any contradiction between the two. The scientific method, based on reason, seeks to discover truths about the nature of the created order and how it operates, whereas faith deals with spiritual truths. The truths of science and faith are complementary: they deal with very different questions, but they do not contradict each other because the spiritual order and the material order were created by the same God.
People of faith should be rational, using the gift of reason that God has given us. At the same time, reason itself cannot answer every question. Faith seeks to purify reason so that we might be able to see more clearly, not less. Faith supplements the scientific method by providing an understanding of values, meaning and purpose. More than that, faith — not science — can help us understand the breadth of human suffering or the depth of human love. Faith and science should go together, not be driven apart.
The question of evolution goes to the heart of this issue. If belief in evolution means simply assenting to microevolution, small changes over time within a species, I am happy to say, as I have in the past, that I believe it to be true. If, on the other hand, it means assenting to an exclusively materialistic, deterministic vision of the world that holds no place for a guiding intelligence, then I reject it.
There is no one single theory of evolution, as proponents of punctuated equilibrium and classical Darwinism continue to feud today. Many questions raised by evolutionary theory — like whether man has a unique place in the world or is merely the chance product of random mutations — go beyond empirical science and are better addressed in the realm of philosophy or theology.
The most passionate advocates of evolutionary theory offer a vision of man as a kind of historical accident. That being the case, many believers — myself included — reject arguments for evolution that dismiss the possibility of divine causality.
Ultimately, on the question of the origins of the universe, I am happy to let the facts speak for themselves. There are aspects of evolutionary biology that reveal a great deal about the nature of the world, like the small changes that take place within a species. Yet I believe, as do many biologists and people of faith, that the process of creation — and indeed life today — is sustained by the hand of God in a manner known fully only to him. It does not strike me as anti-science or anti-reason to question the philosophical presuppositions behind theories offered by scientists who, in excluding the possibility of design or purpose, venture far beyond their realm of empirical science.
Biologists will have their debates about man’s origins, but people of faith can also bring a great deal to the table. For this reason, I oppose the exclusion of either faith or reason from the discussion. An attempt by either to seek a monopoly on these questions would be wrong-headed. As science continues to explore the details of man’s origin, faith can do its part as well. The fundamental question for me is how these theories affect our understanding of the human person.
The unique and special place of each and every person in creation is a fundamental truth that must be safeguarded. I am wary of any theory that seeks to undermine man’s essential dignity and unique and intended place in the cosmos. I firmly believe that each human person, regardless of circumstance, was willed into being and made for a purpose.
While no stone should be left unturned in seeking to discover the nature of man’s origins, we can say with conviction that we know with certainty at least part of the outcome. Man was not an accident and reflects an image and likeness unique in the created order. Those aspects of evolutionary theory compatible with this truth are a welcome addition to human knowledge. Aspects of these theories that undermine this truth, however, should be firmly rejected as an atheistic theology posing as science.
Without hesitation, I am happy to raise my hand to that.
Sam Brownback is a Republican senator from Kansas.
may
why is the world in the shape it’s in?
Of all the questions man has asked of God, this is the one asked most often. From the beginning of time man has asked it ...
If God is all-perfect and all-loving, why would God create pestilence and famine, war and disease, earthquakes and tornados and hurricanes and all manner of natural disaster, deep personal disappointment, and worldwide calamity?
The answer to this question lies in the deeper mystery of the universe and the highest meaning of life.
I do not show My goodness by creating only what you call perfection all around you. I do not demonstrate My love by not allowing you to demonstrate yours.
... you cannot demonstrate love until you can demonstrate not loving. A thing cannot exist without its opposite, except in the world of the absolute.
The world is the way it is because it could not be any other way and still exist in the gross realm of physicality. Earthquakes and hurricanes, floods and tornados, and other of what you call natural disasters are but movements of the elements from one polarity to the other. The whole birth-death cycle is part of this movement. These are the rhythms of life, and everything in gross reality is subject to them, because life itself is a rhythm. It is a wave, a vibration, a pulsation at the very heart of the All That Is.
Illness and disease are opposites of health and wellness, and are made manifest in your reality at your behest. You cannot be ill without at some level causing yourself to be, and you can be made well again in a moment by simply deciding to be. Deep personal disappointments are responses which are chosen, and worldwide calamities are the result of worldwide consciousness.
Your question infers that I choose these events, that it is My will and desire they should occur. Yet I do not will these things into being, I merely observe you doing so. And I do nothing to stop them, because to do so would be to thwart your will. That, in turn, would deprive you of the God experience, which is the experience you and I have chosen together. [We are all One.]
