Posts
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The best way to "produce" spiritually is to "allow" it, not to force it. The enlightened "plays" her way through life, an acronym that stands for the methods of the Way: Permits, Lets, Allows, Yields, and Surrenders. We are all here-- were born and created-- to learn to "channel" the Holy Spirit of Love.
That having been said, however, I feel that I must be honest with you: I have read over fifty books, and have listened to hundreds of "channeling" sessions by dozens of channelers, on tape. I have even gone to see a few.
After years of careful, openminded study, in which no preconceived notions were taken, I have come to the conclusion that, in most cases, nothing extraordinary or "spectacular" is actually happening with channeling.
At times, people do allow the deeper Unconscious to speak through them. This is excellent, as God dwells as Lovemind deep in that Unconscious. But there is zero reliable, replicable, observational, or experiential (experimental) evidence that these people are in touch with extraterrestrials or extradimensionals, as those terms are defined in metaphysics.
It is very easy for cults to develop around a "channeler," and, like certain so-called "gurus," they actually encourage personal followers; that is, they encourage cultism. Many are exclusive; they have the "best" presentation of truth; or the "channeled entity" is superior to others. This attitude expresses the same desperation, gullibility, and other weaknesses as other forms of cult-thinking or cult-psychology.
What would a channeler have to do to convince me that she was really channeling a superbeing? Let's suggest an extremely simple experiment: Place the channeler on one side of the stage, and light a candle at the other; then, ask the "channeled entity" to put out the flame. Child's play!
What about extraterrestrials? Ask the "channeler" to channel the solution to a math problem in high-school physics, or to solve a problem of high-school algebra or chemistry. Would they fail? Could the average channeler even read a starmap? Could the channeler explain the thermodynamics of a rocket-engine-- very "primitive" from her elevated perspective?
It never seems to occur to "true believers" to test the channelers. But when the ancient Christian mystic said, "Test the spirits," that was very good advice. Why is a channeler never put to any kind of test, despite some absurd, extravagant claims? Perhaps channelers, or their followers, actually fear this kind of test. They must, for it has never been attempted!
More tests: Ask a superbeing to change some water to wine, or aluminum to gold. Why not? Or, if she is an ancient Egyptian soul, for example, ask her to name all the pharoahs of all the dynasties of Egypt. Again, a very simple test for a "superbeing."
Channelers are often sincere people who are "playing a role" that has selfdeluded them. Am I wrong, or skeptical, or cynical, to ask for evidence? No, for I would demand equal proof of anyone making extraordinary claims. For here is the principle: The more extraordinary the claim, the more extraordinary needs to be the evidence.
So, in the confusing case of "Abraham Hicks," I would ask for similar evidence. Ask "Abraham" questions to which the answer is not known by human beings. Do not "blah blah" about "feel good" platitudes. There is a place for these, and they can feel very good. They can be uplifting.
But channeling is an ostensible opportunity to touch dramatic and exquisite sources of wisdom and knowledge, claim the channelers. Why, then, are they so limited in material? Why, for example, do they keep repeating platitudes-- and the same ones? We are talking about infinite (unlimited) creativity and knowledge here. Indeed, many "channelers" claim to channel "Michael," the very same being, but they still disagree among themselves!
Everyone, in our secular but dull world, is subconsciously eager to touch the supernatural. They will do, or believe, just about anything to make this wonderful dream come true! That is why all cults are so popular. But another important question arises: Why has no channeler ever produced anything practical for the aid and assistance of humanity? Why have they not revealed a very simple cure for cancer, a way to live three hundred years, a car-engine the size of a walnut that runs for six months on a drop of water? Why no simple method to turn pebbles into gold? Why no simple nanotech that could revolutionize the planet?
"Abraham" is confusing because the lady is not a male, but calls herself "Abraham" (not even original), and her last name is "Hicks." So, we must ask, how did the channeled entity end up with the weird name "Abraham Hicks"? Would it be too revolutionary to suggest that "Abraham" is a subconscious reference to the Biblical father of the Jehovist religion? If so, that is already a dangerous and false path!
I have more carefully studied the "Abraham Hicks" material, and analyzed it. I listened to direct tapings for several hours, and I will send along my personal analysis. When it comes to "channeling" generally, however, I think that the average intelligent person would require more than a mere claim to believe that an otherwise ordinary woman/man is "channeling" some other entity. I would love to see the smallest particle of real evidence for this fantastic claim. As you might suspect, I am a disbeliever, not on prejudice, but because no viable, real evidence of this hallucinatory claim has ever been produced. Of course, as with the other cults, reason cannot hope to reach "true believers," who are already, not convinced by reason, but only emotionally committed. Hope that you understand that friends, unlike with cults, can diverge in opinion and still be the best of friends.:)
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Sunday, August 14, 2005
Selecting Quality Friends
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Life is largely a matter of sorting, filtering, and change. Sorting means that we must sort out, from all acquaintances and strangers, those who give us energy. Finding friends of excellence is like fishing: At the end of the day, the fisher brings in a bushel basket full of fish, and throws away those that are diseased, polluted, etc. We must also engage in continual sorting of people. Since there are six thousand million people, and no one can be "friends" with all, this is not snobbery. It is just a fact of life.
We can gently disengage ourselves, with kindness, from the people who draw or drain energy. No one has so much energy of Mind that she can afford "leaks" and drainage. So, we must gently urge to move on those who might bring consistent negativity into our lives. As you could not long tolerate a friend who took only a dollar a day out of your bank-account, even though a dollar is not much, you cannot afford persistent or consistent withdrawals from your personal energy-allotment.
You need to get clarity and detachment. So, after meditation, when you feel clear, ask yourself whether it is worth the investment of your energy to keep the relationship with Mike [pseudonym] going. You might come up with more pluses or more minuses. Write them down, and try to be objective.
If there are more pluses, increase communication. You don't want to eradicate or erase a relationship simply because you are in a bad or sad mood, or are having a bad day. But if a relationship is consistently hurting your feelings, if it feels as if you are losing selfesteem, if it is negative, or if it harms your body, mind, or heart-- and if this is regular and consistent-- you probably need gently to disengage.
If you must, be careful to do this with as much gentleness, tenderness, kindness, and courtesy as possible. You do not want to come to hate one whom you have loved.
If the situation is not quite so dark, increase honest communication. Tell Mike honestly what you want and need, and why. Tell him what he is not giving you, and why you feel this way. Do not threaten or give ultimatums, but keep it friendly.
But no matter what happens, in the end, the choice is yours.
Life is "filtration." we must continually "filter" out of our lives those objects, memories, and sometimes people who harm us. This is never easy.
At times, what seems on a late sleepless night like a major catastrophe is only a normal "bump in the road." If this is the case, no action is necessary, but to increase communications is always good. Emphasize Love, and use Love to get any message across. Far too many intimate communications take the form of attacks and defense, going nowhere fast.
The universe changes. Everything, and everyone, changes. A reading is only a kind of "photograph" representing that moment in time. It is sensed that there is still some good, some Love, in this relationship. If so, do all that you can to retrieve, repair, and maintain that. If the relationship is worth preserving, lay on the Love, and lay it on "thickly"! Try to relax and let Love flow through you; you do not have to "create" Love or "make it happen.":)
You have a clear fork in the road in front of you. Clear thought, with detachment, with the right questions, the right answers, and careful analysis of what you have and what you need, will provide your answers.
