Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Christian or christian? Last.

“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the art of living together as brothers.” Martin Luther King

Both, you say? Yes, both! Of course one can be both – a christian and a Christian! Indeed, to me, that’s what rabbi Jesus was espousing. Not an exclusionary, either/or – you’re either for me or against me - experience of living, but an inclusionary, both/and experience, that I’m both for you and against you – for you on somethings, against you on others, but always your brother/sister, always sharing the same spiritual reality and longing to actualize it free of the ego.

We are not asked to be perfect, to have no ‘evil’ thoughts, never to be lazy or fall into blame, judgment and fear. All of that is part of the human experience of being both spirit and ego. But we are asked not to cling to those thoughts, justify them or seek to make them real. We are asked – called upon – that when we find ourselves having ‘evil’ thoughts, blaming, judging and being afraid that we turn them over to the spirit/Kingdom within and not cling to them, analyze and justify them, but release them, give them over and ask spirit to help us see things differently; to get our bloated nothingness out of the way of the divine circuits as Emerson said, and allow the truth of our oneness with all that is to manifest.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Christian or christian? 3

Michael Beckwith a wonderful and very excellent metaphysician and teacher, once said, many churches talk more about the devil than they do about God. Hell, fire and brimstone, who to vote for, what’s wrong with society, onward Christian soldiers, battle, anger, blame and punishment – that’s what they talk about, not love thy neighbor.

How is one to get away from the ego’s nightmare illusion of the world and in touch with the wonderful vision of reform, blessings, community, compassion and inclusion espoused by rabbi Jesus, if the very institutions bearing his name and founded in his name, and acting in his name don’t offer a true spiritual alternative?

One escapes the ego’s nightmare illusion of the world and gets in touch with the wonderful vision of reform, blessings, community, compassion and inclusion espoused by rabbi Jesus, by turning within, heeding the still small voice, and not relying on worldly institutions, including churches, synagogues and mosques. Didn’t rabbi Jesus also say, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all else shall be added,” and “the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

The combination of seeking the Kingdom of Heaven within, following our inner guidance and vision, plus taking committed action will bring a world that reflects our spiritual reality, a world that works for everyone and everything.

Hillel said, “If not me, who? And if not now, when?” We are the ones we have been waiting for, and the time for waiting is past. Worldly institutions have a place, but relying on them, especially those without vision and spiritual connection, is a cop out.

We are the ones, and now is the time. We can cooperate with institutions, but must take responsibility for our own thoughts and actions.

Are we making our own unique contribution to a world that reflects our spiritual reality and works for everyone and everything? Are we committed to the wonderful vision of reform, blessings, community, compassion and inclusion espoused by rabbi Jesus, or worshipping in the church of hell, fire and brimstone, who to vote for, what’s wrong with society, onward Christian soldiers, battle, anger, blame and punishment? Are we seeking the Kingdom of Heaven within first, or correcting the mote in others’ eyes? Are we inclusive and loving christians, or are we exclusionary and belligerent Christians? It’s our choice. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for and now is the time choose and act.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Christian or christian? 2

It seems to me, when I look at the attitude differences between say George Romney and his son, Willard, and Billy Graham and his son, Franklin, there’s a generational ‘thing’ at work that determines whether contemporary Republicans are christians or Christians.

It seems to me that the older generation – George Romney and Billy Graham, with their emphasis on community, cooperation, compassion, were christians; and that their sons, Willard and Franklin, with their emphasis on punishment, blame, anger, lack of compassion, cooperation and community, are Christians. It seems to me that the older generation of christians was inclusive, compassionate and loving, while the current generation of Christians are exclusive, angry and punishing, with an in your face, ‘my way or the highway,’ attitude.

How did the christianity – the wonderful vision of reform, blessings, community, compassion and inclusion espoused by rabbi Jesus – and practiced by the older generation of Romneys and Grahams, become the anger, exclusionary, punishing, blaming, angry my way or the highway Christianity of not only the current generation of Romneys and Grahams, but most of the t party and many Republicans as well?

My goal here is to make the contrast and provoke thought about it, not explain how it came about. And my hope is, in making this very stark contrast between christianity and Christianity, that some of those who read this will want to return Christianity to christianity and bring the wonderful vision of reform, blessings, community, compassion and inclusion espoused by rabbi Jesus – and practiced by the older generation of Romneys and Grahams, back into public life.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Christian or christian?

