March 23, 2008
Things do exist
In the Sanskrit pratitya samutpada is a direct reference to "dependent origination," or in other words: things do exist in some way but nothing exists on its own, and nothing can be its own cause.
Everything is in some way interdependent with the rest of the world and what the world is trying to achieve with us being around to observe it all in the first place.
The so-called external things can only exist in relation to one another, never in and of themselves.
All visible and invisible characteristics of natural phenomena are defined only through relationships.
One relationship leads to the other giving the appearance of being connected, conditioned and in turn conditioning.
Posted at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 3, 2007
Whisper together
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats' feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar
- T. S. Eliot, The Hollow Men (1925)
Posted at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 18, 2007
Black tower
I was just wondering when I saw that black tower over there in the distance poking its head above the topmost portions of the forest whether or not it was time to do something else. When I reflected upon this curious alteration of my consciousness and decided it was time to make amends whatever that may mean that was exactly the point in time when the so-called black tower simply disappeared altogether without warning. I had imagined a damsel in distress letting her golden locks fall down from the immense heights but that was not to be. The black tower had disappeared but the outline was still there to be seen by those willing to look beyond the cloak of awareness that the distance had put between us.
Posted at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 7, 2006
Since whatever
I never would have expected it of myself being the way that I am. But sometimes you just have to accept things as they are and continue as if nothing ever happened in the first place. Take a step sideways that's it no matter how much time has passed since whenever.
Posted at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 9, 2006
Daily inspiration
For those of you needing daily inspiration once in awhile, you might want to check out the DailyOM web site.
One of my favorite articles is Needless Fear.
(Thanks alot for the link, Kathleen).
Posted at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 13, 2006
Smothered to death
At first glance, getting smothered to death at the Hajj might not seem a very fulfilling way of ending one's life.
That is exactly what happened today to more than three hundred pilgrims during the so-called symbolic stoning ritual.
There was panic and then a surge of the crowd and then an overpowering stampede of wishful worshippers all wanting to be at the same holy place at the same time.
The final moments in emotional turmoil swiftly going under in a heightened spiritual awareness...
(And then that's it)
Posted at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 28, 2005
Bmindful or not
The website is called bmindful and its purpose is to make you more positive about life.
Based on the proven concept of affirmations, the site's purpose is fairly straight-forward. "...you are repeatedly telling yourself that you would like to feel or act a particular way or take on a certain character trait. This repetition subtly reminds you of this and you take steps in that direction. At first these steps are conscious however with time they become unconscious, hence affirmations are a way of reprogramming the unconscious mind."
The creator Lee Nutter has done an amazing job in making this happen. I can recommend this website very highly to just about everyone. Your only prerequisite is that you 'really' want to become a more positive person in life.
This is just what I needed, and I believe it is already working positively on me right this instant.
Alright then, here's my affirmation for the day: "Life is (much) better than it appears at first glance."
Good enough.
Posted at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 20, 2004
Re-experience it
In that case, then the best thing for you to do for now is probably just to think back on some specific moment in the past and experience it all over again. As if it were yesterday or even better yet a minute I mean a split-second ago. That way the feeling will become fresh and clear in your mind so that you can relive that emotion with as much or even more pleasure than the original moment. A second, more powerful passing, that acquaintance over there in the wind. That is what I recommend, and I feel fairly confident that that has a higher chance of working than say what you have attempted up until now. Of course, that moment in the past has to be chosen very carefully. Very very carefully, not just any thing or any time. It should be distant enough from the current situation and yet still form a subtle if not mysterious connection with that current moment that you are trying to re-make, re-enumerate and then finally re-invigorate. Think carefully, be honest with yourself, and in the end things will work out for the better, I am sure.
Posted at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 4, 2004
Pulverized nescafe
At the bottom of the jar the tiny bit that is left has been pulverized into a very fine powder. This slides smoothly into the cup and then the boiling water comes down to dissolve it all into a darkened brownish mix. The fork is dipped into this liquid torrent and rotated round and round. As the cup is carried upstairs to its final destination, the spinning substance continues on its predestined course as if nothing is were or will be happening. A swirling and chaotic mass of planets and solar systems and other objects of infinite sizes, shrunken down to microspecs just dissolving away as if nothing were really happening. Even when the cup is tilted or reoriented in space changing altitude and angle of time, the invisible cyclone remains undisturbed. In the end, the sipping and gulping and taking of deeper breaths is what really matters.
