Posts
Bearing Your Cross: Suffering and Wisdom
*******
Every person on earth comes to this place in order to take various tests, exams-- to test her mental, emotional, and spiritual strengths. More often than not, a real "test" involves something challenging or even "scary"-- something the fear-filled ego would rather avoid altogether.
In very early Christianity, the "Cross" of Jesus became the universal archetype (symbol) of all suffering. For the "passion" (suffering) of Jesus became a model of how to handle all pain and suffering. We are to turn it over to God (Love), relax into the "pain" with the confidence that the Holy Spirit of Love can lesson our pain. Meditation, for example, might not get rid of all pain all the time; but several studies have shown that it can lessen pain-- physical or mental-- by up to eighty
percent.
Going into even deeper meditation, as Jesus did, can eradicate even more pain, as the human mind begins actual mergence, melding, or fusion with the Mind of the One, deep in the Unconscious.
I know hundreds of [people, some with a fair degree of intimacy. Every one of them is facing some challenge-- usually a major one-- in this life. Souls do not come to earth for "vacation." (There are higher universes for that.) Earth is not a play-world (although many do exist). Earth is a "school-world," and no one is really here to have fun! Souls come to earth to learn, and only to learn. So, we have opportunities to learn from every minute of every day, and from friends, family, enemies, and strangers. They are all the "teachers" of the person on the Way.
That is one reason why the cosmos often looks "hard" or "unfeeling" or even "uncaring" to us. For it simply does not matter that we enjoy our lives here. All that matters is that we are learning; but, still, one of the things that we learn is how to have more fun! We are blessed, in fact, to find bliss!:)
Each must "bear her Cross," that is, take her tests and exams. We are asked to do so with patience and understanding, not kicking and screaming like toddlers. How a person faces suffering is a faithful barometer of her spiritual wisdom, indicating even her spiritual "age" (maturity).
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Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Healing
Healing
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I have experienced Christian healing-rituals, prayers, and the "laying on of hands" about twenty times during this career. It has been an active part of this spiritual career to explore personally every spiritual path available. So, yes, my friend, I have experienced Pentecostal, Assembly of God, Catholic, Lutheran, Science of Mind, Unity, general charismatic, and several unclassifiable fundamentalist "brands" of Christianity in their healing methods.
Some involved shouting the name of Jesus, others were totally silent. Some involved long prayers, others the simple laying on of hands. Some involved "holy water" and Communion, others did not. I have exposed the donkey (body) to, and have experienced, a wide variety of healing methods. With most, sad to say, there were no subjective or objective changes in the donkey.
Healing is a valid and intrinsic part of many spiritual paths, including that of Jesus. So, I do believe in it. I believe that, through stemcells and other mechanisms, the body has an almost miraculous power to heal itself. Sometimes, this Power is unlocked and manifested through prayers, healing rituals, and related activities. And, at other times, even truly miraculous (supernormal) Power is possibly involved.
Not all conditions can be healed. There were some, the Scriptures say, that even Jesus could not heal. If, for example, a condition is karmic (selected or chosen by the Soul) for some learning-purpose, to "heal" it would be counterproductive. But a condition that appears only to test one's faith, or to challenge one, can be healed.
This has been a subject of most intense interest in this life, partly because the donkey can use all the healing that he can get.:) And it is a subject of continuing interest, study, and exploration.
*******
*******
I have experienced Christian healing-rituals, prayers, and the "laying on of hands" about twenty times during this career. It has been an active part of this spiritual career to explore personally every spiritual path available. So, yes, my friend, I have experienced Pentecostal, Assembly of God, Catholic, Lutheran, Science of Mind, Unity, general charismatic, and several unclassifiable fundamentalist "brands" of Christianity in their healing methods.
Some involved shouting the name of Jesus, others were totally silent. Some involved long prayers, others the simple laying on of hands. Some involved "holy water" and Communion, others did not. I have exposed the donkey (body) to, and have experienced, a wide variety of healing methods. With most, sad to say, there were no subjective or objective changes in the donkey.
Healing is a valid and intrinsic part of many spiritual paths, including that of Jesus. So, I do believe in it. I believe that, through stemcells and other mechanisms, the body has an almost miraculous power to heal itself. Sometimes, this Power is unlocked and manifested through prayers, healing rituals, and related activities. And, at other times, even truly miraculous (supernormal) Power is possibly involved.
Not all conditions can be healed. There were some, the Scriptures say, that even Jesus could not heal. If, for example, a condition is karmic (selected or chosen by the Soul) for some learning-purpose, to "heal" it would be counterproductive. But a condition that appears only to test one's faith, or to challenge one, can be healed.
This has been a subject of most intense interest in this life, partly because the donkey can use all the healing that he can get.:) And it is a subject of continuing interest, study, and exploration.
