A Certain Craziness

*******

The sky is falling! It is the end of the world! This kind of dark fantasy seems to have haunted unbalanced and borderline minds with an unprecedented ferocity since ancient times. There has not existed a single year in the history of the planet during which someone somewhere did not predict the "immediate advent" of the "end of the world"!

Not at all surprisingly, it is happening all over again. Sick rightwing whackos-- extremists all, who often get their material from each other-- have declared Obama a "radical," a "socialist," an "anti-Christ," and much, much worse. Talkshow hosts have poured billions of gallons of gasoline on this "fire"!

Of course, extreme conservatives hate and misunderstand almost everybody. This is due partly to the fact that they do not seek objective or scientific foundations for their ideas, and partly because they refuse to read or listen to anyone who is not already in fullest agreement with them. They rant and rave, and often preach, in screeching voices about to break from the sheer tension.

Mick Gallagher, Barbara Bady, and other contributors to the uld have pointed out the real and rational dangers that these people pose to the mind, as well as to the collective mind of the community. The latest gambit of these rightwingers is the sad illusion, a lie, that Presidennt Obama of the USA has a "hidden agenda" to take away all their guns. (This type always feels incomplete without a gun, as if you had stolen her literal arms and fingers; and she will fight tooth and nail to keep whatever deadly weapons that she owns with great pride. (In this way, she imitates extremists of the past, including nazis and fascists.) The only way, they say, that you are going to "get their gun" is when you "pry it from their dead, cold fingers" after they have died for this "cause."

Many are "worldenders," and are troubled nonstop by the idea of "race-wars," criminals running riotously through the streets, and related horrors. They live in a nightmare torture-chamber! (How true the spiritual principle that it is what is within the mind, not the "outside world," that determines how we feel.)

The best way to deal with such fanatics is simply to ignore them. We can also regulate their power by education in the truer and more satisfying Way of moderation, which turns its back on extremes. But all that we really have to do is wait around; for the passage of time will prove how false, ludicrous, absurd, and ridiculous are their ideas. Let us also work hard every minute of every day to fill this world, this cosmos, with the peace and joy manifested by Love. For it is Love, not guns, in which all people of Love place their faith.
*******

Hopeless Reaching for Goddess

*******

Happily, the most important things in our lives do not at all depend in any way on our belief in them. Whether we believe it or not, Goddess is Love; and even if we lack the ability to believe, She remains Love. Even when Love is inaccessible, or incomprehensible, It/She is still present within the Core-mind, deep inside you and inside me. Even when we have lost the ability to cry out (or, in) to this Love, It/She knows our sufferings; She heals us through each other.


She enters the heart most often through our discovery of personal helplessness. That means that we must completely give up on, abandon, any personal desires to "fix" our lives, and step out of Her way.

We cannot solve every problem in the universe; but at least, we can share our tears and fears.

So, whether you know it or not, Love is an interior Force for good that is always working to heal you-- make you whole. But please try to be patient, for healing does take time. If you want to discuss this or any related matter personally, please give me a quick call. [The number is (513)737-LOVE (5683).]
*******

Learning Real Love-Taoism through Suffering

Learning Real Love-Taoism through Suffering
*******

Happy April!:) A touch early, but it arrives tomorrow!:)

I am so delighted that this world, with its donkeygifts, has "driven" you towards two directions at once-- greater compassion, and total reliance on [the Goddess of Love,] Aphrodite. For these are the two best gifts in the universe. And there is no better way to teach them than to put the donkey in "danger," or, as you imply, in serious uncertainty.

Any kind of suffering, although we would rather see our friends avoid this aspect of life, teaches and increases compassion. She who suffers little often loves little, not because she is unkind, but because she is unaware, almost oblivious. There is no finer teacher than personal suffering. If we take it "to heart," and carefully examine it, suffering gives us many positive gifts-- but none better than these two (releasing control and loving others more deeply), without which we cannot become
"spiritual adults."

That is why good people have always suffered, often for others, often for the karma of the whole world. (This is a major theme, and cannot be overlooked, in the life of Jesus, as well as of Francis and many other saintmystics and sages.)