Posted at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 27, 2003
Different perspectives
In one way it may appear to be a dichotomy, but when viewed from a slightly different perspective it really starts making more sense.
At least that is what I hope happens.
On the one hand we are mere droplets in an ocean of infinity while on the other hand reality is exactly as it is because each and every one of us is there to experience and perceive it.
Without us there would be nothing and with us comes everything else.
(I tend to write these things when trying to rationalize the seemingly unfairness of the world around me, in the end hopefully making myself feel a little better.)
The two extremes of very very much and very very little seem entirely different and mutually exclusive, but are they really?
Yes and no.
Posted at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 16, 2003
Being creative
To think that there are so many people out there being creative without even realizing it is pretty amazing.
Especially when you compare this hidden wealth we can easily tap into with the tiny tip of the iceberg which is barely even visible.
Just go out and do it (even if it is barely visible).
Posted at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 4, 2003
Passing the mosque
The old guy in front of the mosque could not speak English very well, but he was doing his best nonetheless. He had something very important to tell me and wasn't about to let a trivial language barrier stand in the way.
"Allah is everywhere..." he was telling me. He motioned with his hands scanning the sky and the ground and everything else inbetween.
"...and we are nothing, nothing at all" he continued.
I guess that my surprised look of slight confusion (or that hint of hesitation) triggered him to start in the first place. He began pointing at his forehead.
"This is who we truly are, just this you know. The spirit inside of us, right here, and nothing else..."
Jabbing at his skin, as if in disgust, pinching and pulling at it like it was a piece of plastic or a blob of the most worthless substance imaginable, he continued, "...and this is nothing, nothing! When we die this nothingness disappears and then we continue, that is our spirit joins Allah again."
Nothing out of the ordinary, the soul joining the source all over again, not what you could call a revolutionary idea. But this person, this old guy scratching his grey beard, he thought it was the most important thing there ever was that would ever be. He was not going to let this bare-footed ignorant Westerner leave the mosque before converting him.
I just kept nodding my head agreeing totally with him. But there must have been this subtle look or something that gave him the idea that I was a non-believer. He had to convert me. I felt uncomfortable and impatient, what with all his enthusiasm, and I did not feel like being converted that day. Time to go, get out of there.
You see, I had already been converted ages ago. Maybe I was a Christian, maybe I was a Muslim, and maybe I would follow the footsteps of good old Buddha himself. I used to think I was Siddhartha reincarnated. I and my soul and my spirit and my body and all else was converted. Converted way back before I could even remember, the day I was born, or even before that. That was why I chose my parents in the first place.
When I put my shoes back on, I had to stop looking at him in order to look downward. That was good. That was when he stopped speaking. He scratched his beard and reminded me a little of that famous cleric person who had just been assassinated in Iraq. What was his name? Blown to bits along with a hundred other so-called believers. Is that a suspicious looking truck I see over there slowly approaching the front entrance?
Just thinking about that this and the other things made me feel pretty uncomfortable. I knew for sure it was time to go. See you later. Allah is great.
I was already a believer, and there was no reason to become converted again. Not again, not now.
Maybe another day, just for fun. Just for the heck of it.
Posted at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 23, 2003
Finding your Dharma!
(Thanks alot to Kathleen for the following excerpt. I think it makes alot of sense)
"If you are spending your life struggling at work that has no meaning to you, and justifying it by saying that you must do it because it gives you the money you need to pay bills, then you are opting for some personal dishonesty with yourself. You have made money more important than your sense of purpose, and as long as you keep the priority in that order, you will always be lacking in purpose and total self-honesty!" -- DR. WAYNE DYER
DHARMA IS YOUR UNIQUE SPIRITUAL PURPOSE FOR LIVING
Everyone has a purpose in life, a unique talent, skill, or ability. Deepak Chopra states the following about dharma, "When you blend your unique talent with service to others, you experience the ecstasy and exultation of your own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals!"
It's a real challenge to find your unique purpose for living. Unfortunately, most people spend over seventy percent of their life "making a living" doing work that they dislike. This can make life seem more like a "prison sentence" than an "adventure in living."
Factoring in the Law of Karma to this metaphysical scenario, many people are sowing and reaping what they don't want because "what you resist persists!" The key to living a happy life is to find what you love and do it!
As Buddha said, "When you do the work you love, you'll never have to work another day in your life!"
John Caple shares with us in his book, Finding The Hat That Fits, that there are three reasons why finding the work that fulfills your purpose for living is so important.
