Posts
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What are the connections between friendship and selfesteem? They are many and important. It requires a certain minimum or modicum of selfesteem to maintain a lasting friendship. Even to form a healthy friendship requires at least some healthy selfesteem.
For if you believe, "I really do not deserve a friendship with this fine person, for I am unworthy," then, you begin a subconscious search for an "escape" from the friendship. You might, in borderline paranoia, examine emails for "hidden motives," or even for "attacks," where clearly, none is intended. You might, in an extension of illness, confuse mistakes with deliberate attacks against you.
Secretly, you might want to "attack before you are attacked." You are really seeking an "escape hatch" to permit you to exit the friendship before your "inadequacies" are discovered or revealed.
An astonishing number of even very "successful" people suffer from this absence of positive selfesteem. They often try to hide, or cover, it with professional success, but, deep down, the fires of selfloathing cannot be quenched. They sometimes try to remain "super-busy," so that they do not see this uncomfortable fact about themselves, but, again, deep down, they know the facts about their own selfrejection and selfcondemnation.
They are not "evil." They are not "inadequate" or "unworthy," but their internal programs that they are continue to run like a taped program that plays itself over and over again. They simply cannot "get comfortable" in a healthy relationship with a healthy person. In fact, they resent the mental, emotional, or spiritual health of those who are successful at interpersonal relationships (friendships). In time, subconsciously, they become "anti-friendship." They start to see friendship, a form of Love-- the human being's best friend-- as the "enemy." They begin to hate friendship (Love) because they are too dysfunctional to handle it.
Bonding in friendship with a selfloathing person is almost imppossible; and she herself guarantees that any bonds will never last very long. For she sabotages the friendship by continually expecting to be betrayed or abandoned. So, low selfesteem is made much worse by a terror of abandonment. (This often originates within the "interior child," the part of the mind that stopped growing at about age six.)
A person with healthy selfesteem will quickly forgive if her friend makes a mistake. But a person who is selfloathing will demand "perfection" from friends: No mistakes are allowed. (This is part of her pathology or illness.)
Human beings, because we are human beings, always make mistakes. The healthy person will not make a big deal about any mistake that her friends might make. She will not act in an alarmist fashion, as if a mistake means "the forever end of our friendship," or as if a mistake justifies an attitude of "war" with the former friend. The healthy person will kindly, warmly, and sincerely forgive any mistakes, and then, continue on with the friendship. For the mentally healthy, friendship is more important than mistakes; but for the mentally or emotionally ill, mistakes are more important, and powerful, than friendships. People of terrible selfesteem will hang on for dear life to any mistake, and will blow it up to immense proportions, never letting it "slide," and never forgetting, or forgiving.
For forgiveness is the response of a healthy mind; an unhealthy mind might well be too sick to practice forgiveness. Any mistake, in the unwell, unhealthy mind is the "end of the friendship," if not "of the world"! For inflating a mistake, and making it the center of the interaction with another, is a mark of mental illness.
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Friday, June 06, 2008
Notes on the Love Ministries Federation
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We know what you mean by all the negativity in the news. When that golem bush first grabbed power, we went on a "news fast" for months, as we knew that nothing good would or could come from him. Who would have dreamed that he would make the world far, far worse than we could have imagined?
By having killed over a million human beings in the Middle East, and having spent three trillion dollars to do it, he bankrupted our country, creating enormous debts to China, and covered the world with blood and violence.
Love Ministries felt repelled by all the pain and misery. That was when the idea of the Love Ministries Federation arose. For we are stronger in cooperation, when joining hands and forces, than when acting alone. So, we gathered together several small independent ministries, and explained how we were not interested in doctrines, denominations, and different religions. What our world needs to publicize, and put into activity, is Love. Many of our foreign sisters and brothers are more humble than most Westerners, and compliantly agreed. So, now we have a Federation that includes, in alphabetical order, Love Ministries of India, Love Ministries of Kenya, Love Ministries of Pakistan, Love Ministries of Tanzania, Love Ministries of Uganda, and Love Ministries, USA.
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We know what you mean by all the negativity in the news. When that golem bush first grabbed power, we went on a "news fast" for months, as we knew that nothing good would or could come from him. Who would have dreamed that he would make the world far, far worse than we could have imagined?
By having killed over a million human beings in the Middle East, and having spent three trillion dollars to do it, he bankrupted our country, creating enormous debts to China, and covered the world with blood and violence.