This is the universe's way of saying, "Welcome to the human race." It is a real initiation into deeper, and much brighter, spirituality. It aids us to practice Love-Taoism-- the real thing, not just words. For no one follows Tao more, or more sincerely, than she who has given up, abandoned, all desires to "control, all hopes of control." She has truly turned her life over to the higher Power of Love, trusting that Love can and will move in her without her interference. We do not, she finally realizes, make Love happen; we can only permit It.
*******

Intro to Love

*******

When we give Love, we demand nothing in return. Love is its own delight and its own reward: Each time that we love, we are rewarded immediately; a burst of healing energy rushes throughout the brainbody system. This is often subtle, even undetectable; but these add up and, in time, bring the mind, body, and Soul into harmony. For Love is what we were created to do, and it simply does not matter how people respond.

Jesus taught Love and ended up on a cross; other lovers of humanity have been persecuted and even driven away from their communities. Love is almost never rewarded by the "lower" nature of the earthly senses, or by the "material" world; its blessings are all internal, personal, and spiritual. Love is always the right path, the correct response, to any situation.
*******

Medicine, Healing, and Love

How right you are about my Soulmate, who has made this life far better than we could or would have ever predicted!:) She is gentle cool clear water on a planet that is so often a harsh superheated desert.:)

Re the transplant, we have come to cease expecting anything from the docs, who almost never communicate "from on high;" and their nurses are useless when it comes to information re the timing of the transplant, guarding any with their lives as a "deep, dark secret." This is ludicrous to absurd. So, we have come to expect precisely nothing from either group; when it is convenient for them, they might let us know; just hope that we have time to prep and pack!:)

There is little to no empathy in the entire system of modern medicine; the whole interaction has been computers speaking "digitese" to other computers; hardly a human communication has occurred. In fact, I have received not a single email message from any doctor or any nurse from thebeginning.

This proves how far medicine has drifted from healing; for, in healing, the human aspect, especially the alleviation of suffering, is always in the top one percent of cares; in this ultratechnical system, the human element is eradicated as far as possible. No wonder that they are planning to use robots for surgery; that will rid the system of its last technical imperfection-- human input. Medicine, already frosty and snowy, just gets colder.

You are right on target, by the way, in your hard-earned lesson that there are people to whom you can give Love, and those to whom you cannot. To find those "hungry" and "thirsty" for Love-- in both its giving and receiving-- is truly a blessing. But trying to love Martha [pseudonym] and her ilk is a spectacular waste of timenergy, and of even life itself. For she still has very much growing to do, and it is not likely that she can accomplish this during one little lifetime.

So, to sum up, we are where we began: in the dark. But we have promised the Spirit that we will attempt an honestly Taoist attitude towards this entire matter of the transplant: Just trust and wait, not fret, worry, or manipulate. And the reward has been increased peace.:)

*******

Life, Death, and Love

*******

I do not feel that your son died in pain. If indeed he died from a diabetic coma, that is a very "easy death." It is very much like going to sleep. You should know that I have given this some deep thought at a Soul-level, for it is an "emergency exit" plan for this current body, which is diabetic.

Some would argue that there are no "pleasant" ways to leave the earth. But the fact is, we all must leave at some time. So, the Soul, often before birth, builds into the dna a method for exiting the body when the time is right. Your son's Soul "built into" his body the genetic pattern that allowed a peaceful death. For there are many nightmarish ways to die, and only a few serene ones.

As a spiritual person, I deeply empathize with your pain and suffering; yet I must also remind you, and myself, that death is a major transformation, a new beginning, and the chance for a new life. Death is not the "end" of everything, as some materialists and mechanists claim. (And they have no "proof" of this.)

The ancient mystical classic Bhagavad-Gita says that death is like changing clothes.

We have come to see it as an unmitigated terror and horror precisely because we have fallen very deeply into amnesia. In the Soul's amnesia, which is part of the will of Love, we forget that we are immaterial, nonphysical Souls, and come to regard ourselves as only mechanisms or developed animals. We are much, much more than both. And very much in modern thanatological (death-) studies implies that the mind does indeed, as mystics have always said, survive the body. We literally have tens
of thousands who have returned from death to tell us that Mind continues after death.

Death is not only a "survivable" experience, but an entry into ecstasy and immeasurable joy. And Love is greater than death; the Love-bonds continue between mother and son, as between other relatives and friends. You will see your son again, happy and alive. Meantime, he wants you to live out your fullest and most productive life; he also wants you to find the most joy that you can create in your life on earth.

Earth is a very difficult and challenging school. God says that it is okay, just fine, if we stop believing in Her, or even, for a time, lose all motive to live and to serve. She does not condemn us, and the spark of Love that She creates in our hearts never goes out. It simply waits, with unimaginable patience, to be fanned into a warm flame of expressed Love.