They are: (1) To live on purpose is to discover your power, your capacity to add value to your every experience and to the lives of those around you. (2) Finding and living your life's mission adds meaning and dignity to your life, because living on purpose is a noble adventure. (3) When you have a sense of purpose, you stop worrying about life and you find joy in each moment. You laugh more and lighten up because you love what you are doing.
FINDING YOUR DHARMIC PURPOSE FOR LIVING
What would you do for a living if you had one billion dollars? What would you do for a living after you have bought everything that you always wanted and traveled to every place you ever wanted to see? Take a moment and contemplate what fascinates you. What are your hobbies interests, and talents? Allow yourself to imagine what it would be like to have the freedom to do anything that you wanted to do, absolutely anything!
A HU NOTE
One way that you can tell when you are working at your dharmic purpose for living is that time flies! When I am writing, five hours feels like five minutes! Another sign that you're working on purpose is that you feel that what you are doing is servicing mankind. Pay attention to any persistent impulse to do or try something new. Pay attention to new people who come into your life who seem to call you into a new direction. There are no accidents in a perfectly evolving Universe. Therefore, any person that comes into your life you have attracted there for a reason!
(This has been quoted from some book by a well-known spiritual teacher called HU something or other)
Posted at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
May 2, 2003
Done until and again
You know I have come to the very same conclusion that a thousand men before me and a thousand men still to come have made and will make until kingdom come thy will be done until and then all over again. For you see if there were ever to be the right time then that time would be now and or never or something like that. Much to be had don't you think so why ignore this fantastic possibility, does not make sense does it? The very same conclusion and yet it all sounds so new, never here before nor so bizarre in its purest form of uniqueness never to be had again in some future time or place. Done again and again and again until.
Posted at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 24, 2003
Sauna peace and quiet
The peace and quiet of the sauna is an ideal place to just sit and meditate, think about nothing and become one with the surrounding energy which is warming your body and mind. Enclosed and dark, sweating away the poisons, not a sound any where, just you and no one else. In the end it becomes too much more to take, and like a deep sea diver I must clear to the surface to gasp that cool fresh draft of air. Oxygen to keep on going, coolness to return to the planet Earth, and the tiled surface beneath bare feet to show the way down the hall.
Posted at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 16, 2003
In the belly of the dragon
Often enough it is the case that at the moment when you are feeling less inspired and question fundamentally what you are doing, you come upon a jewel of wisdom that makes you feel alot better. That is exactly what happened to me this weekend while reading "The Essential Jung" by Anthony Storr. Here follows an excerpt from the chapter in which I came upon this hidden truth:
"This seems to me to indicate that regression is not necessarily a retrograde step in the sense of a backwards development or degeneration, but rather represents a necessary phase of development. The individual is, however, not consciously aware that he is developing; he feels himself to be in a compulsive situation that resembles an early infantile state or even an embryonic condition within the womb. It is only if he remains stuck in this condition that we speak of involution or degeneration."
- Carl Jung, On Psychic Energy (CW 8, pars. 60-9)
In other words, in order to take a step forward you often first need to take a step backwards. Don't get stuck and whatever you do be sure to use the wisdom acquired during setbacks as impetus to rebound and progress.
Posted at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
February 10, 2003
God's boxes
I have in my hands two boxes
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold."
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I stored.
But though the gold became heavier each day
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be."
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they're all here with me."
-- Author unknown.
I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold, and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold is for you to count your
blessings, The black is for you to let go."
Posted at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
January 13, 2003
A religious quest
The process of individuation is a never-ending struggle which can be compared to a religious quest. Whether you realize it or not, each and every one of us has embarked on this journey from the moment of birth. Perhaps even initiated before birth and perhaps even continued after death. What's the difference? The trick is to pay careful attention to the subconscious right now in order to figure this out. There is a thin line which at the lowest level of detail looks like a churning sea of micro-waves and micro-bubbles bursting all over the place. Wholeness and integration are necessary conditions, made clearer through fantasies or dreams or slightly different ways of thinking about the this and the that. At times this slightly different way of thinking can verge on the insane, putting you in an unusual and uncomfortable situation that has to be dealt with through your own honesty and perseverance. Strange how such a necessary quest can in the end lead to your complete destruction, your ultimate demise. So please be alert out there, walk carefully. Belief in your own talents and strengths is a good way of avoiding such an unwanted premature end. But it is not a guarantee.