My cousin, the wise Plato Liebowitz sez, “before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Then, when you start criticizing them, you’re a mile away and they have to run after you without shoes.” Good advice! But I can’t follow it, ‘cause even tho I’ve tried on the others’ shoes, they didn’t fit and I’m not going anywhere.

This is gonna be a rant, and coming after yesterday’s post about gratitude, I feel kind of hypocritical and guilty about ranting, but boy, is my ego hooked and pushing me to do this!

Franklin Graham, the great Billy Graham’s son, has been in the news lately, saying that he’s not sure Obama is a Christian, but he is sure Gingrich and Santorum are. Think about that for a moment. What’s his definition of ‘Christian’? I’m sure if asked, Franklin could rationalize his position. But from the outside looking in, as a non-Christian and non-Republican, it seems Franklin’s position, and the positions of those who feel as he does, reeks of hypocrisy and prejudice.

To me the greatest tenets of Christianity are: love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek, blessed are the meek, be a good steward, and others of that kind. In fact, given my belief and practice of those ideas, I would be a christian, not a Christian, while those like Franklin and his friends and followers, who loudly proclaim their so-called Christianity but don’t seem to believe or practice christian things, especially where gays, poor people, and people of other faiths and political persuasions are concerned, would not be.

The same is true of Franklin’s and his friends and followers belief in the US Constitution. Church and state are separated in the Constitution. They would undo that if they could and allow only their kind of Christians to have the benefit of the Constitution and be allowed to be US citizens.

They talk about freedom, individual liberty and self responsibility, but would be in the bedrooms of the nation, allowing only married heterosexuals to have sex, and then only in the missionary position.

They fear ‘bigness’ and too much centralized control, especially big government; but love big multi-national banks and corporations, calling them ‘too big to fail,’ and allowing them to do whatever they want.

They’re for ‘law and order’ except for the big banks and corporations who must not be regulated and must be free of ‘burdensome’ regulation and allowed to ruin millions of lives and corrupt and despoil civil society. Law and order is for the little guy, you and me, especially for non-Christians, the black, Latino or gay little guy.

Where does the rubber meet the road for these so-called Christians? When do compassion and brotherly love the principles of christianity, replace dogma, ideological purity and bull shit of Christianity? Heaven help us if these people manage to win or steal (as they did with George Bush the Second) the next national elections, for they would put into practice the Christianity they stand for. Was Jesus a christian or a Christian?

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Gratitude

Please remember, we are not guaranteed a long life….
Duh…you say, I knew that!
Neither are the people we love and care about guaranteed a long life.
Neither are the conditions, rules, relationships or things that are important to us guaranteed a long life.

The meaning this reality holds for me touches on impermanence, but for me, it’s more about taking people, places, things and conditions for granted; about not appreciating them, nor being grateful for them.

What would I do differently if I felt grateful for the things I take for granted, and expressed that gratitude more often? How would I be different?

I’ve tried this, consciously made an effort to be grateful more often and express that appreciation more often, and it makes me happier, more compassionate, tolerant and creative. Each time I catch myself overlooking, ignoring and taking my many blessings for granted, I take a deep breath, say to myself, ‘there you go again,’ without blame, and shift to saying a heart-felt, ‘thank you!’

I am different when I’m grateful. Being ungrateful, dwelling on lack and what’s missing and what’s not working, seeking to blame and punish, makes me small, nasty and crabby, and actually blocks the flow of good into my life. Being grateful opens me up, makes me more receptive, compassionate, kind and generous, allows more good to flow to me and makes me want to share and bless. I like myself better, much better, when I’m grateful for the many things I take for granted. Try it. You might like yourself better, too.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Buttons and Those Who Press Them

Could it be that those that press our buttons, be they so-called conservatives or liberals, democrats or republicans, atheists or believers, assholes or saints, men or women, are really our greatest teachers? Could that be? What could such jerks, assholes and idiots possibly have to teach us?

Wholeness, they are teaching wholeness. They are teaching, as John Donne said, “no man is an island, entire to himself, each is a part of the main, a part of the whole…. Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.”