*******
Monday, August 27, 2007
Taking Selflove Seriously: Your Donkey
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Eating "comfort foods" is a very common way to "nutritionally self-medicate." But it is a poor way to support Love for your body, as they actually create harmful biochemical changes while "hiding" under "good" tastes. The senses, in this case, are very unreliable, and are serving the lower nature (the humanimal biomind), not the interests of the self or the higher Self.
You need to adjust the portions in your meals. Try to make them smaller, but still tasty and attractive. Suddenly to rip away all unhealthy foods might be a shock to the system, and might sabotage your efforts in the long run. (You might have very strong cravings for them.) So, keep one or two in your diet; but make it an infrequent (weekly) treat; you will look forward to it, and enjoy it so much more than ever before!
There is no such thing as the illusion of "lean" meat. All meat contains dangerous fats and highly perilous toxins. Some meats contain up to 2300 of these toxins, which can affect metabolism while setting up a toxicity-response in the body. Still, you need to get about 45 grams of protein daily. Try to derive this from milk, eggs, some nuts, cheeses, and a wide plethora of very yummy soy-products (including several types of burger, bacon, hot dogs, sausage, etc.) This makes great eating very easy!
From the teeth to the acidity of saliva, to the stomach-acid and intestinal tract, the human body is designed exactly like the bodies of other herbivores. In these important digestive areas, it bears no resemblance to the systems of carnivores. That is why fat, largely from cows and pigs, is so deadly to the cardiovascular system.
If we fed human beings with all the grain grown in this country, starvation would disappear! But instead, a full 90% of all American grains go to feed cows and pigs, so that we can have our burgers and bacon!
You can best love your donkey (body) buy feeding it the wonderful smorgasbords of delicious fruits, vegetables, and grains that nature provides in such abundance. No one needs meat to live; if anyone says that she does, she reveals only an abysmal nutritional ignorance.
Some meats literally rot in the stomach, and might take three to four days fully to rot. There is a reason that we find this picture repellant!
So, the cosmos is now offering you the greatest opportunity, one that might never again come your way: Do the very best thing that you can do for Sister Donkey, give her the best gift, by becoming a veggie! You will be glad, for the rest of a longer life, that you did!
Also, keep exercise moderate, in the beginning. Do not push or pull your muscles; and do not force them to strain. Do more reps on lighter weights, rather than fewer on heavier ones. You want to "up" the heartbeat moderately. Work out until your donkey says "enough." Stop then, and do not push yourself. Push yourself perhaps to the point of deep breathing, maybe light panting, but try not to do too much on your first visits. For if you overdo it on the first visit, there might not be a second. You will grow, in time, to love working out! It makes you feel great!
Please keep me posted re your progress.
*******
Eating "comfort foods" is a very common way to "nutritionally self-medicate." But it is a poor way to support Love for your body, as they actually create harmful biochemical changes while "hiding" under "good" tastes. The senses, in this case, are very unreliable, and are serving the lower nature (the humanimal biomind), not the interests of the self or the higher Self.
You need to adjust the portions in your meals. Try to make them smaller, but still tasty and attractive. Suddenly to rip away all unhealthy foods might be a shock to the system, and might sabotage your efforts in the long run. (You might have very strong cravings for them.) So, keep one or two in your diet; but make it an infrequent (weekly) treat; you will look forward to it, and enjoy it so much more than ever before!
There is no such thing as the illusion of "lean" meat. All meat contains dangerous fats and highly perilous toxins. Some meats contain up to 2300 of these toxins, which can affect metabolism while setting up a toxicity-response in the body. Still, you need to get about 45 grams of protein daily. Try to derive this from milk, eggs, some nuts, cheeses, and a wide plethora of very yummy soy-products (including several types of burger, bacon, hot dogs, sausage, etc.) This makes great eating very easy!
From the teeth to the acidity of saliva, to the stomach-acid and intestinal tract, the human body is designed exactly like the bodies of other herbivores. In these important digestive areas, it bears no resemblance to the systems of carnivores. That is why fat, largely from cows and pigs, is so deadly to the cardiovascular system.
If we fed human beings with all the grain grown in this country, starvation would disappear! But instead, a full 90% of all American grains go to feed cows and pigs, so that we can have our burgers and bacon!
You can best love your donkey (body) buy feeding it the wonderful smorgasbords of delicious fruits, vegetables, and grains that nature provides in such abundance. No one needs meat to live; if anyone says that she does, she reveals only an abysmal nutritional ignorance.
Some meats literally rot in the stomach, and might take three to four days fully to rot. There is a reason that we find this picture repellant!
So, the cosmos is now offering you the greatest opportunity, one that might never again come your way: Do the very best thing that you can do for Sister Donkey, give her the best gift, by becoming a veggie! You will be glad, for the rest of a longer life, that you did!