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Life is largely a matter of sorting, filtering, and change. Sorting means that we must sort out, from all acquaintances and strangers, those who give us energy. Finding friends of excellence is like fishing: At the end of the day, the fisher brings in a bushel basket full of fish, and throws away those that are diseased, polluted, etc. We must also engage in continual sorting of people. Since there are six thousand million people, and no one can be "friends" with all, this is not snobbery. It is just a fact of life.
We can gently disengage ourselves, with kindness, from the people who draw or drain energy. No one has so much energy of Mind that she can afford "leaks" and drainage. So, we must gently urge to move on those who might bring consistent negativity into our lives. As you could not long tolerate a friend who took only a dollar a day out of your bank-account, even though a dollar is not much, you cannot afford persistent or consistent withdrawals from your personal energy-allotment.
You need to get clarity and detachment. So, after meditation, when you feel clear, ask yourself whether it is worth the investment of your energy to keep the relationship with Mike [pseudonym] going. You might come up with more pluses or more minuses. Write them down, and try to be objective.
If there are more pluses, increase communication. You don't want to eradicate or erase a relationship simply because you are in a bad or sad mood, or are having a bad day. But if a relationship is consistently hurting your feelings, if it feels as if you are losing selfesteem, if it is negative, or if it harms your body, mind, or heart-- and if this is regular and consistent-- you probably need gently to disengage.
If you must, be careful to do this with as much gentleness, tenderness, kindness, and courtesy as possible. You do not want to come to hate one whom you have loved.
If the situation is not quite so dark, increase honest communication. Tell Mike honestly what you want and need, and why. Tell him what he is not giving you, and why you feel this way. Do not threaten or give ultimatums, but keep it friendly.
But no matter what happens, in the end, the choice is yours.
Life is "filtration." we must continually "filter" out of our lives those objects, memories, and sometimes people who harm us. This is never easy.
At times, what seems on a late sleepless night like a major catastrophe is only a normal "bump in the road." If this is the case, no action is necessary, but to increase communications is always good. Emphasize Love, and use Love to get any message across. Far too many intimate communications take the form of attacks and defense, going nowhere fast.
The universe changes. Everything, and everyone, changes. A reading is only a kind of "photograph" representing that moment in time. It is sensed that there is still some good, some Love, in this relationship. If so, do all that you can to retrieve, repair, and maintain that. If the relationship is worth preserving, lay on the Love, and lay it on "thickly"! Try to relax and let Love flow through you; you do not have to "create" Love or "make it happen.":)
You have a clear fork in the road in front of you. Clear thought, with detachment, with the right questions, the right answers, and careful analysis of what you have and what you need, will provide your answers.
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Sample trm's
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Here are some sample trm's (thought-replacement mechanisms; mantras) to be used in pervasive meditation:
"I am at peace,"
"I am good, and..."
"I am Love, and..."
"Gentle Kwan Yin,"
"Loving Mary,"
"Jesus Christ, and..."
"Ahmitabha" (Buddhist Lord of limitless light)
"Brahma, Brahma" (Hindu name for the Dreamer)
"I love all things"
"All is good, and..."
"All is God, and..."
and, of course, there are thousands more. Find a phrase that feels good for you, and stick with the same one for at least a year, or longer.
*******
Here are some sample trm's (thought-replacement mechanisms; mantras) to be used in pervasive meditation:
"I am at peace,"
"I am good, and..."
"I am Love, and..."
"Gentle Kwan Yin,"
"Loving Mary,"
"Jesus Christ, and..."
"Ahmitabha" (Buddhist Lord of limitless light)
"Brahma, Brahma" (Hindu name for the Dreamer)
"I love all things"
"All is good, and..."
"All is God, and..."
and, of course, there are thousands more. Find a phrase that feels good for you, and stick with the same one for at least a year, or longer.
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Monday, August 08, 2005
More on God and the Conscious Mind
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In spirituality, we always attempt to combine reason with Love to create a path that is not illogical, absurd, or unreasonable. We try to stick to the "Middle Way," the Way of moderation, in all things.
It is possible to misunderstand the message about the "nonmagical" nature of the conscious mind to say that, "You might as well not do anything, even get up in the morning, because the conscious mind is so weak." But is this interpretation reasonable? No, it clearly fails to pass that test, and so, is rejected by the moderate mystic.
The point being made in the recent uld article was that the conscious mind was not designed to create or alter matter. Of course, the conscious mind can create. It creates thoughts, ideas, visions, feelings, and a whole spectrum of other internal and mental phenomena. Again it is extreme literalism that leads to misunderstanding. It was indeed said that the "conscious mind can create nothing," but, in the context, it was referring to magical creation within the world of material things. For, notice that, in the same article, the same word was used when reference was made to the conscious mind's "creating" karma. So, yes, the conscious mind can create.
The illustration of the conscious mind's being able to change a single hair on your own head was not original. This is the challenge discussed by Jesus Christ in the Gospels. If you believe that you can select a single hair on your head, and then, change the color of that hair, I would like for you to demonstrate that ability. Please call me so that we can set up this experiment.
The extreme of renouncing all planning was not at all implied. Encouraging your kids to plan for the future is not at all anti-spiritual. Teaching them that the ego has the power to change the nature of matter is. A good example of the limitations of the conscious mind is the unfortunate hypochondriac. He goes to the library, learns all that he can, from many books, about a certain disease. He learns more than most docs. He is convinced that he has this disease. It is all that he thinks about, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. He is very upset (engaging his full emotional range). He is convinced, for years, with every fiber of his being that he has all the symptoms. So, years later, he visits a clinic. He has not a trace of the disease. If the conscious mind were totally in control, of even the most intimate bodily processes, he would certainly have the disease. But, if it is not his karma, he shows no traces.
The same works in reverse: A man who gulps vitamins, herbs, and dozens of other supplements every day, who exercises, jogs, and drinks only purified water, eating only organic vegetables and fruits, can find himself with a very serious case of biomedical illness. Again, the limits of the conscious mind are verified-- observationally, experimentally, experientially. And there are so many cases over the centuries that these limitations are also a scientific reality. One would have to be at least slightly delusional to deny all the evidence.
People embrace the "conscious mind is God" belief out of fear. They are terrified that "something bad" is going to happen to them. Instead of trusting God (Love) to lead them through the crisis, to make them wiser and stronger, they react like four-year-olds: They just do not want "anything bad" to happen to them. Wiser, more mature, adults adjust, adapt, and accommodate, rather than living in fear. Whatever the cosmos brings to them, they use it in the "lemons to lemonade" principle, and make the best out of what karma and the Unconscious have created as their world.
So, look at the world with eyes wide open! Do not quake in fear, or try to hide in a closet. Do not try to hide behind illusions. You need not flee in terror from "negative" thoughts, for example. For they cannot harm you or your friends by altering the material world. Symmetrically, positive thoughts, although better than negative, cannot always insulate you from "negative" situations.