Love Ministries felt repelled by all the pain and misery. That was when the idea of the Love Ministries Federation arose. For we are stronger in cooperation, when joining hands and forces, than when acting alone. So, we gathered together several small independent ministries, and explained how we were not interested in doctrines, denominations, and different religions. What our world needs to publicize, and put into activity, is Love. Many of our foreign sisters and brothers are more humble than most Westerners, and compliantly agreed. So, now we have a Federation that includes, in alphabetical order, Love Ministries of India, Love Ministries of Kenya, Love Ministries of Pakistan, Love Ministries of Tanzania, Love Ministries of Uganda, and Love Ministries, USA.
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Thursday, June 05, 2008
Clinton Curtis Blows Whistle On Electronic Vote Fraud
Thanks to Isaiah Toran.
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Clinton Curtis, a computer programmer from Florida, swore under oath in court that the software company he was working for was hired to rig the elections [of the year twenty hundred].
http://www.sprword.com/videos/curtis/
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Clinton Curtis, a computer programmer from Florida, swore under oath in court that the software company he was working for was hired to rig the elections [of the year twenty hundred].
http://www.sprword.com/videos/curtis/
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Astropsychology, Jesus, and Spiritual Emags
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Your questions are very important.
The Christian Scriptures do not say anything about astrology except for the birth of Jesus, when the magi or astrologer-priests knew about the birth of Jesus. They were guided by an angel, and obeyed the voice of the angel. If they had been "servants of satan," they would not have been protected and guided by an angel, and they would not have brought gifts too the newborn Jesus. So, they were friendly to God, and God was friendly towards them.
True, in the ancient laws of Israel, there were some laws against astrology. But those laws were in the same area of the Bible that talks about animal-sacrifices and a dozen other Jewish laws. Since we are liberated people, the people of Love, and not Jews, we are under no obligation to obey the ancient laws of Israel. As Paul said in Galatians, we have been "liberated from the Law."
Astrology does not teach that there is a certain star that represents a certain person. It teaches that, in our Souls, we have all a life-plan, and that we can learn much about ourselves through the study of astrology and psychology-- a study called "astropsychology." I have studied this for many years. There is nothing "evil" in it.
Agreed: Jesus had no religion. The Jews saw him as a dangerous enemy, and murdered him. He was not a religious Jew. He also was not a "Christian," since this word was not created until after his death.
We publish two magazines on the net:
The first is an infosheet, containing about one to five articles, of one to five paragraphs, about spiritual matters. It is called the "Universal Love Digest" (uld), and we will be happy to send it to you, free. It comes out about every two or three days.
Our second emagazine is about twenty pages long. It is called Lovelight magazine, and comes out once a month. Starting in June, we will add your name to our free subscription-list.
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Your questions are very important.
The Christian Scriptures do not say anything about astrology except for the birth of Jesus, when the magi or astrologer-priests knew about the birth of Jesus. They were guided by an angel, and obeyed the voice of the angel. If they had been "servants of satan," they would not have been protected and guided by an angel, and they would not have brought gifts too the newborn Jesus. So, they were friendly to God, and God was friendly towards them.
True, in the ancient laws of Israel, there were some laws against astrology. But those laws were in the same area of the Bible that talks about animal-sacrifices and a dozen other Jewish laws. Since we are liberated people, the people of Love, and not Jews, we are under no obligation to obey the ancient laws of Israel. As Paul said in Galatians, we have been "liberated from the Law."
Astrology does not teach that there is a certain star that represents a certain person. It teaches that, in our Souls, we have all a life-plan, and that we can learn much about ourselves through the study of astrology and psychology-- a study called "astropsychology." I have studied this for many years. There is nothing "evil" in it.
Agreed: Jesus had no religion. The Jews saw him as a dangerous enemy, and murdered him. He was not a religious Jew. He also was not a "Christian," since this word was not created until after his death.
We publish two magazines on the net:
The first is an infosheet, containing about one to five articles, of one to five paragraphs, about spiritual matters. It is called the "Universal Love Digest" (uld), and we will be happy to send it to you, free. It comes out about every two or three days.
Our second emagazine is about twenty pages long. It is called Lovelight magazine, and comes out once a month. Starting in June, we will add your name to our free subscription-list.