Also, keep exercise moderate, in the beginning. Do not push or pull your muscles; and do not force them to strain. Do more reps on lighter weights, rather than fewer on heavier ones. You want to "up" the heartbeat moderately. Work out until your donkey says "enough." Stop then, and do not push yourself. Push yourself perhaps to the point of deep breathing, maybe light panting, but try not to do too much on your first visits. For if you overdo it on the first visit, there might not be a second. You will grow, in time, to love working out! It makes you feel great!
Please keep me posted re your progress.
*******
"A Course in Miracles"
*******
I read acim several times, and have given it many years of concentrated thought and quality-time. So, ideas about the book are not superficial or knee-jerk responses.
The book is fine. It has much common sense. It reminds irresistibly of a Twelve Step meeting. In some psychological "pop" jargon, it gives good advice that is workable.
The book, not surprisingly, was written by a couple of psychologists. That in itself is neither a plus nor a minus! But most psychologists do have a fairly good grasp on the normal, healthy functions of the human mind; so, they can help others.
Still, as the absurdities of the Freudian era so convincingly demonstrate, psychology is never perfect. So, I do have several questions about the book:
First, it is clearly over-named. The book says nothing about "miracles" as that term is generally understood in religious history or spiritual psychology. It was given this captivating name to grab attention, and it did. But it definitely needs a title that promises less, for it does not deliver anything promised by this attention-grabbing title. It does not
"teach miracles."
Second, the good book has become the recent center of a cult. There are several "true believers" who see the book as the "new Bible." If acim says it, it must be true; if acim does not say it, it probably does not matter! This cuts true believers off from all future growth. For no one can live her life most effectively by "living by the book," following only one book-- even one as fine and eloquent as the Bible.
We always need to be open to other resources, other sources of truth.
True believers think themselves "enlightened" over all others. I went through this spiritual disease, called "superiorism," while in the cult. It is a very dangerous mindset, for it tells you that you are getting better as you become sicker.
Is the book good reading? Yes! But was it written by Jesus Christ, channeled? No, it was, like all other books, written by human beings. The book can be wise, but it is not infallible. It has good, but not great, ideas. It is well-written, but probably does not contain a single original thought.
Read it, enjoy it, take notes and learn from it. But please try to exercise common sense and avoid the cultism that has accreted aroundcertain groups.
*******
I read acim several times, and have given it many years of concentrated thought and quality-time. So, ideas about the book are not superficial or knee-jerk responses.
The book is fine. It has much common sense. It reminds irresistibly of a Twelve Step meeting. In some psychological "pop" jargon, it gives good advice that is workable.
The book, not surprisingly, was written by a couple of psychologists. That in itself is neither a plus nor a minus! But most psychologists do have a fairly good grasp on the normal, healthy functions of the human mind; so, they can help others.
Still, as the absurdities of the Freudian era so convincingly demonstrate, psychology is never perfect. So, I do have several questions about the book:
First, it is clearly over-named. The book says nothing about "miracles" as that term is generally understood in religious history or spiritual psychology. It was given this captivating name to grab attention, and it did. But it definitely needs a title that promises less, for it does not deliver anything promised by this attention-grabbing title. It does not
"teach miracles."
Second, the good book has become the recent center of a cult. There are several "true believers" who see the book as the "new Bible." If acim says it, it must be true; if acim does not say it, it probably does not matter! This cuts true believers off from all future growth. For no one can live her life most effectively by "living by the book," following only one book-- even one as fine and eloquent as the Bible.
We always need to be open to other resources, other sources of truth.
True believers think themselves "enlightened" over all others. I went through this spiritual disease, called "superiorism," while in the cult. It is a very dangerous mindset, for it tells you that you are getting better as you become sicker.
Is the book good reading? Yes! But was it written by Jesus Christ, channeled? No, it was, like all other books, written by human beings. The book can be wise, but it is not infallible. It has good, but not great, ideas. It is well-written, but probably does not contain a single original thought.
Read it, enjoy it, take notes and learn from it. But please try to exercise common sense and avoid the cultism that has accreted aroundcertain groups.
*******
Saturday, August 25, 2007
"Purgatory" and "Hell"
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I believe that, in the history of religion, both "hell" and "purgatory" were symbolic terms concerning eternal life after death. Both concerned states or conditions experienced here on earth.
To simplify the complex literature, both "hell" and "purgatory" contain suffering. In fact, both conditions might contain the exact same suffering. But "purgatory" originates with a word that means "purification." So, in the condition of "purgatory," you are making real progress, both mental and spiritual. Purgatory improves people.
"Hell" does not necessarily improve a person. It is recognized as suffering due to negative karma. The person suffers, but does not know why. She knows why only after enlightenment. When a person knows why she is suffering, this transforms her state from one of "hell" to one of "purgatory."