In the shorterm, it might be therapeutic to form special bonds with other people, or other creatures; this is what your son wants for you.

Lovenergy changes forms many times during a life, but It never dies. So, you can take the Love of your beautiful heart, and enrich many lives with it; our poor little planet is starving for Love.
*******

Lovexpression

As the people of Love, our hearts motivate us to, and we vow to, love everyone-- without exception, including friends, enemies, and strangers.

In fact, Love is the most healing and joyful activity in the world! It is utterly fulfilling, for It is the reason that we were first created by ("emanated" from) the One, the only Mind in existence. Love moves us towards primal Union, or reunion, with the Mind of Love, or Godmind. So, Love is the key to fulfillment, satisfaction, and utter contentment.

Love is indescribably beautiful. It is what all human beings most deeply want to express, and to share, with other human beings, and with other creatures-- even with the Goddess (God) and the "angels. The world is starving for Love! (Someday, we will be challenged to share this same Love with extraterrestrials as well.)

So, Love is the most fun a human being can possibly have! It is as satisfying biologically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as finding a glass of cold water when we are thirsty. Love alone fills the needs of the human Soul; nothing in the universe can replace It.

Although we know that all this is true, nevertheless, we must exercise caution in everyday Lovexpression. We can feel the infinite Love of God shining and glowing in our hearts. But we cannot always safely express It.

Why not? Why cannot the lover of all humanity express Love freely, hugging everyone, and telling her, "I love you"?

It is because of the dull and primitive, backwards and arrested, programming of society. For society, from poprock music to commercials, popularly programs people to believe that the word "Love" is, or should be, limited to sexual and/or romantic Love.

We who study agapology-- the art and science of Love-- know that Love can mean a wide spectrum of a million more things. But people are so mercilessly and incessantly, relentlessly programmed to see "Love" as romance or sex, you are very likely to be misunderstood if you express "Love" to a stranger. This is tragic, unfortunate, and very, very sad.

What it implies is that we all must exercise caution.

If we are not to end up being labeled, or taken to a mental hospital or police station, we must temper all our Lovexpressions with strangers. (Joyfully, we need not do this among the people of Love, who understand the many types and powerlevels of Love.)

In Greek, there are several words for "Love." One of them, the Greek eros, originally referred to Love as a cosmic force that held the cosmos together. It was eros that held hydrogen and oxygen together in water-molecules. But, in time, this word came to mean or to imply sexual or romantic Love.

And "erotophobia"-- the fear of sexual or romantic Love or involvement-- is quite common. So, in all Lovexpression, we show Love by respecting the boundaries and limitations of people. We are never controlled by their fears, but, out of kindness, must respect their sensitivities. This means that, although we withold no Love, we must, at times, withold Lovexpression: It is not always good or appropriate fully to express Love to a stranger; we must take a few steps back, and approach the matter with caution, so as never to be intrusive or invasive of the other's privacy.
*******

The "Will of God" and Personal Desires

The "will of God" is not at all complex. Doing the "will of God" is living out the "desires of Love." This is the greatest possible discovery for a human being. And doing this will is the greatest "achievement" possible, although it is selfless in the sense that, at its apex, the ego disappears into a galactic pool of Lovemind.

Not surprisingly, doing the "will of God" is never imposed by any external Source or authority. By definition, when we grow into our Godself, or Goddessself, it is what we want to do. For "God's will" has become my will and your will.

We do it not because we must, or "should," but because we want to maximize the fun and joy, peace and tranquility, of our own lives. This path might well begin selfishly, but ends up in selfless surrender to Love. This, again, is not a "duty," but a pleasure and delight.

Doing the "will of God" is not a blanket life-event. Instead, it involves the moment-by-moment yielding to Love. In every circumstance, as we grow, we ask not, "What do I want?"-- the older self, but, "What does Love want?"-- the newer or higher Self.

Every time we do an act of constructive or healing Love, whether expressed to our grandchildren, our pets, our friends or family, or other living creatures, we are "in" the "will of God." We are actively "doing" Her will.

To maximize this sweet condition or state of mind, we must simplify the mind, minimizing all personal desires that differ from, or conflict with, the will of Love. So, we must give up selfishness, egocentricity, greed, clinging, attachment, craving, etc., as is emphasized in Buddhism. These are all "roads to hell" that are selfcreated; in other words, they lead to only states of misery and unhappiness [what the Buddha called "suffering" (dukha in Sanskrit).]