So, instead of living in fear, try to live in courage! Accept that real problems do happen to highly spiritual and wise, kind people. Many famous mystics suffered from difficulties and challenges. But this was not because they were "spiritually inferior," or because they entertained "wrong thoughts." It was because, as the Buddha so wisely said, life consists, on earth, often, or largely, of suffering. Suffering purifies. (The root of purgatorio means "purification.") So, mystics choose courageous realism over the fantasy-based dream of controlling the cosmos
all around them. For that job has already been taken.
*******
In spirituality, we always attempt to combine reason with Love to create a path that is not illogical, absurd, or unreasonable. We try to stick to the "Middle Way," the Way of moderation, in all things.
It is possible to misunderstand the message about the "nonmagical" nature of the conscious mind to say that, "You might as well not do anything, even get up in the morning, because the conscious mind is so weak." But is this interpretation reasonable? No, it clearly fails to pass that test, and so, is rejected by the moderate mystic.
The point being made in the recent uld article was that the conscious mind was not designed to create or alter matter. Of course, the conscious mind can create. It creates thoughts, ideas, visions, feelings, and a whole spectrum of other internal and mental phenomena. Again it is extreme literalism that leads to misunderstanding. It was indeed said that the "conscious mind can create nothing," but, in the context, it was referring to magical creation within the world of material things. For, notice that, in the same article, the same word was used when reference was made to the conscious mind's "creating" karma. So, yes, the conscious mind can create.
The illustration of the conscious mind's being able to change a single hair on your own head was not original. This is the challenge discussed by Jesus Christ in the Gospels. If you believe that you can select a single hair on your head, and then, change the color of that hair, I would like for you to demonstrate that ability. Please call me so that we can set up this experiment.
The extreme of renouncing all planning was not at all implied. Encouraging your kids to plan for the future is not at all anti-spiritual. Teaching them that the ego has the power to change the nature of matter is. A good example of the limitations of the conscious mind is the unfortunate hypochondriac. He goes to the library, learns all that he can, from many books, about a certain disease. He learns more than most docs. He is convinced that he has this disease. It is all that he thinks about, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. He is very upset (engaging his full emotional range). He is convinced, for years, with every fiber of his being that he has all the symptoms. So, years later, he visits a clinic. He has not a trace of the disease. If the conscious mind were totally in control, of even the most intimate bodily processes, he would certainly have the disease. But, if it is not his karma, he shows no traces.
The same works in reverse: A man who gulps vitamins, herbs, and dozens of other supplements every day, who exercises, jogs, and drinks only purified water, eating only organic vegetables and fruits, can find himself with a very serious case of biomedical illness. Again, the limits of the conscious mind are verified-- observationally, experimentally, experientially. And there are so many cases over the centuries that these limitations are also a scientific reality. One would have to be at least slightly delusional to deny all the evidence.
People embrace the "conscious mind is God" belief out of fear. They are terrified that "something bad" is going to happen to them. Instead of trusting God (Love) to lead them through the crisis, to make them wiser and stronger, they react like four-year-olds: They just do not want "anything bad" to happen to them. Wiser, more mature, adults adjust, adapt, and accommodate, rather than living in fear. Whatever the cosmos brings to them, they use it in the "lemons to lemonade" principle, and make the best out of what karma and the Unconscious have created as their world.
So, look at the world with eyes wide open! Do not quake in fear, or try to hide in a closet. Do not try to hide behind illusions. You need not flee in terror from "negative" thoughts, for example. For they cannot harm you or your friends by altering the material world. Symmetrically, positive thoughts, although better than negative, cannot always insulate you from "negative" situations.
So, instead of living in fear, try to live in courage! Accept that real problems do happen to highly spiritual and wise, kind people. Many famous mystics suffered from difficulties and challenges. But this was not because they were "spiritually inferior," or because they entertained "wrong thoughts." It was because, as the Buddha so wisely said, life consists, on earth, often, or largely, of suffering. Suffering purifies. (The root of purgatorio means "purification.") So, mystics choose courageous realism over the fantasy-based dream of controlling the cosmos
all around them. For that job has already been taken.
*******
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Teflonmind
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Teflonmind is the endstate of a practice called "pervasive meditation." It is a state of detachment that includes Love, and so, is detachment with concern, compassion, and Love.
It gets its name because it allows negativity to "slip" or "slide" from the mind's surface, making of the clear mind a "nonstick surface." Selected negativities are allowed simply to flow off and away from your mind. This keeps your mind brighter, clearer, and cleaner. Like a mirror turned towards the bright Light of Love to reflect Light into the world, Teflonmind shines streak-fre, clear of all grime, dirt, dust, grease, and other contaminants. These include hatred, rage, violence, anger, irritation, annoyance, and related "dark areas."
But does the process of pervasive meditation work for everyone all the time? It is impossible to say that it does, since not everyone has tried it all the time! But, just for the record, and to highlight a fact mentioned in a recent Pneumarium family-gathering, no, Teflonmind, and the pervasive meditation that leads to it, do not work at all times for all people.
This is only reasonable. For nothing-- no practice, no chemical, no radiation, no environmental factor, no psychological factor, no biochemical factor-- works the same for all people at all times. So, pervasive meditation will probably work for you, if you try it, and stay with it. But, it also might not. Some who claim that "it doesn't work for me" might not have given it sufficient time. Or, there might exist a biochemical or neural structure that simply does not synergize with the process. Or, there might be other reasons. At any rate, just to keep the record clear, I have never claimed, and do not now claim or defend, that the process works for all people all the time.
But, try it! You'll like it!
*******
Teflonmind is the endstate of a practice called "pervasive meditation." It is a state of detachment that includes Love, and so, is detachment with concern, compassion, and Love.
It gets its name because it allows negativity to "slip" or "slide" from the mind's surface, making of the clear mind a "nonstick surface." Selected negativities are allowed simply to flow off and away from your mind. This keeps your mind brighter, clearer, and cleaner. Like a mirror turned towards the bright Light of Love to reflect Light into the world, Teflonmind shines streak-fre, clear of all grime, dirt, dust, grease, and other contaminants. These include hatred, rage, violence, anger, irritation, annoyance, and related "dark areas."
But does the process of pervasive meditation work for everyone all the time? It is impossible to say that it does, since not everyone has tried it all the time! But, just for the record, and to highlight a fact mentioned in a recent Pneumarium family-gathering, no, Teflonmind, and the pervasive meditation that leads to it, do not work at all times for all people.
This is only reasonable. For nothing-- no practice, no chemical, no radiation, no environmental factor, no psychological factor, no biochemical factor-- works the same for all people at all times. So, pervasive meditation will probably work for you, if you try it, and stay with it. But, it also might not. Some who claim that "it doesn't work for me" might not have given it sufficient time. Or, there might exist a biochemical or neural structure that simply does not synergize with the process. Or, there might be other reasons. At any rate, just to keep the record clear, I have never claimed, and do not now claim or defend, that the process works for all people all the time.
But, try it! You'll like it!
*******
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Christian Science and World-control
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In the United States, in the 1870's, there was a minor explosion of religious cults. Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Theosophy, and other borderline religious microminorities got started during this time.