Posted at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
November 16, 2002
Searching for Buddha
"A monk set off on a long pilgrimage to find the Buddha. He devoted many years to his search until he finally reached the land where the Buddha was said to live. While crossing the river to this country, the monk looked around as the boatman rowed. He noticed something floating towards them. As it got closer, he realized that it was the corpse of a person. When it drifted so close that he could almost touch it, he suddenly recognized the dead body - it was his own! He lost all control and wailed at the sight of himself, still and lifeless, drifting along the river's currents. That moment was the beginning of his liberation."
Taken from Zen Stories to Tell Your Neighbors.
Posted at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
November 3, 2002
Carry on
"Peace of mind and soul is never without its common sacrifices, for we are the ones who have been chosen to carry on as if nothing happened." - Sunday's late evening meditation.
Posted at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 2, 2002
Positive thinking
This is how I spend my time sometimes trying to be creative during my prolonged periods of idleness. Check out my positive thinking page for your late night entertainment. Hope you like it.
Posted at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 10, 2002
Cross in the sky
At first I could not believe my own eyes. Right there in front of me just above the horizon I could see it forming slowly. What was first a solid blue backdrop began to crack as a thin and jagged line of clouds condensed and then formed a vertical line. Starting from the bottom it rose to the top of the sky. One long thin razor-sharp line extending at a forty-five degree arc along my line of sight. A moment's pause and then from left to right in the very same way, the line half as long and half as high above the center mark of the vertical arc. To my amazement it formed a cross, the two lines intersecting at a perfect ninety degree angle. Top to bottom and left to right, or was it the other way around? Actually it really didn't matter. Then just as quickly as the cross had appeared, it began to dissolve as the wind high up scattered the condensed white to one side, smearing the perfect cross downwards and to the right as if someone had smeared it across a blue canvas. With one careless movement of his hand. Who was doing that? It was not a vision nor was it a dream. It was really happening. It had really happened. And there it was: the proof was right in front of my eyes! At least until it dissolved, blew away and then completely disappeared from my life. Would anyone believe me? Probably not. I would never see such a sight again, at least not for many more years to come.
Posted at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
April 23, 2002
Now or never
Okay so I finally got around to finishing the book called "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. I had really been struggling to get through the last couple of chapters, but I could not muster up enough energy nor inspiration. To think that I had purchased the book with so much enthusiasm more than a year ago. It has taken me that long (and even longer, when you think about it) to make my way through a measely 191 pages. I think I have had a complete overdose of spiritual and other esoteric literature, and it is time to return to planet Earth.
My mind-pendulum swings back and forth between the real and the unreal and now back to the real again.
The very last chapter is called "The Meaning of Surrender." To extract a random quote from this area of the book I come across the following.
"Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is the Now, so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation."
Does this make any sense? I feel that I have heard this so many times over and over again that it no longer makes the slightest sense to me.
Posted at 7:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
March 14, 2002
Judgement day humanoids
Is it possible as humanoids to be able to make proper judgements in a totally objective non-emotional way? So that truth is attained no matter what? Not that truth over there but the real truth, everywhere and nowhere. The absolutely really real truth, as in the perfect forms of Plato. I think not.
You will always bring yourself along. The words emitted from your mouth will always carry the tones of your thoughts and other subtleness. The gestures are results of musculature and the electrical impulses sent to induce their movements. Thoughts guiding objectivity in a forced and restrained manner. Feelings are hurt in the long run because we are doing as if. As if it is so objective when it is not.
And do not forget the reactions, if there are any. Hurting the feelings of others will hurt the feelings of even more others and the circle will come around. And slam down hard as it turns the corner at the same time you turn the same corner. Being objective is not possible. Being honest is. It is judgment day for all of us humanoids. Be on your guard.
Posted at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 12, 2002
Colors which how where
Let's start off then with the color which appeals to me the most at this particular moment in time, the so-called fundamental color which is the starting point for this weblog:
| Blue | #3366CC |
This means that there are a number of possible harmonic combinations which will be the most pleasing for the average human mind perception and so forth. According to scientific theory we can define the following interactions of two or more colors:
| Complementary | 1 + 7 | |||
| Split-Complementary | 1 + 6 + 8 | |||
| Triad | 1 + 5 + 9 | |||
| Analogous | 12 + 1 + 2 |
This information is based on the color schemer online which I can recommend highly for anyone who wants to learn just a little bit more about the influence of colors in our lives.
Is this near to the harmony of colors I had originally intended or is it a bit off base or is it completely wrong? Some people call it color scheming, others call it color therapy, some view it as an artistic endeavor, and still others appeal to the appearance of some invisible aura. I call it this: trying to get my blog to look nice enough that it does not scare everyone away before they have been able to get lost in my jungle of completely off the wall thoughts. It is up to you to decide the future and how I will have to deal with it in technicolor induced mental unawareness, if you know what I mean. Are there any interesting reactions to this once in a lifetime challenge?