Personal desires cannot ever be completely fulfilled. This insatiability is the reason that we cannot and do not find happiness or peace through the fulfillment of personal desires. Even if we spend a billion bucks trying, we can never create happiness by the fulfillment of personal desires, for this is a completely selfish path, and Love calls us to a much higher pursuit. It calls us, in fact, to become an "incarnation of Love."

This is nothing less than a transformation of identity. The ego-- the person named on our birth-certificates and driver's licenses-- is not our true Self. For our truest nature, or interior Self-- the "higher" or deeper Self-- is the Christnature or Buddhanature. In that deep Mind, each of us is a "daughter or son" of the One, of the Mind (Tao or Spirit). We are the "children" (creations, emanations, dreams,
expressions, or masks) of Love. When we awaken to this higher identity, the identity of the ego is seen as nothing but a complex mask or game, a role being played by the Soul. It is abandoned as illusion; and, as illusion, it can never lead us to real or genuine happiness. (It was never designed to; it exists for only our education.)

This realization is utter and final liberation, and takes many lives to discover and live out; but we should not forget that some of us have been on this path for centuries already. So, we need not become discouraged if the transformation does not apparently occur overnight.

We must turn deeply inward, in profound introspection, and discover or feel for this Self. When we contact It, we must then turn over all personal desires, remembering that, although they promise everything good, personal desires actually keep us in selfcreated hellstates. When we have totally let go of the final traces of personal desire, we have discovered liberation-- and it is an awesome, breath-taking experience of utter beauty and overwhelming Love. The mysticsaints and mastersages
call this state "bliss," or "ecstasy."
*******

Love-Taoism

I am a practicing Taoist, and I teach much Taoism, although not exclusively.(For we also study, at the Pneumarium, gnosticism, kabbalism, sufism, Buddhism, Hinduism, nature-faiths, etc.)

But the "purest" Taoism cannot be recommended. For in its purest form, Taoism recommends that one never interfere with the Flow of events as they are. But Love-Taoism is a little different, although it recommends the same great "faith" as regular Taoism.

Love-Taoism teaches that we should cooperate with the Flow of events as we find them, except when Love tells us to do otherwise. For example, the purest Taoist might sit by while her alcoholic friend ordered a whiskey. But the Love-Taoist could not remain unmoved or inactive.

Sometimes, Love orders (or commands) us to do something! And now! A Love-Taoist is committed to obeying or following the interior direction of the deep Lovemind at the Cennter of all minds, in the Core of the collective Unconscious.

Thus, a Love-Taoist is not as strictly limited to wu-wei, or non-interference, as is the purist Taoist. For the same reasons, Love often moves us to social actions as well as more personal actions of Love-service.

I have also taught, "Never give any advice unless it is requested." But this "request" for advice need not be a literal or verbal request. It can be a simple question, directed at an entire group of friends, or a generic call for aid or assistance.

At any rate, you must be aware of several factors: 1) It is never my intention to discourage you. 2) I never recommend following fear. 3) Any decision that you make you will make as a full adult, and it will be yours alone, as it should be.

As your friend, my only motive is for you to make all important decisions with crystal-clarity, and having taken the time to consider all the relevant factors involved. Sometimes, spontaneous, impulsive decisions turn out to be right, spot on; at other times, they do not.

Permission to Die in Peace

The following is only one potential, possible model for a document, to be kept with your "Living Will," that declares your declaration of your right to die with dignity. It states that you do not want to be kept alive indefinitely in a vegetative state.

***
I have cultivated, over many years, a most firm and reliable, dependable belief in the continued existence of the Soul (as Soulmind) after biological death. This is based on the teachings of Jesus, Gautama Siddhartha, and other wise mastersages.
I believe that the essence of life, and life-quality, are matters of mind, not the body alone. And, while deeply intertwined and related, the mindsystem and bodysystem are not identical. Nor does the mindsystem depend on the biocontinuity of the bodysystem, but exists independently of it. Thus, the mind can and does continue living, and creating quality of life, after the body is dead—even long afterwards. Therefore, this document is created in order clearly to express my desire not to be maintained in a biostate of "life" indefinitely when the bodymind systems have become vegetative or irreversibly unproductive.
The mind does not depend on the body, although the brain does. (The relationship between brain and mind is very complex; but as mind can exist without body, it can also exist independently of any brainsystem, and it does.
I hereby express my free-will decision, being of sound mind and body, without any restraint, influence, or pressure of any kind, the following:

This body, the body of _____________________ [your name], is not to be kept "alive" biologically in continuity, preserved as only a biological unit. If, at any time during this life, this body loses the ability meaningfully to cognize, recognize, think, create, write, speak, or any other valuable mode of expression, the body is to be terminated with my expressed approval and full permission. I believe that the quality of a life is more significant than is the biological maintenance or continuity of a life. Therefore, it follows that, should any factor(s) significantly compromise this quality of life, especially by cutting off meaningful, regular intercommunications with others; or if biological life steals away selfrespect, dignity, selfawareness, compassion, or Love, then, this life will be of little to no value to me.
And I order that this biological life be terminated.
This can occur through an overdose of oxycodon, hydrocodon, codeine, morphine, or any other sedative, euphoric, or relaxant drug.

Signed,­­­_________________________________________________
in the presence of these witnesses:

­_______________________________________________

_____________________________________________

on this ______ day of ____________, 20____.
*******

Movie Review: "Waking the Dead"

This touching film was made way back in the year twenty hundred. It is at once a deep psychophilosophic study and a profound Love-story. The main character, Fielding Pierce, apparently loses his young girlfriend, Sarah Williams, through a rightwing terror attack. But the question that is the nucleus of the entire film is, "Is she really dead?"
The question is never really clearly answered. The film becomes a little "feliniesque" in areas, dodging a direct answer. But her influence upon Fielding is so very strong that he cannot shake memories of her, or her influence. (She was a bit leftwing, and he is struggling to "make it" in American politics.) He wants to be a spokesperson for the common, average American, and does some of his work in Illinois. (The movie might have been a bit precognizant of the success of Barack.)
He does pay attention to, and gets letters from, many average Americans. He is not at all interested in the horrendous nightmare of a "government" that has haunted our country for the past eight years.
A message of this film is that "Love is stronger than even death." The film examines the effect of an honest politician on her/his personal life; in one scene, Fielding "betrays" even his own brother. But his Love for Sarah remains the jewel at the center of his life and heart.
Yes, Love is greater than even politics; she influences him to the end.
This film has a most excellent message; but it is not for children. It contains some very strong language, and some indirect presentations of sex. But, for any adult, the flick is well worth seeing. With its message of undying, inconquerable Love, it is an expression/manifestation of what Love can accomplish in even a world as imperfect as ours. Every political leader should see it.
*******

Movie Review: "Ghostown"

This moving and touching movie, made in twenty-oh-eight, is the story of a misanthropic dentist named "Pincus," who hates almost everybody-- at least, in the beginning. But about three-quarters of the way through, he follows the advice of a fellow dentist who is Hindu, and takes a second look at his life. By then, he is already falling in Love, and so, this is the story of a miserable man who discovers the Power of, and turns to, Love to find meaning and joy in life.
The story is unique because Pincus has the ability to see souls who have departed this life, but still have strong glue-like connections with this world. Only after Pincus helps them "tie up loose ends" are they surrounded by a golden Light,, and move on to final liberation from all earthly concerns. In short, this film is highly recommended, and contains the seeds of some great truths.
*******

The Poorest People in the World

We are delighted to hear that you still wish to support our outreach to the Poorest People in the World. At sucha "hypermaterialistic" time as Christmas, we are paradoxically drawn to the birth of the great teacher of Love and compassion, while simultaneously torn away from Him by too much concentration on bucks! Thus, Christmas can be a wearying experience if we do not keep our eyes on the prize. For the very greatest Christmas gift of all is Love. When this is our gift, the entire world is the winner!:):) We are working on a new collection for our friends, the little orphans, but it will not be completed, sadly, until after Christmas. (Please see the uld.)
*******

God as Love plus Nothing

People are very kind, and most often, are willing to create a friendship with any kind person who is open. So, try not to isolate yourself. This is a technique of mind-alteration, and sometimes -control. Try to make as many friends with "normal" people as possible. For example, whenever possible, collect email addresses, and write. You will likely find some very understanding and supportive people.

I have written a fairly extensive book about my own experience [within a cult]. If you would like a copy, I would love to send it to you, without cost. Please just send, asap, your "snailmail" (land-) address.