Christian Science was started by a woman named Mary Eddy. She had always been a rather sickly woman, and so, was always subconsciously scanning the world for healing-methods. One day, while reading the Christian Scriptures ("New Testament"), she imagined herself to be the recipient of a brand-new "revelation." Her "great" revelation was that sickness existed only because people believed in it!
Christian Science became the "mother" of later spin-off groups such as Unity. They often make the same mistake that Eddy made. This error is very alluring and attractive. It takes the great truth that the cosmos is Mind-created, and twists it into the illusion that the world is created by the conscious mind.
The truth is, the world is dreamed up by a very deep, and collective, level of the Unconscious Mind. The conscious mind exists to study, understand, and know the world; it makes decisions that create karma. But the conscious mind-- the part of the mind of which we are aware-- was never designed to create. It has no creative power in the world. At times, it can affect the brainbody system, but even here, its power is limited. It neither creates, nor controls creation.
Here's an experiment: Try, with all your might, to change the color of one single hair on your own head. Under normal circumstances, simply changing the color of a tiny hair, on your own head, is quite beyond the "power" of the conscious mind. Why? For all practical purposes, all the Power, creative or otherwise, lies in the Unconscious, often very deeply. The conscious mind is left with zero creative "power."
But it is much more "sexy" or exciting to believe that you consciously control the world. If you just say the right affirmations, prayers, or formulas, you can do, oryou can have, anything! But the conscious mind, being only a choice-maker or decision-maker, is remarkably feeble when it tries to control the world.
Psychologists say that, when very young (before age five), we all start out in a state of mind called "magical thinking." That is the illusion that our conscious thoughts change the world. Most healthy people outgrow this by age ten or so. But some do not.
Is believing in this being "childlike," as Jesus recommended? No, for in his original teaching, Jesus said that we must be like a "nursing infant." ("Little child" is a mistranslation.) So, to be like a "nursing infant," we must live totally without control. This is the life of pure faith or trust. The nursing infant is at total peace, for she does not try to control things or events. To return to this state of non-control is the very opposite of the "conscious mind is God" illusion!
Throughout the centuries, none of the enlightened masters, teachers, sages, or luminaries ever taught that the conscious mind controlled the world. And they were far from ignorant; they did not teach it because it is an untruth.
It is terrifying to face the realistic fact that we are helpless-- unless we cultivate a deep trust (like the infant with its mother) in the Power (Tao) that does regulate the cosmos and everything in it. Then, returning to trust, we can return to peace. In the West, this is the special state of mind called "faith." Faith-- not control-- is the goal of wisdom, of enlightenment.
*******
In the United States, in the 1870's, there was a minor explosion of religious cults. Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Theosophy, and other borderline religious microminorities got started during this time.
Christian Science was started by a woman named Mary Eddy. She had always been a rather sickly woman, and so, was always subconsciously scanning the world for healing-methods. One day, while reading the Christian Scriptures ("New Testament"), she imagined herself to be the recipient of a brand-new "revelation." Her "great" revelation was that sickness existed only because people believed in it!
Christian Science became the "mother" of later spin-off groups such as Unity. They often make the same mistake that Eddy made. This error is very alluring and attractive. It takes the great truth that the cosmos is Mind-created, and twists it into the illusion that the world is created by the conscious mind.
The truth is, the world is dreamed up by a very deep, and collective, level of the Unconscious Mind. The conscious mind exists to study, understand, and know the world; it makes decisions that create karma. But the conscious mind-- the part of the mind of which we are aware-- was never designed to create. It has no creative power in the world. At times, it can affect the brainbody system, but even here, its power is limited. It neither creates, nor controls creation.
Here's an experiment: Try, with all your might, to change the color of one single hair on your own head. Under normal circumstances, simply changing the color of a tiny hair, on your own head, is quite beyond the "power" of the conscious mind. Why? For all practical purposes, all the Power, creative or otherwise, lies in the Unconscious, often very deeply. The conscious mind is left with zero creative "power."
But it is much more "sexy" or exciting to believe that you consciously control the world. If you just say the right affirmations, prayers, or formulas, you can do, oryou can have, anything! But the conscious mind, being only a choice-maker or decision-maker, is remarkably feeble when it tries to control the world.
Psychologists say that, when very young (before age five), we all start out in a state of mind called "magical thinking." That is the illusion that our conscious thoughts change the world. Most healthy people outgrow this by age ten or so. But some do not.
Is believing in this being "childlike," as Jesus recommended? No, for in his original teaching, Jesus said that we must be like a "nursing infant." ("Little child" is a mistranslation.) So, to be like a "nursing infant," we must live totally without control. This is the life of pure faith or trust. The nursing infant is at total peace, for she does not try to control things or events. To return to this state of non-control is the very opposite of the "conscious mind is God" illusion!
Throughout the centuries, none of the enlightened masters, teachers, sages, or luminaries ever taught that the conscious mind controlled the world. And they were far from ignorant; they did not teach it because it is an untruth.
It is terrifying to face the realistic fact that we are helpless-- unless we cultivate a deep trust (like the infant with its mother) in the Power (Tao) that does regulate the cosmos and everything in it. Then, returning to trust, we can return to peace. In the West, this is the special state of mind called "faith." Faith-- not control-- is the goal of wisdom, of enlightenment.
*******
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Spiritual Solutions
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Happily, spirituality is usually very practical. So, it provides the answers, or at least, guides to the answers, to many of life's everyday problems and challenges. If you follow Love and compassion, you are clearly growing fast, and in the right direction!
But Love and overdependence are incompatible, and cannot long share the same "bed" in the mind. All they want to do is fight, conflict, and engage in other antilibran activities. So, you are especially wise to decide to rid your life, as much as possible, of the unhealthy "stickymind" dependence, and replace it with Love. Too much "Velcromind" diverts both energy and attention, and selfimprovement is postponed, or even neutralized.
Your decision to exist in only the "eternal now" is very spiritually refreshing, and can strengthen and empower you tremendously, to face anything with Power. That is enormously wise, so congratulations on an "inside job" well done!
People are often forced to cultivate a special and deep trust of friends. This is good, as trust is implicit in most, but not all, Love. Why is trust not enfolded in all Love? Because "Love" must be given to all, but it is unwise to give trust to all. The enlightened are not naive fools, and so, do not trust everybody. Unlike Love, trust is like respect:
Both must be earned.
You might be reading too much into Carol's [pseudonym] visit to another state. It is by no means certain that she is capable of true Love, which is unconditional. For that finest quality has been so often eclipsed. It is not, of course, that she cannot allow Love; but she refuses voluntarily and consciously to do so. She seems to live in "survival mode," as if under continuous assault, and that cannot be comfortable! Inside her head is not a nice place! The ultimate "punishment" or "reward" of this life is that we all must "come home" to living within our own minds! That can be the lovely "Garden of Eden" in the heart, or it can be hell!
Human beings are too complex to reduce complex interactions such as Love to mere "blood" or biology. If people try to do this, they end up with several distortions that twist the Love into something else, often something repellant, such as subtle selfishness.