For only when we understand why we suffer does suffering have a purifying effect on our Souls. So, hell and purgatory might be exactly the same conditions; the difference lies in the one suffering, in her awareness, knowledge, understanding, or wisdom.
An enlightened being is never so careless as to end up in hell. But purgatorial states are common on earth for both enlightened and some unenlightened people.
The very old tradition teaches that a Soul can be "prayed out" of purgatory. This superstition evolved from the awareness that total escape from purgatory was possible by discovering Union through communication with God (interior Love). For Love ultimately liberates us all from all suffering-- including all "hell" states and "purgatory" states.
We all suffer on earth. The wise are called upon to understand why suffering exists, to understand karma and universal justice, for Godmind is always just and never unjust. This realization alone, deeply felt, can liberate from hell and move a person into purgatory. With further study, work, Love, and yielding to the divine will, a person is moved, in time, from "purgatory" into "heaven" (bliss, joy, or ecstasy). This is, in the final analysis, an act of God (Love), and not anything that we "do." This is "salvation," and originates with only grace, although we can make our lives more beautiful by cooperating with the calling of Love.
This movement in Mind, from purgatory to heaven, is enlightenment. It is also called "liberation" and "salvation."
*******
I believe that, in the history of religion, both "hell" and "purgatory" were symbolic terms concerning eternal life after death. Both concerned states or conditions experienced here on earth.
To simplify the complex literature, both "hell" and "purgatory" contain suffering. In fact, both conditions might contain the exact same suffering. But "purgatory" originates with a word that means "purification." So, in the condition of "purgatory," you are making real progress, both mental and spiritual. Purgatory improves people.
"Hell" does not necessarily improve a person. It is recognized as suffering due to negative karma. The person suffers, but does not know why. She knows why only after enlightenment. When a person knows why she is suffering, this transforms her state from one of "hell" to one of "purgatory."
For only when we understand why we suffer does suffering have a purifying effect on our Souls. So, hell and purgatory might be exactly the same conditions; the difference lies in the one suffering, in her awareness, knowledge, understanding, or wisdom.
An enlightened being is never so careless as to end up in hell. But purgatorial states are common on earth for both enlightened and some unenlightened people.
The very old tradition teaches that a Soul can be "prayed out" of purgatory. This superstition evolved from the awareness that total escape from purgatory was possible by discovering Union through communication with God (interior Love). For Love ultimately liberates us all from all suffering-- including all "hell" states and "purgatory" states.
We all suffer on earth. The wise are called upon to understand why suffering exists, to understand karma and universal justice, for Godmind is always just and never unjust. This realization alone, deeply felt, can liberate from hell and move a person into purgatory. With further study, work, Love, and yielding to the divine will, a person is moved, in time, from "purgatory" into "heaven" (bliss, joy, or ecstasy). This is, in the final analysis, an act of God (Love), and not anything that we "do." This is "salvation," and originates with only grace, although we can make our lives more beautiful by cooperating with the calling of Love.
This movement in Mind, from purgatory to heaven, is enlightenment. It is also called "liberation" and "salvation."
*******
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Judas
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After his betrayal of Jesus Christ, turning him over to the monstrous Romans, Judas felt a nightmarish and horrible pang of deep regret. This created karma for centuries. Judas was not a "completely" evil man; if he were, Jesus would not have selected him to be one of the twelve apostles.
A part of Judas loved Jesus very deeply. Since he was a scorpio, his passions ran more deeply than those of his brothers. And his betrayal of Jesus was not so that Jesus would be murdered. Instead, Judas thought, it would force Jesus to reveal supernatural Power, to deliver himself.
Judas likely suffered from some rather extreme and severe mental illness. This was stated, in the ancient symbolic record, in the colorful language of the time: "Satan entered into him," and precipitated his madness.
Still, the indication is, despite all this, that Judas was essentially striving to be a good man. He loved Jesus deeply. So, his conscience got the better of this gentle, extremely sensitive man. His Soul wanted to pursue the Soul of Jesus into the galaxy, and there was only one way to do this: So, he pursued his Lord into death, confident that the two would survive death and be together again.
Since his incarnation as a man named "Judas," over two thousand years ago, this Soul has learned many beautiful lessons and has found forgiveness and peace. He is now a being of Light, and is free.
*******
After his betrayal of Jesus Christ, turning him over to the monstrous Romans, Judas felt a nightmarish and horrible pang of deep regret. This created karma for centuries. Judas was not a "completely" evil man; if he were, Jesus would not have selected him to be one of the twelve apostles.
A part of Judas loved Jesus very deeply. Since he was a scorpio, his passions ran more deeply than those of his brothers. And his betrayal of Jesus was not so that Jesus would be murdered. Instead, Judas thought, it would force Jesus to reveal supernatural Power, to deliver himself.