There is so much that can and should be said; but emails are not large enough to contain it all; that is why a book was written. In a nutshell, let me just give the following advice (I never give advice unless it is requested.)

Remember always that "God is Love." (1 Jn. 4: 8,16) God, as Jesus reflected, is eager to forgive; he is not reticent, like the old Jehovah. We must remember that the Jehovah-image of God developed four thousand years ago, in a very primitive area of the world. It was created and developed by a pre-literate and backwards culture. This is why the "loyal followers of Jehovah," the "Bible-experts" of his day, plotted the murder of Jesus. It does not by any means represent all the glorious truth about the infinite God of Love.

God is "love plus nothing." People, even [members of the cult], will admit that God is Love, but then, they insist on adding ideas, doctrines, history, etc. But when we realize that God is Love plus nothing, we can safely discard all the ideas and religions of human origin (including the cult-faith), and safely worship Love. We can make Love our religion or faith.

This brings liberation, happiness, and peace. It frees us from the necessity of following doctrines (Jesus taught none) and organizations (Jesus founded none). All doctrines are disposable; none represents the "truth."

When we emerge from the cult, we do not have to "join" any other religion. The important thing is not to be "religious," but spiritual. Being "spiritual" is the cultivation of Love in our hearts. If we have Love, we have God, and do not need anything else-- doctrines, organizations, religions of human origin. Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (Jn. 8:32)

The word "truth" was not used by Jesus to refer to certain teachings or doctrines. Instead, it was the Greek word aletheia, and was used by Greek writers to mean "reality." In truth, God is the "only Reality," so to know the truth is to know God. To know God is to realize that an infinite pool of Love exists in the universe, and It moves through your heart.
*******

The Deeper Meaning of Recent Events

Thanks to Barbara Baty.
*******

No one can be insulated from, or remain untouched by, the massive, immense changes that are now occurring on this teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy nanoplanet. These events, like a literal earthquake, are drawing people together. And no one can predict what will come next. (Many self-styled "prophets" are trying like mad, but none have proved reliable.) We must learn the lesson of simply trusting the universe(Tao) as we board the human rollercoaster? Entire countries are going bankrupt, and others are suffering the effects of global warming. It seems that entire nations can be quite as insane as some human beings, as our own United States has demonstrated during the last eight years. People individually are "losing it," falling into religious madness, and quite desperate for anything that even vaguely resembles an explanation. Increasingly, they are turning to mad references to the Bible, especially to the Revelation, its final book, and these "explanations" create only exacerbating madness. Others run to Nostradamus or Ed Cayce-- both of whom predicted the "end of the world" for the year 1999! Self-styled "experts" are everywhere, of course, and there are plenty of "prophets" just trying to "make a buck" out of the human misery in the world.

Human beings seemed to have sensed some of the changes that now are flowing from the collective Unconscious, bracing themselves, alerting themselves. And this world touches each of us personally and deeply, so the changes are about your life and mine, not about an abstract "world out there."

And no matter how "spiritual" we are, no matter how profound our philosophy, we are touched by this world. No one is immune, no one unaffected. Yes, Virginia, bad things do happen to good people, for karma is an impartial Mindenergy; it occurs not for our punishment, but for our education.

We are the people of Love. Thus, we must take on the incredible task of figuring out how this world of apparent chaos and madness is a reflection of Love. And here is how: Karma turns the entire world into a "school." The purpose of this school is to teach the gentle art of loving. We cannot learn the most profound depths of the most Love, the maximum compassion, until or unless we have suffered. (That is why very young people, who have never suffered, seem so shallow, and sometimes, they
are!)

We are also hear to learn that the entire material world, all around us, is maya, "illusion," or a dream. This is indicated by major financial and political institutions dissolving before our very eyes!

But while the fortresses of materialism and greed are unraveling, spiritual teachings remain powerful elements of our lives. They alone survive every crisis or catastrophe. To figure out this complex world, we must use spiritual thinking, or mystical principles, such as karma.

Karma is a complex "balancing act" in which the whole universe, including your personal Soul, is involved. "Bad" things happen to people in order to break them out of selfcenteredness and selfinvolvement, to educate us in Love. That is why some of the most gentle, wise, kind, and enlightened people of history have suffered, doing "battle" with the "demons" of the lower nature.

Human beings have generated karmic energy, galaxies of it, for many millennia. Some of this karma is being worked out now.