So, by virtue of their existence alone, the people who press my buttons, are showing/teaching me that not only are the buttons and the button pressers a necessary part of the whole, difficult as that is to believe, but reflect back to me some place within me that needs healing. Button pressers are calling me to ‘fix’ my buttons, to heal myself and find the place of deeper love my ‘buttons’ cover, then honor my wholeness despite my flaws.

Doing this - healing myself and finding the deeper love for myself within myself that the buttons are covering, is the first step in making a loving, compassionate contribution to a world that works for everyone and everything. One can not give what one does not have. The buttons and the people who press them, offer an opportunity to be kind, loving and compassionate to myself; to heal the place where the buttons are; to help take my attention off the external challenge and struggle and focus on loving and healing myself, and doing the inner ‘work’.

This is the ‘spiritual’ view of ‘buttons’ and the people who press them. The more typical and predominant ego view, which unfortunately is alive and well and on display in the various t party dominated Republican campaign events, is that people who press our buttons are like a cancer and need to be cut out of the body politic. Not that we need to take responsibility for our buttons, but rather our buttons are ok and the people who press them are evil. Think for a moment, who were the greatest purveyors of this view – the Nazis and the Communists, and more recently the ethnic ‘cleansing’ in Serbia and the killing fields in Cambodia.

We always have a choice in how we look at, experience and react to our buttons and the people who press them - the spiritual view or the ego view. We always have a choice. Even when we forget we have a choice and fall into the predominant almost ‘natural’ ego view that buttons are ok and the people who press them are a cancer that needs to be cut out, still, when we realize what we are doing, we can wake up and choose differently. The love, wholeness and compassion are always, always, there – the still small voice, waiting for us to listen.

Our function here, is not to put love into things, it is already present, but to remove all the obstructions to its flow – in ourselves; ourselves, not others. Not to ‘fix’ other people, the people who press our buttons, but to ‘fix’ our own buttons, to be responsible for ourselves, first, without blame, shame or guilt. Buttons come with the territory. The more we fight our buttons and the people who press them, blaming the buttons and the button pressers for our mistaken choices, the more difficult it gets to turn within and take responsibility for ourselves. It’s never about them, but always about us.

So, take your attention off the seeming external challenge for a moment, take a deep breath, invite the love and healing already present in you and in the button pressers to flow, then, from that place of love, wholeness and compassion, go forward.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

More on the Course

The Course says that it’s either God or the ego. God (that amorphous all-encompassing all-inclusive resonance of life, not Zeus nor the Zeus-like ‘Father’ of much Judeo-Christian dogma) or the ego. God is reality, the ego, illusion. Our experience is that either we’re with God or the ego. Our reality and the truth about us is we’re at peace, one with God, a part of God, dreaming that we’re separate from God (an impossibility), here in the world, and that if we think we’re here in the world – which I do and you do, then we’re with the ego in the illusion.

The ‘miracle’ in the Course’s title is our experience of awakening, with spiritual help, from the illusion of the world and experiencing our reality as part of God. When that happens, which it does often, it feels like a miracle. The experience of awakening and the ability to awaken – to perform ‘miracles,’ resides in the mind of every human being; it’s available to everyone; no special rituals, initiations or training required. The miracle occurs each time we’re able to experience, to know at a very deep level, our reality, our oneness with God; to experience and understand that God did not create the world, is not watching us or keeping score and the duality that we experience here – the good and evil, the love and hate, pain and bliss, are not of God, but of the ego.

The world arose when the ego offered the tiny mad idea that we could separate ourselves from God, that our reality, our true bliss as undifferentiated parts of infinite oneness was too boring and not enough for us, that something more was needed, and we accepted that idea. The world arose from a decision we, not God, made to accept that tiny mad idea. But in truth, nothing could change our reality and oneness, so we are asleep with God, dreaming we are here. Just as when you had a bad dream as a child and your parents were in the next room, knowing you were safe in your bed, so God knows we are safe and with It. It was our choice for the ego, a decision made in our minds to dream, that we, with spiritual help, must undo. That is what the Course teaches, how to get the spiritual help, undo the decision we made and awaken to our reality. Honesty and self-responsibility are part of the undoing process.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Course in Miracles

From time-to-time, I’ll be blogging about A Course in Miracles, which I have been taking for the last 22 years, and every once in awhile understand – no, that’s not fair, I understand a lot of it at an intellectual level and feel a deep resonance with almost all of it on the emotional and physical levels. I guess my ‘difficulty,’ my hesitation in saying I understand it, revolves around operationalizing it - living it on a daily, hourly, moment to moment basis. I’m not operationalizing it, experiencing it, as much as I’d like to, so it feels like I don’t understand it.