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The Pneumarium Gatherings
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You will be glad to learn that our gatherings (we do not call them "meetings," for this is a word commonly used by religions) usually contain only five to eight people. We are quite informal, and there are no "prepared sermons."
Everything is spontaneous and relaxed. In fact, although we usually gather in a room in the garage, this Sunday (tomorrow), we will probably be gathering in our small living-room.
We start at eleven am, and have a spontaneous Q&A session until twelve.
Then, we break for a one-hour lunch and break. At one, we begin the second session. By two pm, everything is all wrapped up, and over.
We want our friends to have most of their Sundays, and we do not want to be intrusive. Also, Sunday is often the only day that they can sleep late, so we begin late, at eleven am. So, if you come, you will still have your entire Sunday after two pm.:)
We hope to see you here.:) Fyi, our number is (513-)737-LOVE (5683).
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You will be glad to learn that our gatherings (we do not call them "meetings," for this is a word commonly used by religions) usually contain only five to eight people. We are quite informal, and there are no "prepared sermons."
Everything is spontaneous and relaxed. In fact, although we usually gather in a room in the garage, this Sunday (tomorrow), we will probably be gathering in our small living-room.
We start at eleven am, and have a spontaneous Q&A session until twelve.
Then, we break for a one-hour lunch and break. At one, we begin the second session. By two pm, everything is all wrapped up, and over.
We want our friends to have most of their Sundays, and we do not want to be intrusive. Also, Sunday is often the only day that they can sleep late, so we begin late, at eleven am. So, if you come, you will still have your entire Sunday after two pm.:)
We hope to see you here.:) Fyi, our number is (513-)737-LOVE (5683).
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The "Solution" to Life
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The answer is Love expressed through service and friendship. (For those are the two most common forms of Lovexpression on our planet.)
But if Love is the answer, what is the question? A fascinating conundrum. The question must be something like this: "How should I spend the next few seconds of my time?" "Few seconds" is mentioned because life is better taken in "small bites," and you cannot solve the vast and massive "problem of life," but can solve only the problem (challenge) of how to use the next few seconds of your time. As the wise Lao Tzu writes, "Handle small problems, and you will never have great ones." So, if we can take care of the seconds, the hours, days, and years "take care of themselves."
Jesus recommended the taoistic pattern of life of the birds and the flowers. This is the avoidance of too much analysis. Perhaps even this note violates the intention of this life of utter simplicity.
So, perhaps I had better simply shut up! Many words can create clarity or confusion. Better to stop before entanglement occurs. Again, Lao Tzu writes, "Oversharpen a blade, and it will soon grow dull." He, like his disciple Chuang Tzu, advocates a limited usefulness. As long as every word and effort arise from a sense of true Love (compassion), we cannot go wrong.:):)
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The answer is Love expressed through service and friendship. (For those are the two most common forms of Lovexpression on our planet.)
But if Love is the answer, what is the question? A fascinating conundrum. The question must be something like this: "How should I spend the next few seconds of my time?" "Few seconds" is mentioned because life is better taken in "small bites," and you cannot solve the vast and massive "problem of life," but can solve only the problem (challenge) of how to use the next few seconds of your time. As the wise Lao Tzu writes, "Handle small problems, and you will never have great ones." So, if we can take care of the seconds, the hours, days, and years "take care of themselves."
Jesus recommended the taoistic pattern of life of the birds and the flowers. This is the avoidance of too much analysis. Perhaps even this note violates the intention of this life of utter simplicity.
So, perhaps I had better simply shut up! Many words can create clarity or confusion. Better to stop before entanglement occurs. Again, Lao Tzu writes, "Oversharpen a blade, and it will soon grow dull." He, like his disciple Chuang Tzu, advocates a limited usefulness. As long as every word and effort arise from a sense of true Love (compassion), we cannot go wrong.:):)
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Genetics and Nutrition
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In looking at the overview of the health of the physical body, there might be no simple answers. People who jump on the bandwagon of new "nutritional theories" often make absurd claims that a particular seed, fruit, or vitamin can cure just about anything or everything! And this is a very attractive idea! Although entire books might be written to defend the latest nutritional "fad," actual experience generally disproves that any single or simple substance can serve all people as a "cure-all." Even when "much evidence" is presented, it is not scientific, or does not necessarily apply to all people. Human biochemistry is so complex that virtually any substance might have a positive effect on one, or a few, persons. But this "healing effect" is not generalizable to the public or population in general. Nature, even in her wide, breath-taking abundance and variety, appears to have created no "cure-all."