Judas likely suffered from some rather extreme and severe mental illness. This was stated, in the ancient symbolic record, in the colorful language of the time: "Satan entered into him," and precipitated his madness.
Still, the indication is, despite all this, that Judas was essentially striving to be a good man. He loved Jesus deeply. So, his conscience got the better of this gentle, extremely sensitive man. His Soul wanted to pursue the Soul of Jesus into the galaxy, and there was only one way to do this: So, he pursued his Lord into death, confident that the two would survive death and be together again.
Since his incarnation as a man named "Judas," over two thousand years ago, this Soul has learned many beautiful lessons and has found forgiveness and peace. He is now a being of Light, and is free.
*******
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Love, Universal Salvation, and Grace
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Grace is the matrix-teaching of all Christianity. It is the clear teaching that we are saved only because God loves us. That should be repeated: We are saved from ignorance and the lower nature, from illusion, only because of the Love of God.
That needs repeating again and again, because we keep falling into the dangerous illusion-- lie or falsehood-- that our salvation arises because we are "good people" or because of our activities, because we are "better" than others, because we "believe" the "right" things, belong to the "right" church, etc.
This lie is known, in Christian history, as the "works" doctrine. It teaches that some are "better" than others, because they "work harder." It is true that some do work harder than others, and that some live better moral and ethical lives.
But that is irrelevant to the issue of salvation. Jesus stated the principle of grace this way, to the proudly religious and respectable Bible-scholars of his day: "Prostitutes, alcoholics, and thieves will go ahead of you into the Kingdom of God."
What could he possibly have meant by such a shocking statement? Salvation does not arise from "perfection," for we are all sinners, light-years from perfection. So, salvation must come from the state of being cleansed or purified of sin. This state comes from forgiveness, which in turn, blossoms from Love. It is Love plus nothing else that lifts the human Soul into purity and salvation.
Some Jewish kabbalists went so far as to say that a person who had sinned and been forgiven was better off than a person who had never sinned! And it is so, for she has had the experience of life and Love that have taught her valuable lessons.
The "problem" that selfrighteous people have with grace is that it must be unlimited, if God's Love is unlimited. (And all must admit that it is.)
This teaching, taken to its only logical conclusion, must imply that most terrifying of great truths-- universal salvation. For no sin can ever be greater than God's bottomless, endless, infinite Love.
*******
Grace is the matrix-teaching of all Christianity. It is the clear teaching that we are saved only because God loves us. That should be repeated: We are saved from ignorance and the lower nature, from illusion, only because of the Love of God.
That needs repeating again and again, because we keep falling into the dangerous illusion-- lie or falsehood-- that our salvation arises because we are "good people" or because of our activities, because we are "better" than others, because we "believe" the "right" things, belong to the "right" church, etc.
This lie is known, in Christian history, as the "works" doctrine. It teaches that some are "better" than others, because they "work harder." It is true that some do work harder than others, and that some live better moral and ethical lives.
But that is irrelevant to the issue of salvation. Jesus stated the principle of grace this way, to the proudly religious and respectable Bible-scholars of his day: "Prostitutes, alcoholics, and thieves will go ahead of you into the Kingdom of God."
What could he possibly have meant by such a shocking statement? Salvation does not arise from "perfection," for we are all sinners, light-years from perfection. So, salvation must come from the state of being cleansed or purified of sin. This state comes from forgiveness, which in turn, blossoms from Love. It is Love plus nothing else that lifts the human Soul into purity and salvation.
Some Jewish kabbalists went so far as to say that a person who had sinned and been forgiven was better off than a person who had never sinned! And it is so, for she has had the experience of life and Love that have taught her valuable lessons.
The "problem" that selfrighteous people have with grace is that it must be unlimited, if God's Love is unlimited. (And all must admit that it is.)
This teaching, taken to its only logical conclusion, must imply that most terrifying of great truths-- universal salvation. For no sin can ever be greater than God's bottomless, endless, infinite Love.
*******
The Conscious Mind and the Body
*******
Life has taught us to live virtually free of all expectations. Because of taking this philosophy seriously, all disappointments are minimized and very low-powered. They are more and more scarce, and weaker and weaker.
Nightmares due to neurochemistry do not depend on, or arise from, the "kinds of thoughts" that you think. Neither do most conditions in the world of cells and molecules.
There are a few "fairy-tale" people who insist on blaming the content of the conscious mind for every illness. These people, claiming to be "metaphysical," or even "spiritual," are lost in hopeless ego-fantasy. Experience has taught that these people are simply terrified of life. They force themselves to believe that their conscious minds (egos) control the molecular and cellular universes, because the idea of relaxing into faith and trust horrifies them. Thus, they feel ghastly guilt whenever anything goes wrong in their lives. (This is selfcreated hell.) They are "anti-Taoists," pushing hard against the cosmos, in insisting that their conscious minds are God-- thus, misunderstanding almost everything at a very basic level.