But I do understand it and am writing this to better operationalize the Course for myself, and to introduce new people to it by taking things from the Course that will resonate - make sense, seem intrinsically true and worthwhile, even without fully understanding the Course’s metaphysics. For example: “…we no longer tolerate the dishonesty of believing that our problems come from somewhere else [outside us]. Honesty does not apply only to what you say. The term actually means consistency. There is nothing you say that contradicts what you think or do; no thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word; and no word lacks agreement with an other. Such are the truly honest.”

Now to me, not only do those ideas about honesty and self-responsibility resonate, they are inspirational, and among my highest life-long aspirations. I want to share such ideas, hoping they will resonate with you, too. I think they are ideas whose time has come, that we need to operationalize now. To give these ideas more heft, my posts will include explanations of the Course’s metaphysics. Please keep in mind as you read my posts, that I am not an expert on the Course; I’m only sharing a lay person’s interpretations.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is Optional

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.
Suffering – feeling so sorry for ourselves, wallowing in the pain, dwelling on it, chaining it to the past and future, holding on to it, glorying in it, being a martyr – is a choice. Haven’t you experienced this in your own life? Check it out – pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. The pain ends, but the suffering goes on, and on, and on.

Ernest Holmes, founder of Science of Mind, SOM, wrote, “The world is beginning to realize that it has learned all it should through pain and suffering…. The Universe does not demand suffering! Suffering is man-made, through ignorance [of the phenomena that what we place our intention on is what we get]. Someday we shall decide we have had enough suffering.”

You can not find the light by analyzing the darkness. What manifests is what we place our intention and focus upon. The pop idea, deep in our psyches, that suffering evokes evolution, is as ineffective and perverse as the idea that violence can bring peace, or lack can manifest plenty. It’s time to stop justifying pain and suffering as a necessary ‘evil;’ neither is necessary, nor evil. Until we come to that realization, it will continue to be easier to witness, experience and condone the unthinkable than it will be for us to enter the kingdom of truth. If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got. Doing the same things and expecting a different result is a good definition of insanity.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Possessions and Toys: Do They Own Us, or We Them?

When asked by a ‘rich man’ if he could join the disciples, the rabbi supposedly said, “It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Was Jesus prejudiced against rich people? Was he against wealth and possessions? Not really, only if they – wealth and possessions, owned us, instead of us owning them; only if we identified too strongly with them, confused them for our identity, for who we are, was the rabbi against them. And who are we really, spiritual beings having an earthly experience or earthly beings having spiritual experiences?

At a practical level, I think Jesus the rabbi meant that it is easier to do the impossible than to move forward into a new idea while maintaining a belief in an old one. Surrendering the old belief is essential in order to move into a new reality.

Friday, February 10, 2012

New Year's Resolutions, Last

This time of year, many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Well, actually, by this date, the second week in February, we’re probably not thinking about them much anymore because doing so makes us feel guilty. Now, we’re back in the groove, sailing along, fat, dumb and happy, and maybe a little hung over and indigestive after the Super Bowl. Still, every once and awhile we get a vague sense of unease about whether we’re living up to our potential and living on purpose.

What we do with that unease is what separates the happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people from the depressed, sad, angry, blaming punishers. When the unease arises, the happy folk pause, say something like, ‘oh, there I go again,’ stop ‘thinking’ and struggling, and open themselves to guidance, shifting from the ego to spirit. The depressed, blaming punishers re-double their efforts to think harder and work harder to ‘improve’ themselves and do more of what they were doing, not realizing that doing the same thing and expecting a different result is a good definition of insanity.

So, what potential and purpose are we here to achieve? Is it to be depressed, sad, angry, blaming punishers, or happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people? Deep down, most of us realize that it is the choice between these two alternatives, ego or spirit, that matters, not the kind of work we do, what kind of toys we own or how much money we have. If our purpose is to be happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people, then, so long as our basic needs are met, we can be that kind of person, no matter what.