The entire world must learn two major karmic lessons: Greed is the service of fear (the "devil"), and the more that we think that we are "in control," the more quickly things start spinning wildly out of control. We must respond to these lessons by refusing to serve greed, and instead, trying honestly to serve compassion. And we must let go of control and replace it with faith-- trust in the unfolding of the cosmos, without our interference or manipulation. (This is the essence of that wonderful path of mysticism called "Taoism.")

What is happening is a shift in the very paradigm of the world. We are, specifically, shifting away from the old paradigm, which emphasized separation (all separation is illusion, since we are all part of the One, the great collective Unconscious). We are also outgrowing the illusions of domination by force. The world cannot be "controlled" by guns and bombs, but must be regulated by the recognition of the interdependence of Love. All cultures and societies, like all human beings, share interests on this tiny planet, and so, fierce independence will give way to a sense of interdependence, in which no single culture is seen as "superior."

We must work, through healing and sharing, to create a global and, someday, an interplanetary culture based on the equality of all human beings. Every act of Love is an act of healing, and there is no such thing as a "small" act of Love.

This earth is like an organism, which works only as long as the parts cooperate. Each part must yield to the whole; so, to find freedom, we must each work in cooperation with others to serve the greater Whole that is the Love of the cosmos.

So, each act of personal transformation helps to metamorphose the Whole. Each and every act of Love expresses Love for the Whole. So, every positive thought helps to heal the collective, or world-Soul. So, every act of selfhealing is shared with many, many others on an energy-level or Mind-level.

So, your intentions and thoughts become the "raw material" out of which the world is constructed. That is why, in visions of our Lady of Love, such as those of Fatima and Lourdres, she instructs us never to stop "praying." And every thought of Love is a true prayer.

We must rid ourselves of fear, which is the source of all wars. In almost every war, this fear is expressed as greed. It is time that we, as a society, stopped serving greed and begin to serve its opposite, compassion.

What can we do in the midst of all the horror and terror that have been fed into the collective Unconscious over millennia of human history? We can begin to counter-balance all this mental garbage by creating the mental treasures of Love.

Every thought of Love is a prayer, and a true act of worship. Let each of us begin, this very day, to flood our lives with thoughts of Love, and these will "sink down" and swamp even the collective Unconscious, as Love overcomes fear. Let us do this relentlessly and ceaselessly, pouring huge quantities of Love inward, to create a galaxy of Love, an ocean of Love. Soon, the weak candle-flicker of fear will go out, quenched by the passion of our Love. Fear is but a drop, in cosmic terms, but Love
is an ocean; fear but a candle, and Love the interior "sun" of purest Light. Fear, in the presence of Love, does not stand a chance!

We exist for each other, and we all exist for the Whole. We have worked for years on selfimprovement, and even selferasement, so that we can help to rescue the world from crisis. So, let us not be metaphysically selfish, using the interior Power to strive to create only personal wealth, as so many have done. Instead, let us submit our interior Power to the services of Love, compassion, planetary renewal, ecological
recovery, and the sisterhood and brotherhood of all beings in the universe.

*******

Some Thoughts About Love

Thanks to Mick Gallagher.

Some Thoughts About Love

Where did you ever get this insightful, informative truth serum? You might be experiencing an epiphany. Don't get scared. Just sit down, say a prayer for the good people of the world. And then open your eyes, and look within. It is there where you'll find LOVE, not fear. Those two don't mix very well. Love [comes] from, and is, God. Fear [is] from some other place. Dispel the false fear, and live through Love. Love is all that matters, Love is our only hope, and the answer to
all illusory questions.

*******

Doggie Death

Thousands of dogs and cats are killed each day, by essentially good people who really like, or even love, these little creatures. They simply reproduce too fast for their natural environments to be able to sustain them, so blame "nature," if you must.

Thanks for the article by the dog-killer who so hates his "terrible" job. You are right on target, my dear friend: I am tearing up after having read the piece about the death of the sweet dogs and cats. There is a little tiny bit of comfort in knowing that all living things must die, and in the belief, which is shared with the tormented writer, that all creatures go to a much better existence in the Mindworlds (Homeworld or heaven). Without this very sustaining belief, this earth could drive us mad with its injustices and unfairness. But all does find equilibrium in the infinite Mind of Love.

Thanks for this really thoughtprovoking article, despite its sadness. We are planning to publish it in the December 08 issue of Lovelight magazine, to alert our readers, many of whom are incurable cat- and dog-lovers, as I am also.