So, upon returning to you, she did not abandon an idyllic "world of Love." For she has as many internal conflicts with her relatives as she does with you. It is her purpose to paint an idealistic ppicture of them in order to make you feel "less than," or guilty. Do not fall for this shallow ruse!
Yes, my friend, you must be careful that the ego does not abuse "self-anallysis" simply to create guilt. Guilt is an unproductive form of fear, and ego can always be recognized because it uses fear. Spirit can be recognized by the presence of cleansing, forgiving and selforgiving Love. So, abandon too much, or too microscopic, a selfanalysis. When you do your best, accept it, and even congratulate yourself. This is not to create arrogance, strengthening ego, but a boost in selfesteem, which is healthy and spiritual. For the Way of Love is not one of continuous selfdemand or humorless "grit your teeth and bear it." It is a path of gentle reminders, gentle improvements, and tender, Lovebased selfcorrections. So, relax and try to allow the Spirit of Love to take over in your heart. Do not demand too much of yourself. Just always do your honest best. For the Spirit lures us with rainbows and moonlight; it does not drive us with bull-whips!
Yes, we all have to carry around, like baggage, the lower or human nature, the part of our mind that is human. Still, it is healthy to bear in mind that this is not our "enemy," but our teacher; so, it is our friend, in the longrun.
Teaching and learning opportunities are always arising in our lives. If we can see them for the "exams" or "lessons" of the school of life, this will grant the detachment necessary to take and pass the tests. The cosmos does not demand that you explain, in detail, your every move or everythought. You do not "owe" this to anyone, unless your deep Mind directs otherwise. You are not a child, and your friend not a strict, controlling teacher demanding your latest "book report" on the biography of your life. You are not obligated by Love to "report" to anyone. Love obligates you to show only kindness and compassion.
At times, these can be expressed by words, whose quality can approach the artistic and poetic. But at times, Love can call upon us NOT to speak or write, or at least, not to over-write. The "kiss" principle applies here-- keep it super simple." So, always speak and write the words of Love, but leave room also for the silence of Love.
It is a great fantasy that words can solve any human problem, if clear, wise, loving, and gentle. But this is only a fine illusion; for words can also complexify an issue, leading to defensiveness on both sides, and to increased misunderstanding. Too often, the result is a "war of words," in which each participant thinks, "I can win this war." But in verbal warfare, as in the monstrous physical war, there are never any winners. The real winner is she who refuses to play this destructive game.
But writing out our thoughts can be very personally therapeutic. Writing a clear letter can also help, even if it is not sent. For it can lead to greater selfunderstanding, and that is spiritual progress.
Words are no longer "solutions" when they become the "problem." So, if words create rather than resist confusion, misunderstanding, or negative feelings, they are not the right tool. All human problems are simply not amenable to word-solutions. That is simply an ideal, not always a reality. So, there is an appropriate time for words, and one for silence.
*******
Happily, spirituality is usually very practical. So, it provides the answers, or at least, guides to the answers, to many of life's everyday problems and challenges. If you follow Love and compassion, you are clearly growing fast, and in the right direction!
But Love and overdependence are incompatible, and cannot long share the same "bed" in the mind. All they want to do is fight, conflict, and engage in other antilibran activities. So, you are especially wise to decide to rid your life, as much as possible, of the unhealthy "stickymind" dependence, and replace it with Love. Too much "Velcromind" diverts both energy and attention, and selfimprovement is postponed, or even neutralized.
Your decision to exist in only the "eternal now" is very spiritually refreshing, and can strengthen and empower you tremendously, to face anything with Power. That is enormously wise, so congratulations on an "inside job" well done!
People are often forced to cultivate a special and deep trust of friends. This is good, as trust is implicit in most, but not all, Love. Why is trust not enfolded in all Love? Because "Love" must be given to all, but it is unwise to give trust to all. The enlightened are not naive fools, and so, do not trust everybody. Unlike Love, trust is like respect:
Both must be earned.
You might be reading too much into Carol's [pseudonym] visit to another state. It is by no means certain that she is capable of true Love, which is unconditional. For that finest quality has been so often eclipsed. It is not, of course, that she cannot allow Love; but she refuses voluntarily and consciously to do so. She seems to live in "survival mode," as if under continuous assault, and that cannot be comfortable! Inside her head is not a nice place! The ultimate "punishment" or "reward" of this life is that we all must "come home" to living within our own minds! That can be the lovely "Garden of Eden" in the heart, or it can be hell!
Human beings are too complex to reduce complex interactions such as Love to mere "blood" or biology. If people try to do this, they end up with several distortions that twist the Love into something else, often something repellant, such as subtle selfishness.
So, upon returning to you, she did not abandon an idyllic "world of Love." For she has as many internal conflicts with her relatives as she does with you. It is her purpose to paint an idealistic ppicture of them in order to make you feel "less than," or guilty. Do not fall for this shallow ruse!
Yes, my friend, you must be careful that the ego does not abuse "self-anallysis" simply to create guilt. Guilt is an unproductive form of fear, and ego can always be recognized because it uses fear. Spirit can be recognized by the presence of cleansing, forgiving and selforgiving Love. So, abandon too much, or too microscopic, a selfanalysis. When you do your best, accept it, and even congratulate yourself. This is not to create arrogance, strengthening ego, but a boost in selfesteem, which is healthy and spiritual. For the Way of Love is not one of continuous selfdemand or humorless "grit your teeth and bear it." It is a path of gentle reminders, gentle improvements, and tender, Lovebased selfcorrections. So, relax and try to allow the Spirit of Love to take over in your heart. Do not demand too much of yourself. Just always do your honest best. For the Spirit lures us with rainbows and moonlight; it does not drive us with bull-whips!
Yes, we all have to carry around, like baggage, the lower or human nature, the part of our mind that is human. Still, it is healthy to bear in mind that this is not our "enemy," but our teacher; so, it is our friend, in the longrun.
Teaching and learning opportunities are always arising in our lives. If we can see them for the "exams" or "lessons" of the school of life, this will grant the detachment necessary to take and pass the tests. The cosmos does not demand that you explain, in detail, your every move or everythought. You do not "owe" this to anyone, unless your deep Mind directs otherwise. You are not a child, and your friend not a strict, controlling teacher demanding your latest "book report" on the biography of your life. You are not obligated by Love to "report" to anyone. Love obligates you to show only kindness and compassion.
At times, these can be expressed by words, whose quality can approach the artistic and poetic. But at times, Love can call upon us NOT to speak or write, or at least, not to over-write. The "kiss" principle applies here-- keep it super simple." So, always speak and write the words of Love, but leave room also for the silence of Love.
It is a great fantasy that words can solve any human problem, if clear, wise, loving, and gentle. But this is only a fine illusion; for words can also complexify an issue, leading to defensiveness on both sides, and to increased misunderstanding. Too often, the result is a "war of words," in which each participant thinks, "I can win this war." But in verbal warfare, as in the monstrous physical war, there are never any winners. The real winner is she who refuses to play this destructive game.
But writing out our thoughts can be very personally therapeutic. Writing a clear letter can also help, even if it is not sent. For it can lead to greater selfunderstanding, and that is spiritual progress.