Deep down, most of us, even the blaming punishers, realize that it’s the inner game that matters; that riding the horse in the direction it’s going is cool and fun, and that going up to the screen in the movie theater to fix an out of focus picture doesn’t really work.

Deep down, most of us, even the blaming punishers, realize that flexibility and a more inclusive both/and approach that includes both spirit and body, is most effective and efficient and that our destinies (to make a unique contribution to a world that works for everyone and everything) are not straight lines to destinations ordained by ‘God.’

We realize that there are too many variables, factors and elements for one person’s tiny ego to deal with effectively and efficiently; that normally, of necessity, to get through the day we set boundaries and limit our perceptions, otherwise we’d be overwhelmed and break down. The ego is a fragile thing. But spirit is not. Spirit is totally awesome, unlimited and unlimitable, compassionate and giving of Itself; and spirit is the horse we are riding.

When the unease arises, it is the horse signaling that we’re riding it the wrong direction, or that there is a better way to ride it. And, when we pause, say something like, ‘oh, there I go again,’ stop ‘thinking’ and struggling, and open ourselves to guidance, shifting from the ego to spirit, we allow the horse to lead us home; and the horse knows the way. Why would we think we could achieve success - be happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people, making our unique contributions to a world that works for everyone and everything – without experiencing new ways of being?

Deep down, we know we’ve got to get our bloated nothingness out of the way of the divine circuits. But, not only is doing this scary, but we don’t know how, haven’t been taught or trained how to do it. But the horse knows how; the horse knows the way.

When we re-affirm our purpose and desire to fulfill our potential to be happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people, making unique contributions to a world that works for everyone and everything, then pause, shifting from ego to spirit each time we feel the unease, guilt, fear and doubt, we will be doing all we can. Because the unease, guilt, fear and doubt, are really a signal to change, an opportunity for a course correction, a message to pause, relax, stop struggling and let the horse do the work.

So, really, the only resolution we need is to let the horse do the work, each time the unease arises. It’s a one step at a time process. Whatever happens is good, is an opportunity to get our bloated nothingness out of the way, to let go of fear, guilt and blame, especially for ourselves, pause, shift from ego to spirit, let the horse do the work, and then take whatever action you’re going to take from there.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

New Year's Resolutions, 3

This time of year, many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Well, actually, by this date, the second week in February, we’re probably not thinking about them much anymore because doing so makes us feel guilty. Now, we’re back in the groove, sailing along, fat, dumb and happy, and maybe a little hung over and indigestive after the Super Bowl. Still, every once and awhile we get a vague sense of unease about whether we’re living up to our potential and living on purpose.

What we do with that unease is what separates the happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people from the depressed, sad, angry, blaming punishers. When the unease arises, the happy folk pause, say something like, ‘oh, there I go again,’ stop ‘thinking’ and struggling, and open themselves to guidance, shifting from the ego to spirit. The depressed, blaming punishers re-double their efforts to think harder and work harder to ‘improve’ themselves and do more of what they were doing, not realizing that doing the same thing and expecting a different result is a good definition of insanity.

So, what potential and purpose are we here to achieve? Is it to be depressed, sad, angry, blaming punishers, or happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people? Deep down, most of us realize that it is the choice between these two alternatives, ego or spirit, that matters, not the kind of work we do, what kind of toys we own or how much money we have. If our purpose is to be happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people, then, so long as our basic needs are met, we can be that kind of person, no matter what.

Deep down, most of us, even the blaming punishers, realize that it’s the inner game that matters; that riding the horse in the direction it’s going is cool and fun, and that going up to the screen in the movie theater to fix an out of focus picture doesn’t really work.

Deep down, most of us, even the blaming punishers, realize that flexibility and a more inclusive both/and approach that includes both spirit and body, is most effective and efficient and that our destinies (to make a unique contribution to a world that works for everyone and everything) are not straight lines to destinations ordained by ‘God.’