This weblog entry can also be found on my homepage at the Harmonic Colors page.
Posted at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
January 17, 2002
Gloria in excelsis deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax hominibus
bonae voluntatis.
Does anyone out there know what this means?
Vivaldi produced the most wonderful piece of music commemorating this simple statement. Not that I am such a religious person, not really. Two years ago on my way driving down to Luxeuil-les-Bains in France, I must have listened to the piece about a hundred times, over and over and over again, six hours in a row. Truly inspirational music which made me feel good. Check out some more historical information about what "gloria in excelsis deo" actually means and/or comes from by clicking here. No, I am not a Bible-thumper, only a pursuer of knowledge wherever that may lead me.
Posted at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
January 13, 2002
With feeling we will get it right
Feeling. Feeling is. Feeling is a. Feeling is a higher state of consciousness. By following it we will be lead to the place we were always meant to be. Meant to be. To be. Be.
With feeling we will get it right.
Posted at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 8, 2002
Unmanifested
"From the unmanifested, all the manifestations proceed at the dawn of the day; and at the coming of night they dissolve there only, in what is called the Unmanifested." - Bhagavad Gita (18-VIII), see also discourses of Pujya Sri Swamiji
Posted at 2:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 7, 2002
Surrender yourself please
Once in awhile it is necessary to surrender yourself. Completely and unconditionally.
This does not mean giving up and becoming a lazy bum, not caring about anything and passively accepting whatever comes along your way. Surrender is profound wisdom of yielding to rather than resisting the flow of life. While this surrender-feeling should be ingrained in our daily pattern of activities, it is usually forced upon us out of necessity in order to survive. Extreme moments of despair. There are situations in life which become unsatisfactory over time or even completely intolerable. The only way to get through this then is by surrendering, that is "breaking up that unconscious resistance pattern that keeps perpetuating the situation."
Surrender is an inner process, and you only have to concern yourself with the energy of friction arising from the inside. Acquiring the suitable match with the outer, with little or no resistance.
Call it finding God or Allah, call it being happy with yourself, call it feeling "cool, calm and collected," call it being one with yourself, call it a state of pure thoughtlessness, call it energy and warmth, call it floating on a raft in the middle of the ocean somewhere, call it whatever.
Here is the (boring) official dictionary definition:
sur·ren·der (s-rndr) v. sur·ren·dered, sur·ren·der·ing, sur·ren·ders v. tr.
- To relinquish possession or control of to another because of demand or compulsion.
- To give up in favor of another.
- To give up or give back (something that has been granted): surrender a contractual right.
- To give up or abandon: surrender all hope.
- To give over or resign (oneself) to something, as to an emotion: surrendered himself to grief.
- Law. To restore (an estate, for example), especially to give up (a lease) before expiration of the term.
"The courage that you must manifest on the cushion is the courage of the supplicant who is willing to surrender completely to the experience of becoming absorbed into Fundamental Nature or into whatever name you choose to call Fundamental Nature..."
"...You must surrender yourself to the experience of sitting and open yourself to whatever happens, not what you hope, expect, think, have read or heard, or anticipated will happen. A Christian prayer is "Let thy will be done." This is the attitude of surrender you must have. Not surrender to a person or a tradition but to your own nature. Persons are part of this world of samsara or delusion, they are the fingers pointing at the moon. Traditions can be corrupted. Surrender to the truth of your own nature..."
"...When you surrender yourself to God you surrender yourself to your original nature which is universal compassion. You empty yourself so that you can become an instrument of compassion, so that you can fulfill your purpose which is to be of real service to other sentient beings..."
"...When we sit on the cushion in complete surrender to the absolute, by forgetting ourselves and surrendering to the moment, we place ourselves in close proximity to the object of our affection."
Hopefully this passage will offer some one out there some kind of guidance. It certainly has helped me alot and changed my way of viewing life greatly. Though I was born this way and have had the surrender-feeling inside of me from the very beginning.
Posted at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 20, 2001
Creativity is a gift from the gods
To be true to yourself is not a very easy task at all. Everyone was born on this planet to express oneself by experiencing the surrounding world. Some say that creativity is a "gift from the gods" and that we should use it bravely but sparingly. You're free to do what comes naturally. However, the world does not always lend itself easily to this fusion of causes, meeting of opposites, poking and pursuing. The first and foremost task for all of us then is to discover for ourselves what this role of creativity actually is, what it means and what it can bring.