They are utterly lost in confusion, always reading and blah-blahing about "positive thinking" and related subjects. (For the record, positive thinking is very good and powerfully therapeutic, but has many limitations.) But these bold but trembling talkers are all talk. They cannot change the color of a single hair upon their own heads, as the master Jesus said.
So, forget about controlling the whole world, and forget about controlling even the whole mind. Our tiny little conscious minds were never created for, or given the power-level necessary for, controlling. (Their function is simple experience, not control.)
Instead, sink down into a deep, bottomless, bright cloud of Love. Rest into It, and let It carry you. Immerse yourself in total saturation of this Love, and let it soak into everypore, every cell, of your body and brain. As far as possible, think only thoughts of Love. Learn to love, and be grateful for, even the hell-images of nightmare, which are here to warn (about certain drugs, for example) and to educate; they are also Love, at their Core.
*******
Life has taught us to live virtually free of all expectations. Because of taking this philosophy seriously, all disappointments are minimized and very low-powered. They are more and more scarce, and weaker and weaker.
Nightmares due to neurochemistry do not depend on, or arise from, the "kinds of thoughts" that you think. Neither do most conditions in the world of cells and molecules.
There are a few "fairy-tale" people who insist on blaming the content of the conscious mind for every illness. These people, claiming to be "metaphysical," or even "spiritual," are lost in hopeless ego-fantasy. Experience has taught that these people are simply terrified of life. They force themselves to believe that their conscious minds (egos) control the molecular and cellular universes, because the idea of relaxing into faith and trust horrifies them. Thus, they feel ghastly guilt whenever anything goes wrong in their lives. (This is selfcreated hell.) They are "anti-Taoists," pushing hard against the cosmos, in insisting that their conscious minds are God-- thus, misunderstanding almost everything at a very basic level.
They are utterly lost in confusion, always reading and blah-blahing about "positive thinking" and related subjects. (For the record, positive thinking is very good and powerfully therapeutic, but has many limitations.) But these bold but trembling talkers are all talk. They cannot change the color of a single hair upon their own heads, as the master Jesus said.
So, forget about controlling the whole world, and forget about controlling even the whole mind. Our tiny little conscious minds were never created for, or given the power-level necessary for, controlling. (Their function is simple experience, not control.)
Instead, sink down into a deep, bottomless, bright cloud of Love. Rest into It, and let It carry you. Immerse yourself in total saturation of this Love, and let it soak into everypore, every cell, of your body and brain. As far as possible, think only thoughts of Love. Learn to love, and be grateful for, even the hell-images of nightmare, which are here to warn (about certain drugs, for example) and to educate; they are also Love, at their Core.
*******
Friday, August 17, 2007
The "Virgin Birth"
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Historically, both the Buddha and Jesus share the legend of the "virgin" birth. The allegorical meaning of both is that they were not affected by the lower nature. (Sexual sharing between a man and woman was seen to replicate the sexual sharing between males and females of other species, and so, was relegated to the "lower nature," or "animal" nature.")
So, it became the absolute and ultimate representation of non-animal (total spiritual) "purity" to ascribe the birth of the greatest sages to a kind of "spiritual intercourse."
The word translated as "virgin" in the ancient Hebrew texts can also be correctly translated "young maiden." So, the earliest record of the event is questionable, from an etymological (word-study) perspective.
As followers of Jesus, we need not deny the virgin birth. But neither is it necessary to insist on its historical or literal truth. If this miracle happened, wonderful!:) Anything is possible with God! But if Jesus was truly human, this implies that he might have enjoyed a normal human mother and father.
A few historical notes, such as we have them (not reliable) imply that Mary might have been as young as twelve, and Joseph as old as forty, when the two were reluctantly married. Some ancient traditions imply that Joseph never really got "on board," or "with the program," and married Mary only reluctantly after she was found pregnant, as the Scriptures imply.
Joseph is an interesting character. By then, he seems to have been a settled, seasoned merchant, with a reputation to protect, and so, Mary was an embarrassment. (Joseph was famously a carpenter; Jesus never was.) Mary, in her regret, sadness, or embarrassment, might have been the source of the "virgin birth" story. Both received messages in dreams-- not always the most reliable sources.
We can accept Jesus as the greatest teacher in history, we can accept him as "master," we can accept him as the "Son of God" even if we do not accept the virgin birth. Many early, non-traditional, Christians did not accept this. The Gospel of Phillip calls it a "superstition." So, within a century or two, many Christians, many believers, questioned this shaky dogma.