We realize that there are too many variables, factors and elements for one person’s tiny ego to deal with effectively and efficiently; that normally, of necessity, to get through the day we set boundaries and limit our perceptions, otherwise we’d be overwhelmed and break down. The ego is a fragile thing. But spirit is not. Spirit is totally awesome, unlimited and unlimitable, compassionate and giving of Itself; and spirit is the horse we are riding.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

New Year's Resolutions, 2

This time of year, many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Well, actually, by this date, the second week in February, we’re probably not thinking about them much anymore because doing so makes us feel guilty. Now, we’re back in the groove, sailing along, fat, dumb and happy, and maybe a little hung over and indigestive after the Super Bowl. Still, every once and awhile we get a vague sense of unease about whether we’re living up to our potential and living on purpose.

What we do with that unease is what separates the happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people from the depressed, sad, angry, blaming punishers. When the unease arises, the happy folk pause, say something like, ‘oh, there I go again,’ stop ‘thinking’ and struggling, and open themselves to guidance, shifting from the ego to spirit. The depressed, blaming punishers re-double their efforts to think harder and work harder to ‘improve’ themselves and do more of what they were doing, not realizing that doing the same thing and expecting a different result is a good definition of insanity.

So, what potential and purpose are we here to achieve? Is it to be depressed, sad, angry, blaming punishers, or happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people? Deep down, most of us realize that it is the choice between these two alternatives, ego or spirit, that matters, not the kind of work we do, what kind of toys we own or how much money we have. If our purpose is to be happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people, then, so long as our basic needs are met, we can be that kind of person, no matter what.

Deep down, most of us, even the blaming punishers, realize that it’s the inner game that matters; that riding the horse in the direction it’s going is cool and fun, and that going up to the screen in the movie theater to fix an out of focus picture doesn’t really work.

Deep down, most of us, even the blaming punishers, realize that flexibility and a more inclusive both/and approach that includes both spirit and body, is most effective and efficient and that our destinies (to make a unique contribution to a world that works for everyone and everything) are not straight lines to destinations ordained by ‘God.’

We realize that there are too many variables, factors and elements for one person’s tiny ego to deal with effectively and efficiently; that normally, of necessity, to get through the day we set boundaries and limit our perceptions, otherwise we’d be overwhelmed and break down. The ego is a fragile thing. But spirit is not. Spirit is totally awesome, unlimited and unlimitable, compassionate and giving of Itself; and spirit is the horse we are riding.

Monday, February 6, 2012

New Year's Resolutions

This time of year, many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Well, actually, by this date, the second week in February, we’re probably not thinking about them much anymore because doing so makes us feel guilty. Now, we’re back in the groove, sailing along, fat, dumb and happy, and maybe a little hung over and indigestive after the Super Bowl. Still, every once and awhile we get a vague sense of unease about whether we’re living up to our potential and living on purpose.

What we do with that unease is what separates the happy, fulfilled, compassionate, generous and cooperative people from the depressed, sad, angry, blaming punishers. When the unease arises, the happy folk pause, say something like, ‘oh, there I go again,’ stop ‘thinking’ and struggling, and open themselves to guidance, shifting from the ego to spirit. The depressed, blaming punishers re-double their efforts to think harder and work harder to ‘improve’ themselves and do more of what they were doing, not realizing that doing the same thing and expecting a different result is a good definition of insanity.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Death?

Death is not a comfortable topic. But what Woody Allen said about it, speaks for me: “I’m not afraid of death. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Funny, but there’s a truth in that idea that can provide a handle for dealing more effectively with death. If there are many planes of Life and consciousness, as I and many philosophers and metaphysicians, and maybe you believe, perhaps we only die from one plane to another. In other words, perhaps Woody won’t have to be there, or you either, when it happens.

Who is the “I” that dies? If we are all one in God - and by ‘God’ I mean the Life Force, not an old white guy with a beard sitting on a throne in the clouds surrounded by cherubim, and since God doesn’t die, we don’t die either. So, who is the “I” that dies - a particular ego, a particular way of being, a small part of the Whole, one of many possibilities.

Death is a step on an eternal, never ending journey. So why the fear? Because dying means letting go of that particular ego, of who we think we are, and taking a step into something bigger and unknown. But really, think about it, fire and brimstone preaching aside, if it is a step into the unknown, then we don’t know, so why worry; be happy.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Mistaken Interpretations

I but mistake interpretation for the truth; and I am wrong, says the Course. But a mistake is not a sin, nor has reality been taken from Its throne by my mistakes. In other words, I take what I think about the world to be the world, when in reality it is only what I think, not what is.