Why? Because biological imperfection is an important part of the "test" or "exam" of this physical life. We are supposed to learn compassion from this biolife on earth, and limitation teaches compassion. She who has never suffered knows little compassion; she who suffers more can love more.
So, earth is a school. And our "textbooks" include illness and other limitations. And even though it is a great fantasy, the simple truth is that nutrition cannot cure all biological imperfections. For some illnesses and general imperfections are the result of the molecular structure of dna, the molecular "blue-print" for the physical body. This is "designer-dna," for it is designed before birth by the Soulmind (deep in the Unconscious).
The products of dna are called "genetic." Here, we will call them "karmogenetic," for genetics always expresses karma. And dna is a molecule of great complexity; it has nearly a billion smaller molecular sub-units within the molecule.
We are just beginning to understand which sub-molecules influence which characteristics, which can create certain imperfections, disorders, or dysfunctions. To discover these molecular causes was the purpose of the famous "genome project."
If a condition is genetic, it cannot and will not be reversed completely by nutrition; for the problem is structural, not nutritional. And even if the dna could be changed by visualization, as some believe, one would have to know the detailed construction of this very vast molecule in order to change the appropriate sub-molecule.
Visualization can be a powerful healing-technique, but it cannot reverse all conditions; neither can "positive thinking." For simply denying a condition, as the Christian Scientists do, does not make that condition miraculously disappear! (If it were that simple, everyone would have perfect health, all the time!)
It is important to love your body. This is a form, and aspect, of selflove. You want to feed it with food that is natural, good, and of high quality. But if your Soul has chosen a condition for your body, and it has been expressed "karmogenetically," then your lesson on earth is to learn to live with that state, and to adapt to it. Your challenge might not be to force the condition to change, or to heal it. Your challenge might be to learn to adapt to it, to live with it, even to draw compassion from your suffering.
Historically, this is why some of the most beautiful, enlightened, and powerful Souls have suffered from biological limitations. These wise sages and mysticsaints did not simply lack the "good sense" or the "faith" to be able to heal themselves. Some conditions simply do not respond to mental changes, while others do.
We do have some biological control over our bodies, but it is limited; it operates only within certain parameters. Beyond them, we cannot go.
Why? Because, as in all other facets of our lives, we are here to learn faith or trust. We are here to learn to trust the cosmic Mind of Love.
Only those who do not trust It will try to grasp control of the world and give it to the ego. And this is spiritual illness-- much more serious and long-lasting than any physical illness.
*******
In looking at the overview of the health of the physical body, there might be no simple answers. People who jump on the bandwagon of new "nutritional theories" often make absurd claims that a particular seed, fruit, or vitamin can cure just about anything or everything! And this is a very attractive idea! Although entire books might be written to defend the latest nutritional "fad," actual experience generally disproves that any single or simple substance can serve all people as a "cure-all." Even when "much evidence" is presented, it is not scientific, or does not necessarily apply to all people. Human biochemistry is so complex that virtually any substance might have a positive effect on one, or a few, persons. But this "healing effect" is not generalizable to the public or population in general. Nature, even in her wide, breath-taking abundance and variety, appears to have created no "cure-all."
Why? Because biological imperfection is an important part of the "test" or "exam" of this physical life. We are supposed to learn compassion from this biolife on earth, and limitation teaches compassion. She who has never suffered knows little compassion; she who suffers more can love more.
So, earth is a school. And our "textbooks" include illness and other limitations. And even though it is a great fantasy, the simple truth is that nutrition cannot cure all biological imperfections. For some illnesses and general imperfections are the result of the molecular structure of dna, the molecular "blue-print" for the physical body. This is "designer-dna," for it is designed before birth by the Soulmind (deep in the Unconscious).
The products of dna are called "genetic." Here, we will call them "karmogenetic," for genetics always expresses karma. And dna is a molecule of great complexity; it has nearly a billion smaller molecular sub-units within the molecule.
We are just beginning to understand which sub-molecules influence which characteristics, which can create certain imperfections, disorders, or dysfunctions. To discover these molecular causes was the purpose of the famous "genome project."
If a condition is genetic, it cannot and will not be reversed completely by nutrition; for the problem is structural, not nutritional. And even if the dna could be changed by visualization, as some believe, one would have to know the detailed construction of this very vast molecule in order to change the appropriate sub-molecule.