Words are no longer "solutions" when they become the "problem." So, if words create rather than resist confusion, misunderstanding, or negative feelings, they are not the right tool. All human problems are simply not amenable to word-solutions. That is simply an ideal, not always a reality. So, there is an appropriate time for words, and one for silence.
*******
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Science Under Seige
Read this excellent article by Tim Montague.
On this issue, many materials are available at the The Union of Concerned Scientists site.
An ill wind is gusting through the halls of science these days: faked research, suppression of unwelcome results, corruption of science advisory panels, university research falling under the influence of corporate sponsors, and many other conflicts of interest. More...
On this issue, many materials are available at the The Union of Concerned Scientists site.
Bucks, Crooks, and Honesty
*******
When greed becomes the only evaluative criterion of measuring or interpreting data, the sick and slick misuse of science becomes inevitable. The current administration favors corporate profits over human life. If this is doubted, just check with any of the friends or relatives of the 112,000 Iraqis murdered, or of the 1,800 American girls and boys fed into the corporate meatgrinder of the warmachine.
The gov is so hellishly greedy that it has not hesitated to reverse and neutralize laws necessary to preserve life itself. It is so foolish, so blinded by greed, that it will sacrifice not only our own lives, the lives of American girls and boys, the lives of others, but all life forever on earth. For uncontrolled pollution can make all future life on planet earth impossible. But, they claim, it is worth it, for a few immediate bucks in obscene profits. The gov is owned, in real ways, by many corporations. Isn't that the very definition of "fascism"?
Pres bush is in the back pocket of more corporations, and of more corporate execs, than he can count. (The fact that he can count to only six does not help!:) We need to use every aspect of the voice of the people to counteract the mindless and boundless greed that has taken over the minds of leaders. All this has been accomplished by corporate money. Bribery is pervasive, although it has other, nicer, names. A gove run by money without morality is a danger to every one of its citizens. It also poses a danger to the planet itself.
Money supports every form of immorality and obscenity. As the Christian mystic reminds us, "The Love of money is a root of all evil." And "all evil" has sprouted in the dark, evil minds of greedy men and women who have taken illicit control of the gov, and want the entire world!
It should be especially awakening to realize that science, and scientific research and its results, are compromised, altered, faked, and bigoted by economic considerations. Without good, detached, reliable science, all the laws of the past thirty years regarding ecology would never have been passed. Moneymongers, like warmongers, want to return the world to the feudal systems of the prescientific world. Why? Because an ignorant populace is easier to control. Hitler and other idiots historically abused or distorted "science" to support racial and other bigotries. Today's American corporations are walking in the very footsteps of the nazis, and so are leaders of the gov. No one can believe the gov anymore, and no one can respect a gov that cannot be believed. We have been lied to once too often. The gov has earned only our firm distrust.
A man who will do anything to gain money or power cannot be trusted with anything. For everything is consumed by the nightmarish dragon of his greed. He has no moral fiber, and has lost all moral strength and viability. When he talks, people laugh-- and cry-- but never listen. He has lost all credibility.
Liars and fakes have well earned the mistrust of everyone. The most corrupt are the strongest, at least, in our society. Their goal is to rule, not just the world, but the entire cosmos; they want science itself to bend to their will. And if it does not, they will pretend that it does, and simply fake the science. When millions of bucks are involved, the most honorable scientist can discover that she has a price, that she can be "bought." Buying science, like buying scientists, is a dangerous occupation, and leads to lies that are lethal to children, older people, sick people, and, in the end, to every one of us. No one can escape bad science, for corporate and national policies can arise from it. And this is doubly so if the leaders are already corrupt, have proved that they can be bought or controlled if the price is right.
Those who choose not to regulate their own behavior must be regulated forcefully by society. This applies as much to the corporate or political fool as it does to the dangerous rapist. We must form balanced and compassionate, moderate laws, and then, enforce them. No criminal can ever be trusted to regulate her/his own behavior. Criminals by nature and definition are harmful to others because they do not give a care about them, even if they are rulers of entire countries. Criminals who lie openly, and who build political careers on lies, are more dangerous than anyone else. Only exposing publicly their actions, and expressing our disgust with them, will make any kind of positive changes in our society.
We dare not be neutral about such antihuman actions and policies. And we must, as reasonable, compassionate people, never find ourselves mired in the same moral quicksand as the criminals. We must not waste timenergy defending them, but must expose them and their lies and other corruptions, unmasking greed. For, like fungus, greed thrives in darkness, and grows in dark hearts. Sunlight is the ultimate sanitizer.
*******
When greed becomes the only evaluative criterion of measuring or interpreting data, the sick and slick misuse of science becomes inevitable. The current administration favors corporate profits over human life. If this is doubted, just check with any of the friends or relatives of the 112,000 Iraqis murdered, or of the 1,800 American girls and boys fed into the corporate meatgrinder of the warmachine.
The gov is so hellishly greedy that it has not hesitated to reverse and neutralize laws necessary to preserve life itself. It is so foolish, so blinded by greed, that it will sacrifice not only our own lives, the lives of American girls and boys, the lives of others, but all life forever on earth. For uncontrolled pollution can make all future life on planet earth impossible. But, they claim, it is worth it, for a few immediate bucks in obscene profits. The gov is owned, in real ways, by many corporations. Isn't that the very definition of "fascism"?
Pres bush is in the back pocket of more corporations, and of more corporate execs, than he can count. (The fact that he can count to only six does not help!:) We need to use every aspect of the voice of the people to counteract the mindless and boundless greed that has taken over the minds of leaders. All this has been accomplished by corporate money. Bribery is pervasive, although it has other, nicer, names. A gove run by money without morality is a danger to every one of its citizens. It also poses a danger to the planet itself.
Money supports every form of immorality and obscenity. As the Christian mystic reminds us, "The Love of money is a root of all evil." And "all evil" has sprouted in the dark, evil minds of greedy men and women who have taken illicit control of the gov, and want the entire world!
It should be especially awakening to realize that science, and scientific research and its results, are compromised, altered, faked, and bigoted by economic considerations. Without good, detached, reliable science, all the laws of the past thirty years regarding ecology would never have been passed. Moneymongers, like warmongers, want to return the world to the feudal systems of the prescientific world. Why? Because an ignorant populace is easier to control. Hitler and other idiots historically abused or distorted "science" to support racial and other bigotries. Today's American corporations are walking in the very footsteps of the nazis, and so are leaders of the gov. No one can believe the gov anymore, and no one can respect a gov that cannot be believed. We have been lied to once too often. The gov has earned only our firm distrust.
A man who will do anything to gain money or power cannot be trusted with anything. For everything is consumed by the nightmarish dragon of his greed. He has no moral fiber, and has lost all moral strength and viability. When he talks, people laugh-- and cry-- but never listen. He has lost all credibility.
Liars and fakes have well earned the mistrust of everyone. The most corrupt are the strongest, at least, in our society. Their goal is to rule, not just the world, but the entire cosmos; they want science itself to bend to their will. And if it does not, they will pretend that it does, and simply fake the science. When millions of bucks are involved, the most honorable scientist can discover that she has a price, that she can be "bought." Buying science, like buying scientists, is a dangerous occupation, and leads to lies that are lethal to children, older people, sick people, and, in the end, to every one of us. No one can escape bad science, for corporate and national policies can arise from it. And this is doubly so if the leaders are already corrupt, have proved that they can be bought or controlled if the price is right.