The orthodox later Church (Catholic) insisted that this dogma made Jesus special and supernatural. But we know that he was extraordinarily special, and extraordinarily supernatural, no matter who his earthly father might have been. It's irrelevant anyway, for we know that his real "Father" was God.
The same, by the way, applies to us his followers. For he commanded, "Call no man on earth your 'father," for One is your Father, the heavenly One." (Mt. 23:10-12). The fact that Christians regularly disobey, or ignore, this command does not change the fact that this is what Jesus actually said. So, exactly like him, we of enlightenment recognize no earthly "father."
A person's salvation is not at stake, depending on whether she believes in the virgin birth. As noted, many early Christians did not believe in it. Our salvation, like our relationship with our Father, does not depend on intellectual beliefs. It depends on a warm Love shared from God towards us (grace) and our response of that same Love. Salvation originates entirely with grace. And that is the best "good news"
possible!
*******
Historically, both the Buddha and Jesus share the legend of the "virgin" birth. The allegorical meaning of both is that they were not affected by the lower nature. (Sexual sharing between a man and woman was seen to replicate the sexual sharing between males and females of other species, and so, was relegated to the "lower nature," or "animal" nature.")
So, it became the absolute and ultimate representation of non-animal (total spiritual) "purity" to ascribe the birth of the greatest sages to a kind of "spiritual intercourse."
The word translated as "virgin" in the ancient Hebrew texts can also be correctly translated "young maiden." So, the earliest record of the event is questionable, from an etymological (word-study) perspective.
As followers of Jesus, we need not deny the virgin birth. But neither is it necessary to insist on its historical or literal truth. If this miracle happened, wonderful!:) Anything is possible with God! But if Jesus was truly human, this implies that he might have enjoyed a normal human mother and father.
A few historical notes, such as we have them (not reliable) imply that Mary might have been as young as twelve, and Joseph as old as forty, when the two were reluctantly married. Some ancient traditions imply that Joseph never really got "on board," or "with the program," and married Mary only reluctantly after she was found pregnant, as the Scriptures imply.
Joseph is an interesting character. By then, he seems to have been a settled, seasoned merchant, with a reputation to protect, and so, Mary was an embarrassment. (Joseph was famously a carpenter; Jesus never was.) Mary, in her regret, sadness, or embarrassment, might have been the source of the "virgin birth" story. Both received messages in dreams-- not always the most reliable sources.
We can accept Jesus as the greatest teacher in history, we can accept him as "master," we can accept him as the "Son of God" even if we do not accept the virgin birth. Many early, non-traditional, Christians did not accept this. The Gospel of Phillip calls it a "superstition." So, within a century or two, many Christians, many believers, questioned this shaky dogma.
The orthodox later Church (Catholic) insisted that this dogma made Jesus special and supernatural. But we know that he was extraordinarily special, and extraordinarily supernatural, no matter who his earthly father might have been. It's irrelevant anyway, for we know that his real "Father" was God.
The same, by the way, applies to us his followers. For he commanded, "Call no man on earth your 'father," for One is your Father, the heavenly One." (Mt. 23:10-12). The fact that Christians regularly disobey, or ignore, this command does not change the fact that this is what Jesus actually said. So, exactly like him, we of enlightenment recognize no earthly "father."
A person's salvation is not at stake, depending on whether she believes in the virgin birth. As noted, many early Christians did not believe in it. Our salvation, like our relationship with our Father, does not depend on intellectual beliefs. It depends on a warm Love shared from God towards us (grace) and our response of that same Love. Salvation originates entirely with grace. And that is the best "good news"
possible!
*******
Friday, August 10, 2007
Some Translation Errors in the King James Bible
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Taken from tripdub biblestudy.org
***
Here is only a very tiny and incomplete partial listing of King James Version translation errors, demonstrating that this translation of the Bible is imperfect:
Taken from tripdub biblestudy.org
***
Here is only a very tiny and incomplete partial listing of King James Version translation errors, demonstrating that this translation of the Bible is imperfect:
Genesis 1:2 should read "And the earth became without form . . . ." The word translated "was" is hayah, and denotes a condition different than a former condition, as in Genesis 19:26.
Genesis 10:9 should read " . . . Nimrod the mighty hunter in place of [in opposition to] the LORD." The word "before" is incorrect and gives the connotation that Nimrod was a good guy, which is false.
Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26 in the KJV is "scapegoat" which today has the connotation of someone who is unjustly blamed for other's sins. The Hebrew is Azazel, which means "one removed or separated." The Azazel goal represents Satan, who is no scapegoat. He is guilty of his part in our sins.
Deuteronomy 24:1, "then let him" should be "and he." As the Savior explained in Matthew 19, Moses did not command divorcement. This statute is regulating the permission of divorce because of the hardness of their hearts.