Visualization can be a powerful healing-technique, but it cannot reverse all conditions; neither can "positive thinking." For simply denying a condition, as the Christian Scientists do, does not make that condition miraculously disappear! (If it were that simple, everyone would have perfect health, all the time!)
It is important to love your body. This is a form, and aspect, of selflove. You want to feed it with food that is natural, good, and of high quality. But if your Soul has chosen a condition for your body, and it has been expressed "karmogenetically," then your lesson on earth is to learn to live with that state, and to adapt to it. Your challenge might not be to force the condition to change, or to heal it. Your challenge might be to learn to adapt to it, to live with it, even to draw compassion from your suffering.
Historically, this is why some of the most beautiful, enlightened, and powerful Souls have suffered from biological limitations. These wise sages and mysticsaints did not simply lack the "good sense" or the "faith" to be able to heal themselves. Some conditions simply do not respond to mental changes, while others do.
We do have some biological control over our bodies, but it is limited; it operates only within certain parameters. Beyond them, we cannot go.
Why? Because, as in all other facets of our lives, we are here to learn faith or trust. We are here to learn to trust the cosmic Mind of Love.
Only those who do not trust It will try to grasp control of the world and give it to the ego. And this is spiritual illness-- much more serious and long-lasting than any physical illness.
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Monday, June 02, 2008
Knowing Another Person, Friendship, and Email
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I must sadly agree with you that no one can ever know the depths of another person. Parents of teens often discover this unhappy fact, asking, "What planet is she from?"
And, clearly, it is possible to know another only in a limited way via a relatively "crude" mechanism such as email. We might come to know an honest person sixty to eighty percent through regular emails, and emails tend to be sporadic rather than regular.:)
That's not so bad, really, when you consider that, with face-to-face, regular, interpersonal interactions with a person, you might come to know her only sixty to seventy percent, especially if she is an "enclosed" type.:)
So, email is an adequate tool after all. Of course, you cannot know the secret heart of the heart of a person unless she chooses to reveal it in words, with email. And even if she makes this choice, and tries, misunderstanding is still possible. For words are not perfect tools, especially for the expression of deeper realizations and sentiments, as is proved by Love-poetry, which seeks to express the deepest, but often fails, but still expresses feelings of great beauty.
As in most cases of friendship, however true, there might remain that unknown twenty to forty percent. Maybe it will never be revealed.
Happily, even the very best friendship does not depend upon one hundred percent knowing of the other friend!:) All that is necessary for two people to become, and to remain, friends, is for the both of them to express the desire to form, and then to maintain, that friendship. (Maintenance includes fairly regular emails and/or calls. It can also include cards, ecards, visits, and even small gifts when appropriate.)
The most valuable purpose of emails is that it can bring together two heartminds, who can explore what they share, or would like to share, in common. This is why email enriches our lives with so much fun! (It can be even a Lovexpression.)
So, there are things about you that I do not know, and things about me that you do not know. But that is not a regrettable thing; it can be the motive that keeps a friend interesting.:):)
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I must sadly agree with you that no one can ever know the depths of another person. Parents of teens often discover this unhappy fact, asking, "What planet is she from?"
And, clearly, it is possible to know another only in a limited way via a relatively "crude" mechanism such as email. We might come to know an honest person sixty to eighty percent through regular emails, and emails tend to be sporadic rather than regular.:)
That's not so bad, really, when you consider that, with face-to-face, regular, interpersonal interactions with a person, you might come to know her only sixty to seventy percent, especially if she is an "enclosed" type.:)
So, email is an adequate tool after all. Of course, you cannot know the secret heart of the heart of a person unless she chooses to reveal it in words, with email. And even if she makes this choice, and tries, misunderstanding is still possible. For words are not perfect tools, especially for the expression of deeper realizations and sentiments, as is proved by Love-poetry, which seeks to express the deepest, but often fails, but still expresses feelings of great beauty.
As in most cases of friendship, however true, there might remain that unknown twenty to forty percent. Maybe it will never be revealed.
Happily, even the very best friendship does not depend upon one hundred percent knowing of the other friend!:) All that is necessary for two people to become, and to remain, friends, is for the both of them to express the desire to form, and then to maintain, that friendship. (Maintenance includes fairly regular emails and/or calls. It can also include cards, ecards, visits, and even small gifts when appropriate.)