Those who choose not to regulate their own behavior must be regulated forcefully by society. This applies as much to the corporate or political fool as it does to the dangerous rapist. We must form balanced and compassionate, moderate laws, and then, enforce them. No criminal can ever be trusted to regulate her/his own behavior. Criminals by nature and definition are harmful to others because they do not give a care about them, even if they are rulers of entire countries. Criminals who lie openly, and who build political careers on lies, are more dangerous than anyone else. Only exposing publicly their actions, and expressing our disgust with them, will make any kind of positive changes in our society.
We dare not be neutral about such antihuman actions and policies. And we must, as reasonable, compassionate people, never find ourselves mired in the same moral quicksand as the criminals. We must not waste timenergy defending them, but must expose them and their lies and other corruptions, unmasking greed. For, like fungus, greed thrives in darkness, and grows in dark hearts. Sunlight is the ultimate sanitizer.
*******
World as Dream
*******
The idea of "world as dream" goes way back to the first among mystics, the Hindu and pre-Hindu culture of about four thousand years ago. But if we think that this has anything at all to do with "control," we have seriously misunderstood the entirety of the mystical Way. It has nothing at all to do with control, and nothing to do with "tricks," such as the violation of the laws of science or nature.
One goal of the mystic is completely to let go of all control, and all desire to control, and thus, to become a clear empty vessel, or instrument, for the cosmic Mind, the Dreamer of the cosmos. This is what the state of stillness, introduced to the mystic in meditation, is all about.
An illustration of this is the computer keyboard-- an apt miniparable because one sits so often on the lap, as now.:) If a keyboard had its own message or words that it "wanted" to write, it would be useless. You could not even use it, for, while you wanted too key in your thoughts, it would be over-riding your words with words of its own. It would be like the person who, in spiritual regression or illness, wants to cultivate control, or the desire to control. The mystic sees this as a serious spiritual illness, for it stands as an obstacle to, and resists, relaxation into the Flow of purest, deepest Mind.
What, then, is the desire to control? It can be expressed as fear (lack of faith), which is always spiritually unhealthy, or as overdeveloped hyperegotism, in which we believe that "If I don't do it, no one will." In both cases, we distrust the Power behind the cosmos; we distrust and mistrust God, the Dreamer at the Core of all Mind. We actually arrogate unto ourselves the mission of controlling the cosmos, and actually want to do this, so great is our fear. But we possess neither the Power nor the wisdom nor the right to do this. It is not in our "job-description." It is comparable to an ant with the delusion that it controls a large freight-train, or to an ameba believing that it controls a large corporation.
The mystic lives in the same "scary" cosmos as everyone else, of course, but she makes a startling choice: Faith. She decides to relax and allow the deepest Mind to regulate and control everything, as It does anyway. It does not need our "permission" to guide the cosmos. We simply need to awaken to the fact (reality) that It already does so. This brings us to the state of deep trust, totally relaxed, comparable to the nursing infant's trust of its mother, as Jesus illustrated. In time, it can bring us to the peak of the mystical life-- the life of true naturalness, worry-free and fear-free existence, as again illustrated by Jesus in his use of birds and flowers as models.
When we relax and "flogo," or cooperate with this Mindpower, we change only ourselves, creating great inner harmony and tranquility. We also stop expending (wasting) huge quantities of forcenergy, in trying to force, control, or bend the cosmos. As Jesus reminds us, you cannot change a single hair from black to white, or vice-versa. Again, this is not your job. The call to mysticism is not a call to magic.
Knowing the nature of cosmos as dream does not allow the mystic to "create" or even to experience "miracles," as can be quite common in nightdreams. No, she cannot fly or walk through walls. Even some of the most stunning legends, including those of Jesus, have likely been exaggerated and expanded over the centuries; and they were very probably allegorical, to begin with. So, although Jesus makes a great model for the mystic, he is generally regarded, realistically, as a model of peace and Love, not a practical model of some kind of trivial trickster or magician-- as the average person so often misinterprets him.
Why? Because the crowd is impressed by Power and control, the mystic by only Love, goodness, and tranquility. So, here, the mystic is more "practical" than average.
While you can fly in your nightdreams, for example, it is also possible to dream that you cannot fly. But the fact that you cannot fly in a dream does not "disprove" that it is a dream. Similarly, there is no way to "disprove" that everyday life is also a dream.
But this negative also does not prove that life is a dream. Still, everyone, including all who think the world absolutely "real," knows that life is a series of events within the Mind. So, the mystic simply logically extrapolates from this selfevident fact to say that the entire cosmos is a similar Mindevent, or "dream."
But the waking world is much more complex, in some ways, than a nightdream. For it is collective or consensual. It arises from a much deeper level of Mind-- the collective. This, in turn, is rooted in the deepest, called "Coremind," "Lovemind," "Dreamer," "Spirit," or "God." A mystical name for God is "Creator," but also, "Dreamer." (The two are synonymous.) Over the centuries, human beings have worked very carefully and diligently, in the minutest detail, to create the "scientific paradigm." This has set some mind-limits on the dream that are greater than anyone's personal or individual will. This has created the immense, vast, gigantic force called "scientific consensuality." We can sometimes step outside of its boundaries, but only when and if that is the will of the Coremind. And this can occur only within a very rare state of Mind.
In the "world as dream" paradigm, the mystic can easily believe in "miracles," so her world is much more flexible, or Mind-responsive, than the world of "separate matter," or that of the materialist. Although miracles are exceedingly rare, in the "world as dream" paradigm, anything at all is possible!
What "practical" good is the realization of the world as dream? If you are seeking control, the news is not good. As noted, it does not increase personal control by a nanoparticle. But if you are seeking understanding, it changes the very origin and nature of reality. For the mystic realizes that all "Reality" is Mind. In other words, God is Mind is Reality. (The ancients used the word "truth" to mean "reality.") So, Mind is all that exists. It is forever. Being part of It, you are also forever. Since It is also Love, then Love regulates the entire cosmos through karma, forgiveness, and other principles.
Thus, the "world as dream" is a philosophic tool for understanding, not an instrument of control. A practical example occurred in this life in 1997, when the author's home was flooded. Although the crisis could have taken over the entire mind and thrown one into panic-- the response of the lower nature of ignorance-- it was realized at the time, "None of this is real." That became a source of greater Power and endurance. It led to "transcendence," a state of great tranquility that was literally "above" the fray and chaos. In this state, the mind can remain relatively untroubled during even crises. So, the "world as dream" paradigm serves as a psychological and practical, as well as a philosophic and abstract, tool in the mystic's "interior toolkit."
It leads to the realization (awakening to) the fact that only Mind, only Lovemind, is real. This reinforces trust (faith) in that Lovemind, which increases tranquility and personal Love for others.