Most of the time, I forget this and take what I perceive, my interpretation, as the truth, as reality. And even when I remember I have a choice and can choose to see things differently, then choose to do that, my old, negative interpretation lingers and I mistake that – the pain, fear and doubt, the struggle and worry, for the truth.

When this happens, I feel guilty and blame myself, criticizing myself for not practicing what I preach. But when I realize this is a process and forgive myself for being human, I can find moments of peace. By really getting I’m only hung in and interpretation, that this is not the truth and need not be, that a different interpretation is possible, I’ve gotten my bloated nothingness out of the way of the divine circuits and am able to allow the truth, which is always there, to flow.

Little phrases like: “There must be another way,” “I’m never upset for the reason I think,” and “oops, there I go again,” help me remember I’m only dealing with an interpretation and, with spirit’s help - definitely with spirit’s help, I can experience a different interpretation, one more in line with spirit’s compassion, peace, cooperation and joy.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Meaningful Songs, 3

Seems like ‘meaningful’ songs are on my mind. A few days ago, it was Peggy Lee’s version of, “Is That All There Is?” today it’s Alfie – “What’s it all about, Alfie?” These songs come bubbling up for me, not out of irony, but from a vague sense of dissatisfaction and frustration with what passes for life, purpose and intelligence in the so-called American,‘main stream.’ In fact things have come to such a pass for me, that I find myself agreeing with Sarah Palin, may the great main stream rest her soul, when she referred to it as ‘lame street.’

Nothing in particular triggered my vague sense of dissatisfaction and frustration, it’s become a more or less constant oppressive presence in my psyche, like the gray skies that hide the sun in northern winters. Yet, as I write this, a ray of sun-like optimism illuminates the gloom - the realization that this need not be; that really, the glass is half full, not half empty! And even more and brighter than that, the right answer might be that we have the wrong size glass!!
It’s not enough to be better and better at what already exists, at what we used to be good at. Now something else is required, some innovation, which our collective nostalgia, fear and clinging to past glories obscures. An innovation not just in technology, which we’re still quite good at but will be inadequate, but an innovation in the fundamental way we think and understand ourselves and the universe. We need the larger size glass that can come only from shifting our fundamental conceptual frameworks.

We need to shift from either/or thinking to both/and thinking; from: you’re either for me or against me, to: both you and me, we’re all in this together. Only that kind of thinking will get us where we need to go: to a world that works for everyone and everything. Only that kind of thinking will enable us to put down the half full/half empty glasses we’ve been using and find a right sized glass. Either/or thinking: either spirit or science, has brought us here, to the limits of our effectiveness and the revenge of the planet. Shifting to both/and thinking: both spirit and science may increase our effectiveness and sooth Gaia.

Both/and thinking may be understood as the ‘elegant proof’ that mathematicians prize, or to paraphrase, the ‘elegant solution’ we need. Elegant solutions use few theorems and laws, are short and easy to understand, and have few flaws. They are the shortest path between two points, connecting those points (not destroying one of them, or voting one of them out) so the best of both are available.

An elegant solution is non-adversarial, non-competitive and win/win, not, win/lose. In fact American culture’s deep investment in good guy vs bad guy, either/or, win/lose thinking, instead of win/win’s compassion, cooperation and mutual respect are a big part of it’s seeming inability to rally during the current crisis/opportunity.

But ‘seeming inability’ are the key words here. We have not lost the ability to cooperate, feel compassion and work together, we’ve simply misplaced it. It’s right where it’s always been, waiting in our hearts and minds for us to choose it. Let’s consider the kind of thinking we’re holding to that is self-serving, self-willed and self-justified and be wise enough and humble enough to let it go as uninspired, inelegant thinking.

Let’s first accept our individual responsibility for the kind of thinking we’ve been doing that contributes to the vague sense of dissatisfaction and frustration with what passes for life, purpose and intelligence in the so-called American, ‘main stream,’ and then, choosing the compassion and inclusiveness of the both/and thinking that allows us access to both spirit and science, work together.