I always had a dog growing up, and having shared Love with these sweet little creatures was one of the first experiences of Love in this world. It is a treasure beyond computing, and I cannot believe that it all goes for naught, that all that great Love is simply wasted time. It is, instead, an investment in eternity, in everlasting friendship. For dogs live forever in Soul, and so do we.:):)

Grace and Love

*******

The phrase "works of grace" is a confused term invented by someone who had or has very little understanding.

Grace does produce "works" in our lives, but, historically, Christians have taught one of two worldviews:

Either you "get to heaven" by "works," or you get there by grace. It is difficult and confusing to try to embrace both.

The most ancient and venerable of Christian writings, those of the so-called "New
Testament," clearly teach that salvation arises from grace alone. We are "saved" (from ignorance and the lower humanimal nature) by Love alone. This Love comes not from us, but to us; it arises from the cosmic Mind (God) within.

Because of grace, you really do not have to perform any "works" to "get to heaven." If a person did nothing, she could, and would, ultimately still be saved by grace. For God loves equally His/Her active children, and His/Her inactive ones.

But grace is Love. So, when grace is active within our hearts, it does produce Love, including the feelings and the actions of Love. The person in grace is kind, good, gentle, forgiving, tolerant, inclusive, generous, etc. These are the expressions of grace, but the phrase "works of grace" is unclear.

But it is very important to get the order or sequence right: Grace produces the works of Love within us; works can never "produce" or even alter, the grace that ultimately enlightens and saves us.

We believe in the infallible and universal saving Power of grace extended to all sentient beings. We believe in Love, of which grace is an expression.

In fact, knowing that "God is Love," we worship Love. This leaves absolutely no room in our heartminds for fear, which is Love's conceptual (but not real) opposite.

The text says, "Fear and Love cannot coexist. For Love, when it has become complete, casts out fear." (1 Jn. 4:18)

*******

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

*******

"Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" is the deliberate, probably repeated, and voluntarily chosen act against Love, or the interests of Love, in our little world. So, true "repentance" must include following Love as closely as possible, through the expression of kindness, goodness, compassion, charity, generosity, patience, tolerance, inclusion, and the many other, and related, factors that constitute the expression of Love.

*******

Finding Time for Reading

*******

We truly understand what it feels like not to have had a break since the second grade!:) Btdt-- been there, did that!:) But please never forget that one can just "burn up" or "kill" time, or one can invest it. Reading a good spiritual book (and they are far fewer than most people assume) is this kind of beautiful selfinvestment; so, sometimes, we might have to "make" the time, as it does not simply fall "out of the sky into our laps," although we might often wish that it could, or would!:) If
you can devote only a couple of minutes to reading a paragraph or two a day, this would add up in time.:):)
*******


What is Spirituality?, by a franciscan taoist

Spirituality can assault us with an onslaught that seems like being washed away in Niagara Falls! There is simply so much of it! "Spiritual" writing seems to know no end, and it can be overwhelming! It can swamp and lose the mind.

So, let us try to be as simple as possible, following the "K.I.S.S." principle-- "keep it super-simple." Spirituality is not, in its core-definition, thousands of gurus, ministers, Scriptures, books, ideas, concepts, and explanations contained in thousands of libraries and bookstores. As you might suspect, it is simpler. (Many great mastersages emphasize simplicity.)

Spirituality is Love--the complex choreography of balancing Love for yourself with Love for others. The Christ mentioned this as the principle, "Love your neighbor as yourself." So, if we love our neighbor less than ourselves, we have introduced imbalance into the equation. But if we love our neighbors more than ourselves, we have also made a significant error.

The ancient mystics wrote," God is Love." So, they also solved the great mystery of "God," and made even this most complex universal Mystery simple. For if we exercise compassion, kindness, goodness, and other forms of Love-- if indeed, we worship Love as God-- we will make no significant karmic errors, and will be able to avoid all negative karmic repercussions.

For the Buddha taught that all karma arises from intention. Do we have to be "perfect" in order to create a future life completely free from all negative karma? No, we do not. The good news is that, if we act with good and pure intention, we can be karmafree. For we cannot control what will become of our words once they have gone forth into the world; but we can control our intentions. And, in a just and fair universe, we should be held responsible for only that which we can control.

So, begin right now: Do an act of Love for yourself or for another living creature. Work to make this a life-pattern, a positive habit, and you will never regret your wise decision.

*******