Is the "world as dream" paradigm necessary for enlightenment? Yes, for it represents Reality. But is it necessary for the practice of Love? Not at all. So, despite the fact that all masters, teachers, sages, and luminnaries have accepted this paradigm as an alternative to dead and dull materialism, it is not necessary for you to believe it to live the fullest, richest practical life. Although it explains a wide spectrum of philosophic and moral issues, it is possible to love even in its absence. This is what might be called "ignorant goodness." God calls all people, even the ignorant, to Love. And that is very good indeed, for we are all ignorant-- some simply more, and some less.
As we do the personal dance with the cosmos, any tool that aids in the discovery of tranquility and Love is welcome. So, the explanation of "world as dream" is welcomed by the enlightened as a refreshing and liberating realization.
*******
The idea of "world as dream" goes way back to the first among mystics, the Hindu and pre-Hindu culture of about four thousand years ago. But if we think that this has anything at all to do with "control," we have seriously misunderstood the entirety of the mystical Way. It has nothing at all to do with control, and nothing to do with "tricks," such as the violation of the laws of science or nature.
One goal of the mystic is completely to let go of all control, and all desire to control, and thus, to become a clear empty vessel, or instrument, for the cosmic Mind, the Dreamer of the cosmos. This is what the state of stillness, introduced to the mystic in meditation, is all about.
An illustration of this is the computer keyboard-- an apt miniparable because one sits so often on the lap, as now.:) If a keyboard had its own message or words that it "wanted" to write, it would be useless. You could not even use it, for, while you wanted too key in your thoughts, it would be over-riding your words with words of its own. It would be like the person who, in spiritual regression or illness, wants to cultivate control, or the desire to control. The mystic sees this as a serious spiritual illness, for it stands as an obstacle to, and resists, relaxation into the Flow of purest, deepest Mind.
What, then, is the desire to control? It can be expressed as fear (lack of faith), which is always spiritually unhealthy, or as overdeveloped hyperegotism, in which we believe that "If I don't do it, no one will." In both cases, we distrust the Power behind the cosmos; we distrust and mistrust God, the Dreamer at the Core of all Mind. We actually arrogate unto ourselves the mission of controlling the cosmos, and actually want to do this, so great is our fear. But we possess neither the Power nor the wisdom nor the right to do this. It is not in our "job-description." It is comparable to an ant with the delusion that it controls a large freight-train, or to an ameba believing that it controls a large corporation.
The mystic lives in the same "scary" cosmos as everyone else, of course, but she makes a startling choice: Faith. She decides to relax and allow the deepest Mind to regulate and control everything, as It does anyway. It does not need our "permission" to guide the cosmos. We simply need to awaken to the fact (reality) that It already does so. This brings us to the state of deep trust, totally relaxed, comparable to the nursing infant's trust of its mother, as Jesus illustrated. In time, it can bring us to the peak of the mystical life-- the life of true naturalness, worry-free and fear-free existence, as again illustrated by Jesus in his use of birds and flowers as models.
When we relax and "flogo," or cooperate with this Mindpower, we change only ourselves, creating great inner harmony and tranquility. We also stop expending (wasting) huge quantities of forcenergy, in trying to force, control, or bend the cosmos. As Jesus reminds us, you cannot change a single hair from black to white, or vice-versa. Again, this is not your job. The call to mysticism is not a call to magic.
Knowing the nature of cosmos as dream does not allow the mystic to "create" or even to experience "miracles," as can be quite common in nightdreams. No, she cannot fly or walk through walls. Even some of the most stunning legends, including those of Jesus, have likely been exaggerated and expanded over the centuries; and they were very probably allegorical, to begin with. So, although Jesus makes a great model for the mystic, he is generally regarded, realistically, as a model of peace and Love, not a practical model of some kind of trivial trickster or magician-- as the average person so often misinterprets him.
Why? Because the crowd is impressed by Power and control, the mystic by only Love, goodness, and tranquility. So, here, the mystic is more "practical" than average.
While you can fly in your nightdreams, for example, it is also possible to dream that you cannot fly. But the fact that you cannot fly in a dream does not "disprove" that it is a dream. Similarly, there is no way to "disprove" that everyday life is also a dream.
But this negative also does not prove that life is a dream. Still, everyone, including all who think the world absolutely "real," knows that life is a series of events within the Mind. So, the mystic simply logically extrapolates from this selfevident fact to say that the entire cosmos is a similar Mindevent, or "dream."
But the waking world is much more complex, in some ways, than a nightdream. For it is collective or consensual. It arises from a much deeper level of Mind-- the collective. This, in turn, is rooted in the deepest, called "Coremind," "Lovemind," "Dreamer," "Spirit," or "God." A mystical name for God is "Creator," but also, "Dreamer." (The two are synonymous.) Over the centuries, human beings have worked very carefully and diligently, in the minutest detail, to create the "scientific paradigm." This has set some mind-limits on the dream that are greater than anyone's personal or individual will. This has created the immense, vast, gigantic force called "scientific consensuality." We can sometimes step outside of its boundaries, but only when and if that is the will of the Coremind. And this can occur only within a very rare state of Mind.
In the "world as dream" paradigm, the mystic can easily believe in "miracles," so her world is much more flexible, or Mind-responsive, than the world of "separate matter," or that of the materialist. Although miracles are exceedingly rare, in the "world as dream" paradigm, anything at all is possible!
What "practical" good is the realization of the world as dream? If you are seeking control, the news is not good. As noted, it does not increase personal control by a nanoparticle. But if you are seeking understanding, it changes the very origin and nature of reality. For the mystic realizes that all "Reality" is Mind. In other words, God is Mind is Reality. (The ancients used the word "truth" to mean "reality.") So, Mind is all that exists. It is forever. Being part of It, you are also forever. Since It is also Love, then Love regulates the entire cosmos through karma, forgiveness, and other principles.
Thus, the "world as dream" is a philosophic tool for understanding, not an instrument of control. A practical example occurred in this life in 1997, when the author's home was flooded. Although the crisis could have taken over the entire mind and thrown one into panic-- the response of the lower nature of ignorance-- it was realized at the time, "None of this is real." That became a source of greater Power and endurance. It led to "transcendence," a state of great tranquility that was literally "above" the fray and chaos. In this state, the mind can remain relatively untroubled during even crises. So, the "world as dream" paradigm serves as a psychological and practical, as well as a philosophic and abstract, tool in the mystic's "interior toolkit."
It leads to the realization (awakening to) the fact that only Mind, only Lovemind, is real. This reinforces trust (faith) in that Lovemind, which increases tranquility and personal Love for others.
Is the "world as dream" paradigm necessary for enlightenment? Yes, for it represents Reality. But is it necessary for the practice of Love? Not at all. So, despite the fact that all masters, teachers, sages, and luminnaries have accepted this paradigm as an alternative to dead and dull materialism, it is not necessary for you to believe it to live the fullest, richest practical life. Although it explains a wide spectrum of philosophic and moral issues, it is possible to love even in its absence. This is what might be called "ignorant goodness." God calls all people, even the ignorant, to Love. And that is very good indeed, for we are all ignorant-- some simply more, and some less.
As we do the personal dance with the cosmos, any tool that aids in the discovery of tranquility and Love is welcome. So, the explanation of "world as dream" is welcomed by the enlightened as a refreshing and liberating realization.
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