The most valuable purpose of emails is that it can bring together two heartminds, who can explore what they share, or would like to share, in common. This is why email enriches our lives with so much fun! (It can be even a Lovexpression.)
So, there are things about you that I do not know, and things about me that you do not know. But that is not a regrettable thing; it can be the motive that keeps a friend interesting.:):)
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Worship and the Pneumarium
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When we do incarnate, we bring with us, deep in our minds, "contracts" that bind us specifically to other souls. This is all so that we can perfect our Love for ourselves and for them. A common caution is never to hate anyone, for that hatred can be a strong karmic force; so, next time around, you might be married to that person!
Happily, however, Love can also be an even stronger karmic bond, and will without fail bring you to the side of your Soulmate in a bright loving contract.:)
Jesus' recommendation re our Way of life was to keep it super-simple (the "K.I.S.S." principle). He held up to us as examples three ideals of living creatures who do not try to force life into human-created designs.
He used as parabolic examples the birds, flowers, and nursing infants. (See the latest uld.) What all three have in common is that they do not try to control; they do not force life into patterns that have goals. Instead, they live each minute-- only now-- going with the Flow. They do not irritate themselves by constantly asking what their "purpose" is. Perhaps it is a part of your life-purpose to stop asking this question.
Perhaps a closer study of the Way known as Taoism can help you here.
(Love Ministries has its own rendition of the little great classic of Taoism called Tao Te Cjhing. If you want a copy, just remind me!:)
God is best known, and served, by acts of Love. Love is the only true worship. Worship is not singing hymns, lighting candles, public prayer, going to church, or Bible-study. For none of these activities is, in itself, spiritual. You do much more worship in aiding an older person, a child, a challenged person, or a little animal than in giving a hundred long, drawn-out sermons. It is better to help and aid one creature than to spend a thousand hours doing "church-work."
Still, it is human nature to forget the truly important things, and to get lost in the trivia. This is why we have the Pneumarium gatherings.
Investing in spiritual education, and in spiritual stimulation, is also one of the fine, good, and worshipful uses of time.
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When we do incarnate, we bring with us, deep in our minds, "contracts" that bind us specifically to other souls. This is all so that we can perfect our Love for ourselves and for them. A common caution is never to hate anyone, for that hatred can be a strong karmic force; so, next time around, you might be married to that person!
Happily, however, Love can also be an even stronger karmic bond, and will without fail bring you to the side of your Soulmate in a bright loving contract.:)
Jesus' recommendation re our Way of life was to keep it super-simple (the "K.I.S.S." principle). He held up to us as examples three ideals of living creatures who do not try to force life into human-created designs.
He used as parabolic examples the birds, flowers, and nursing infants. (See the latest uld.) What all three have in common is that they do not try to control; they do not force life into patterns that have goals. Instead, they live each minute-- only now-- going with the Flow. They do not irritate themselves by constantly asking what their "purpose" is. Perhaps it is a part of your life-purpose to stop asking this question.
Perhaps a closer study of the Way known as Taoism can help you here.
(Love Ministries has its own rendition of the little great classic of Taoism called Tao Te Cjhing. If you want a copy, just remind me!:)
God is best known, and served, by acts of Love. Love is the only true worship. Worship is not singing hymns, lighting candles, public prayer, going to church, or Bible-study. For none of these activities is, in itself, spiritual. You do much more worship in aiding an older person, a child, a challenged person, or a little animal than in giving a hundred long, drawn-out sermons. It is better to help and aid one creature than to spend a thousand hours doing "church-work."
Still, it is human nature to forget the truly important things, and to get lost in the trivia. This is why we have the Pneumarium gatherings.
Investing in spiritual education, and in spiritual stimulation, is also one of the fine, good, and worshipful uses of time.
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Sunday, June 01, 2008
Live Like the Birds and Flowers
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In one of the most famous sermons in the history of spirituality, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus becomes very Taoistic. He commands his followers not to worry, fret, fear, or analyze too much. Even too much planning can harm one's spirituality; it can do violence to one's faith.
In another text, Jesus uttered the famous words, "Lest ye be as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom." But the word in the original ancient Greek that is rendered "little children" does not mean four-year-old toddlers. The original word used here meant "nursing infants." So, he was implying that we should completely relax and go with the Flow of our heavenly (interior) Parents-- God, our FatherMother.