Do not condemn, therefore, all that you would call bad in the world. Rather, ask yourself, what about this have you judged bad, and what, if anything, you wish to do to change it.
Inquire within, rather than without, asking: “What part of my Self do I wish to experience now in the face of this calamity? What aspect of being do I choose to call forth?” For all of life exists as a tool of your own creation, and all of its events merely present themselves as opportunites for you to decide, and be, Who You Are.
This is true for every soul, and so you see there are no victims in the universe, only creators.
from pages 29, 32 Conversations with God - Book 1, © 1995 by Neale Donald Walsch
april
On Government
There are very few governments which do not deliberately mislead their people. Deception is part of government, for few people would choose to be governed the way they are governed--few would choose to be governed at all--unless government convinced them that its decisions were for their own good.
This is a hard convincing, for most people plainly see the foolishness in government. So Government must lie to at least try to hold the people's loyalty. Government is the perfect portrayer of the accuracy of the axiom that if you lie big enough, long enough, the lie becomes the "truth".
People in power must never let the public know how they came to power--nor all that they've done to stay there.
Truth and politics do not and cannot mix because politics is the art of saying only what needs to said--and saying it in just the right way--in order to achieve a desired end.
Not all politics are bad, but the art of politics is a practical art. It recognizes with great candor the psychology of most people. It simply notices that most people operate out of self-interest. So politics is the way that people of power seek to convince you that their self-interest is your own.
Governments understand self-interest. That is why governments are very good at designing programs which give things to people.
from Conversations with God, Book 2, © 1997 by Neale Donald Walsch
march
The Secret
A concise introduction. I hope you’ll get the book by Rhonda Byrne, 2006, and use this wonderful method. tk
Everything in your life, including the things you’re complaining about, you've attracted. You will hate to hear this and will deny it. It’s one of the hardest concepts to get, but once you've accepted it, it's life transforming.
The Law of Attraction says that Like attracts Like. If you think bad thoughts, you'll bring bad results into your life.
For instance: Many people have a very negative image of money. 'Money is the root of all evil', etc, and these thoughts will block money from coming to you. So think abundance rather than lack and it will begin to flow to you. And the same is true in other areas like health, relationships, success, aging, creativity, etc. There are no limits on these things except those you've created. So start now creating them the way you want them in your life. Give yourself a break. Change your ideas that are not serving you as well as you deserve.
The process begins with writing down all your wishes and getting them clear in your mind. This must be in a positive form such as: 'I am so grateful now that _________ '. And put in each of your wishes. There are no limits. e.g. I have perfect health. I have abundant wealth. I have a loving and devoted partner. etc., etc.
Step two is to Believe that it's already yours and act that way. Have unwavering faith. Then get on with your life. Allow the universe to do it for you. It's not your job to worry about how. If you think you have to do it you show doubt that the Universe will do it for you and thereby negate your faith in the process. Think, I Know it's on the way.
The final step is to Receive. Feel good about it now. Be happy. Intellectual belief is not enough, you have to Feel it. Your positive energy is an indispensable element in the process.
That's it. The Universe likes speed. Don't delay. Don't second guess. Don't doubt. When the opportunity is there, the impulse, the intuitive nudge from within is there, act. That’s your job, and that’s all you have to do.
Trust your instincts. It's the Universe inspiring you. You will attract everything you require. Pay attention to what you're attracted to. You’re a magnet. Like a car driving through the night, you need to see only the next 200 feet ahead, and the following 200 feet will unfold after that.
Gratitude - Absolutely the way to bring more into your life. Appreciate what you already have.
Joseph Campbell said, 'Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.'
What you do with The Secret is up to you. Whatever you choose is right. The power is all yours.
february
celebrating sensuality
I was walking to the hobby-craft building the other day. The day was bright and cold and the wind whipped through my thin coat. I had my eyes on the ground, hands in my pockets, and was just plodding along thinking of this distance between me and my destination as something to be endured.
Then, in a moment of grace, I asked myself a question: How many pine trees line this path — and why don't I know that? I've walked it too many times to count, yet when I've looked in the direction of these trees I've just looked through them. I lifted my eyes now and actually tried to see.
There are five in the front row along the road, young jack pines I guess. The last one in the row is unusual, a pine with two trunks like a maple. I've only ever seen (or noticed) single trunk pines. Actually seeing these trees was a treat and I felt more alive as I continued on.
We tend to think of sensuality entirely in sexual terms and also as something opposed to spirituality, or at least somehow in a different direction. But "sensual," in one sense, just means "of the senses," and it's very compatible with spirituality. It's about being in our bodies more fully and enjoying the connection we have with the world through our senses. This kind of sensuality awakens me and feeds me spiritually. I think of it as "luxuriating" — simply enjoying whatever my senses are feeding me as I go about my daily business. It's the simplest thing.