Posted at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 11, 2001
Noble path from here to there
Everywhere around me they are laying people off. It is not going that great with the economy and the so-called lucrative world of mobile telecommunications has taken back seat to the more important goals in the world. In the world. People tend to go into panick mode. They act differently. Rash and bizarre.
Take myself for instance. I am a senior consultant whose expertise is in the area of mobile telecommunications. I have pushed my career significantly into the nether nether world. Wow, a senior. One year ago not even the sky was the limit; if your sites weren't pointed higher than the sky, you were trampled upon and lost in the dust. We become overly optimistic (and greedy), and we never learn from our mistakes.
Stupid mistakes. The noble path from here to there, from A to B. Each person starts at the beginning, called point A. The goal is way over there (can you see it?) off on the horizon, called point B. Make sure that you get to that point as quickly as possible, in as straight a line as possible. Go! Do not look to the left or to the right, no time, just keep your eyes fixated on point B. Until you get there.
Okay. What a shame that it is if when we finally sweat and struggle to get there that the there is no longer there. Indeed a shame. Point B has completely disappeared. Oh dear! We will never learn from our mistakes. History keeps on repeating itself. Repeating itself. I say, and so many philosophers and spiritual leaders have repeated this endlessly in the past and will say it again and again in the future, why not fully appreciate the path inbetween point A and point B, experience it for what it is, enjoy it if possible?
The middle path. Not that easy to follow but absolutely essential. "Now on a full moon day of July, 589 years before Christ, in the evening, at the moment the sun was setting and the full moon simultaneously rising, in the shady Deer Park at Isipatana, the Buddha addressed them."
Posted at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 8, 2001
Living for now
For a number of survivors who have decided to come back to this world because of unfinished work, the moment of death reveals a splendid portal of radiant light which opens up. There are countless accounts of this visual impression, often referred to as "near-death" experiences. Could this actually be a spiritual awakening or is it simply a lack of oxygen to the brain which results in fantastic hallucinations? If it is an actual awakening that brings us closer to some hidden world that really exists (whatever that means) then it is perhaps a good idea to take such phenomena more seriously. Let's say, experience death from within in preparation for that day (hopefully in the distant future) when you and I will die. In other words, think of death but in a positive way. Prepare yourself and be thankful that you are living in the now as it is and not as it was supposed to be.
Posted at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
December 4, 2001
In search of what is real
If you look carefully around, you will notice that most people are pretty much fixated on a number of "mundane activities" that seem to define their lives totally. This is part of society, and therefore includes myself also. Myself also. Looking outwards rather than inwards, whereas the so-called famous spiritual leaders of our times and throughout history proclaim that you should "absolutely concentrate within." Forsake the world around you for what is REAL. Absolutely and totally, nothing less. Our development from birth, childhood, puberty, adulthood and finally old age is dependant on an unbelievable amount of external stimulations that lead us onwards, help us development the personality, improve. So what is it with all this spiritual stuff that is supposed to improve our lives? If only we would forsake the pursuit of fixations and replace the void with internal gibberations. I do not think so.
Posted at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 27, 2001
A piece of himself for a piece of his son
They say that when the father passes away he not only takes a piece of his son with him but he also leaves a piece of himself within his son. This is very true.
Posted at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 14, 2001
Preoccupied with the past
Are you often preoccupied with the past wondering what your life would be like now if things had happened differently? Certain events had not occurred at all or at a slightly earlier or later period of your life? Events which had never occurred for some reason but should have anyway but didn't? Trying to live in the now is that much more difficult because we are all carrying the baggage from the past along with us. By nature I tend to collect everything and refuse to throw anything away, even the most trivial and useless object that I have become sentimental about. This weight is heavy and unnecessary. However, unlike what seems to be the trend nowadays, I do not adhere to the new hype that we should only live in the present, forget about the past completely. This is impossible. We have become whom we are today because of what has been happening to us since the day we were born, even before. No use to look at this wonderful wealth of information, love and energy as some negative quality. Actually it is quite light, not heavy and burdensome at all. Then keep the past in good, balanced perspective and let such wisdom guide you in the following steps. The past, the present and the future form a triad with the self as the focal point, right exactly in the middle of the equilateral triangle. Perhaps I should have become a philosopher king had I been born at an earlier age and I had not decided to live my life as it has turned out. Crazy but true.
Posted at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