2 Kings 2:23, should be "young men", not "little children."
Isaiah 65:17 should be "I am creating [am about to create] new heavens and new earth . . . ."
Ezekiel 20:25 should read "Wherefore I permitted them, or gave them over to, [false] statutes that are not good, and judgments whereby they should not live." God's laws are good, perfect and right. This verse shows that since Israel rejected God's laws, He allowed them to hurt themselves by following false man made customs and laws.
Daniel 8:14 is correct in the margin, which substitutes "evening morning" for "days." Too bad William Miller didn't realize this.
Malachi 4:6 should read " . . . lest I come and smite the earth with utter destruction." "Curse" doesn't give the proper sense here. Same word used in Zechariah 14:11.
Matthew 5:48 should be "Become ye therefore perfect" rather than "be ye therefore perfect." "Perfect" here means "spiritually mature." Sanctification is a process of overcoming with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 24:22 needs an additional word to clarify the meaning. It should say "there should no flesh be saved alive."
Matthew 27:49 omits text which was in the original. Moffatt correctly adds it, while the RSV puts it in a footnote: "And another took a spear and pierced His side, and out came water and blood." The Savior's death came when a soldier pierced His side, Revelation 1:7.
Matthew 28:1, "In the end of the sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week . . ." should be translated literally, "Now late on Sabbath, as it was getting dusk toward the first day of the week . . . ." The Sabbath does not end at dawn but at dusk.
Luke 2:14 should say, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of God's good pleasure or choosing." That is, there will be peace on earth among men who have God's good will in their hearts.
Luke 14:26 has the unfortunate translation of the Greek word miseo, Strong's #3404, as "hate", when it should be rendered "love less by comparison." We are not to hate our parents and family!
John 1:31, 33 should say "baptize" or "baptizing IN water" not with water. Pouring or sprinkling with water is not the scriptural method of baptism, but only thorough immersion in water.
John 1:17 is another instance of a poor preposition. "By" should be "through": "For the law was given by [through] Moses . . . ." Moses did not proclaim his law, but God's Law.
John 13:2 should be "And during supper" (RSV) rather than "And supper being ended" (KJV).
Acts 12:4 has the inaccurate word "Easter" which should be rendered "Passover." The Greek word is pascha which is translated correctly as Passover in Matthew 26:2, etc.
1 Corinthians 1:18 should be: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that are perishing foolishness; but unto us which are being saved it is the power of God", rather than "perish" and "are saved." Likewise, II Thessalonians 2:10 should be "are perishing" rather than "perish."
1 Corinthians 15:29 should be: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the hope of the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the hope of the dead?"
2 Corinthians 6:2 should be "a day of salvation", instead of "the day of salvation." This is a quote from Isaiah 49:8, which is correct. The day of salvation is not the same for each individual. The firstfruits have their day of salvation during this life. The rest in the second resurrection.
1 Timothy 4:8 should say, "For bodily exercise profiteth for a little time: but godliness in profitable unto all things . . . ."
1 Timothy 6:10 should be, "For the love of money is a [not the] root of all evil . . . ."
Hebrews 4:8 should be "Joshua" rather than "Jesus", although these two words are Hebrew and Greek equivalents.
Hebrews 4:9 should read, "There remaineth therefore a keeping of a sabbath to the people of God."
Hebrews 9:28 is out of proper order in the King James. It should be: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them without sin that look for him shall he appear the second time unto salvation."
1 John 5:7-8 contains additional text which was added to the original. "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." The italicized text was added to the original manuscripts. Most modern translations agree that this was an uninspired addition to the Latin Vulgate to support the unscriptural trinity doctrine.
Revelation 14:4 should be "a firstfruits", because the 144,000 are not all the firstfruits.
Revelation 20:4-5 in the KJV is a little confusing until you realize that the sentence "This is the first resurrection." in verse five refers back to "they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" in verse four.
Revelation 20:10, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are [correction: should be 'were cast' because the beast and false prophet were mortal human beings who were burned up in the lake of fire 1,000 years previous to this time,
Revelation 19:20], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." The point is that Satan will be cast into the same lake of fire into which the beast and false prophet were cast a thousand years previously.
Revelation 22:2 should be "health" rather than "healing."
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Punctuation Problems
Luke 23:43 has been erroneously used by some to claim that Jesus went straight to heaven at His death. The original Greek did not have punctuation marks as we do today. The KJV states, "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." The comma should not be after "thee", but "day." The believing malefactor would be with Christ in the paradise of the redeemed when he was resurrected far into the future.
Mark 16:9 does not say that Jesus was resurrected Sunday morning. There is a missing implied comma between "risen" and "early" and there should be no comma after week as the KJV has it: "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene . . . ." Thus, it should say, "Now when Jesus was risen, early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene . . . ."
Written by: Richard Nickels
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