I'm lying on my bunk right now and the pressure of my body on the (admittedly hard) mattress is enjoyable. So is the hard plastic feel of the pen in my hand and the sight of blue words appearing on white paper. It feels good.
Yet most of the time I approach this kind of being as a guilty pleasure, as if I shouldn't be "wasting time" enjoying myself in these simple ways. After all, my life is lagging way behind what I wish it was, there's war, and at least one or two genocides going on, corporations are taking over the world, babies are dying, addicts are overdosing, evildoers are plotting... Whoa! There I am, back in my head again, busily turning life into ideas, memories, worries, and other intellectual property. I'm experiencing the same things but taking no joy in them.
This is pure puritanical pathology, but deeply ingrained in me and our whole society. The idea that sensuality and physicality are somehow mere vehicles to be endured so my intellect can live in this inhospitable environment — a sort of spacesuit for my ego. I say it again (because it feels good on my tongue but also because it's true): pure puritanical pathology. Another part of me is wiser. It likes being alive; it likes flirting; it likes eating olives (which I haven't had in years); it likes breathing, moving, and being in this body. Why should I apologize for that? Why should anyone?
We shouldn't. So this month I want to celebrate the blessings of our senses and the art of luxuriating in the bounty they present us every minute of our lives. Being for the sake of being — and enjoying it. Or at least not rejecting or intellectualizing it. Just experiencing it directly and without judgment.
by Troy Chapman
© The Lifeful Way 2007
www.lifefulway.org
january 2007
it is in contempt that the root of racism liesI was sickened to read about the killing of TyRon Mark Lewis by Officer James K. Knight in St. Petersburg (FL, 1998). As a Black man with relatives in Ft. Lauderdale, I want your readers to know what I am grateful to have learned from Eli Siegel, the great educator, historian, and founder of Aesthetic Realism: the cause of racism is contempt. He defined contempt as the “disposition in every person to think he will be for himself by making less of the outside world.”
Contempt is as ordinary as a family saying, “We are better than that family next door.” On a larger scale, contempt has people of one race or religion look down on people different from them.
“As soon as you have contempt,” Mr. Siegel stated, “as soon as you don’t want to see another person as having the fulness that you have, you can rob that person, hurt that person, kill that person.” This explains both young Lewis’s and officer Knight's actions that fall night.
In our unjust economy, young people feel they have no future and that no one cares, not even their parents who are too busy working two or three jobs. So teenagers can wrongly feel justified having contempt — such as stealing cars.
And, police officers, who want to do good, also feel they “own” a neighborhood they should be protecting.
I learned that there are two kinds of anger — one just, which makes for pride, the other unjust, which makes for shame. Anger at injustice, Aesthetic Realism teaches, opposes contempt and comes from the deepest desire in every person: to respect the world honestly. The civil rights movement arose from a just anger. I've had a proud anger at the prejudice and economic hardship which Blacks had to endure and with the murders of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Robert Kennedy.
However, I used my anger at injustice to feel I had a right to be angry towards all people. I attended a mostly White college in upper New York State. I was angry at how I was seen and I regret that I used my anger to have contempt for White students and felt they were not good enough to befriend me. I also felt superior to Black students because I felt they were not street smart as I was. I relished my anger but, inside, I felt cold and was cruel to people. Thank God I later learned from Aesthetic Realism that it was my own contempt that made me lonely, bitter and deeply unsure of myself.
Studying Aesthetic Realism, my contempt and unjust anger are criticized and my respect for the world is encouraged. Because I see the feelings of people of all races as deep as my own, and I see that I am more like them than different, I am kinder and truly proud.
This is headline news! There will be no rest, only a hiding of volatile feelings, until contempt as the cause of racism is studied. Community leaders and police commissions can evaluate race relations until Kingdom come but, if contempt is not understood, these vicious acts will continue.
With beautiful prose, Eli Siegel stated, “It will be found that Black and White Man have the same goodnesses, the same temptations, and can be criticized in the same way. The skin may be different, but the aorta is quite the same.” When America studies this we will have safe and proud lives!
from the Miami Times, 5/5/99, by Allan Michael
see his photographs:.....here
further resources:
Martin Luther King / The King Center.....here
Anti-Prejudice Pledge / Anti-Defamation League.....here
Aesthetic Realism defeats racism..... here
Pelagus literature
more quotes .... 2000..... 2001..... 2002..... 2003..... 2004..... 2005..... 2006..... 2008
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