In both recommendations, Jesus was suggesting the startling reality that we try to let go of control-- in the common vernacular, "Let go and let God."
In our everyday lives, we often, and almost always, try to control too much. We try to control other adults, or to influence them. We try to control events and outcomes. We try to control our everythought, through stricter and stricter laws. We are always strangled by this (usually) futile drive to control. If we let go of rigid controls, we feel as if we are in "free fall," and are about to crash!
But Jesus recommends trust in the Mind that rules the universe. We will not "crash," he implies, but will fulfill the "will of God." If we let go of agitated and strict control, we will perform, spontaneously, the desires of Love (the "will of God.")
We simply cannot live exactly as do birds and flowers. This literalism is an extreme that would lead us to absurdity. But we can learn from all three examples-- birds, flowers, and nursing infants. What valuable principle can we learn?
Perhaps the essence of Taoism is this one attitude-- letting go of all control, including controlling words and behaviors, and instead, relaxing effortlessly into the great Mind ("Tao") that already regulates the entire cosmos, including all details. Instead of the complex art of control, we must learn the simpler art-- still challenging-- of trust.
It, this Mind, ran the cosmos just fine before we came along; it can and does operate just fine without our personal input.
Still, we want to imitate Jesus and the other mysticsaints and masterteachers: We want to allow Love to act and speak through us whenever and however possible. For the great Souls of our planet have not lived exactly like birds or flowers; but neither have they tried to grasp control of every situation. Instead, through meditative detachment, they worked to create a creative, productive balance in their lives.
We must not expect too much of ourselves. The human psyche probably cannot move into a control-fre state overnight; usually, it has gradually, incrementally, to grow into it, for this is an entirely new way of being, and of relating. And when we first let go of control, our first response is likely to be fear, for that is the human reaction. As we allow our spiritual nature to "take over," we outgrow the counterproductive response of fear, and come to love the Mind that moves within and through us as Love Itself.
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In one of the most famous sermons in the history of spirituality, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus becomes very Taoistic. He commands his followers not to worry, fret, fear, or analyze too much. Even too much planning can harm one's spirituality; it can do violence to one's faith.
In another text, Jesus uttered the famous words, "Lest ye be as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom." But the word in the original ancient Greek that is rendered "little children" does not mean four-year-old toddlers. The original word used here meant "nursing infants." So, he was implying that we should completely relax and go with the Flow of our heavenly (interior) Parents-- God, our FatherMother.
In both recommendations, Jesus was suggesting the startling reality that we try to let go of control-- in the common vernacular, "Let go and let God."
In our everyday lives, we often, and almost always, try to control too much. We try to control other adults, or to influence them. We try to control events and outcomes. We try to control our everythought, through stricter and stricter laws. We are always strangled by this (usually) futile drive to control. If we let go of rigid controls, we feel as if we are in "free fall," and are about to crash!
But Jesus recommends trust in the Mind that rules the universe. We will not "crash," he implies, but will fulfill the "will of God." If we let go of agitated and strict control, we will perform, spontaneously, the desires of Love (the "will of God.")
We simply cannot live exactly as do birds and flowers. This literalism is an extreme that would lead us to absurdity. But we can learn from all three examples-- birds, flowers, and nursing infants. What valuable principle can we learn?
Perhaps the essence of Taoism is this one attitude-- letting go of all control, including controlling words and behaviors, and instead, relaxing effortlessly into the great Mind ("Tao") that already regulates the entire cosmos, including all details. Instead of the complex art of control, we must learn the simpler art-- still challenging-- of trust.
It, this Mind, ran the cosmos just fine before we came along; it can and does operate just fine without our personal input.
Still, we want to imitate Jesus and the other mysticsaints and masterteachers: We want to allow Love to act and speak through us whenever and however possible. For the great Souls of our planet have not lived exactly like birds or flowers; but neither have they tried to grasp control of every situation. Instead, through meditative detachment, they worked to create a creative, productive balance in their lives.
We must not expect too much of ourselves. The human psyche probably cannot move into a control-fre state overnight; usually, it has gradually, incrementally, to grow into it, for this is an entirely new way of being, and of relating. And when we first let go of control, our first response is likely to be fear, for that is the human reaction. As we allow our spiritual nature to "take over," we outgrow the counterproductive response of fear, and come to love the Mind that moves within and through us as Love Itself.
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