Hello friends, and happy mothers day! Today I woke up quite late after a night of fun with my friends, But as I was drinking my morning (afternoon...) coffee I started thinking of how people treat each other. I was reading a post of an atheist friend of mine and how he often faces ridicule for his lack of beliefs in a god. However, why is it that people assume kindness is directly linked to belief in a deity? I would argue that in fact the superior man is the one who lives with love and morality regardless of the threat of hell or promise of heaven hanging over him. But that is not what I want to talk about here, that merely was what got me thinking about how we interact so independently in society.
Part of the reason the world faces the problems it does is because people think of only themselves. but that is not how the world works. we are not merely ourselves. We as human beings, along with all other sentient beings are cells working together to form a larger organism. Think about it that way. each of our millions of cells is born, lives, and dies without us ever really even noticing. No single cell means anything in the greater scheme of things. However if these cells did not band together and work toward a greater purpose with what little power they have, we would cease to exist.
Some of us are incredibly vain and selfish, we get our own ideas about things and act recklessly without thinking of the consequences for our brothers and sisters in humanity. We often get others to join us in this twisted and unnatural behavior. This is what leads to crime and terrorism and war. When this happens in terms of biology, It is called cancer. Selfishness and ignorance is cancer and if we do not correct ourselves and act with more selflessness it is going to destroy us one day. While it is natural to feel angry or upset with someone do not allow it to control you. when you allow yourself to act out of anger you are the beginning of cancer.
There is a story that the buddha once told. It's about a two headed bird, while the bird had two separate heads and minds it shared but one body. One of the heads became greedy and ate far more than was necessary so that the other got none. The second head became angry and scolded the first. The first was very upset to chastised like this. But the second head was still angry and decided to take his vengeance. He quickly offered a false truth to his brother and told him where the most delicious berries in the forest were as an apology. Although it was a lie and the berries were in fact poisonous. however he was foolish in his anger and forgot that though they were of different minds they still were one, and they died together. And so in their ignorant acts of gluttony and wrath they destroyed their shared existence.
This is a vivid illustration of how dangerous it is to forget that we are one. We are part of a greater existence. We must remember our selfish and wrathful acts do not go unpunished. Karma is not punishment for sins from a god. It is merely the results of our actions. That bird could have gone to church, and been told wrath is a sin, but through christ he is forgiven. That however would give him the foolish idea that It really isn't a big deal to act like that and that it is ok as long as he believes in his savior. he may still have become angry, prayed for forgiveness and killed them both anyway. But in the buddha's teachings he would know the true reason for morality; to act with kindness, not because you are commanded to with no knowledge of why. But because you understand the nature of reality and what the consequences of selfish acts really are. There is no hell my friends. Treat others with kindness or at least do not act in anger, not to keep from going to hell, but to keep from creating it!
After many long years I am at peace with religious folk. But to all of my friends who are christian/muslim/jewish etc... I must warn you of the dangers of being overly dependent upon faith. You may keep your God, but I implore you to explore morality from the eyes of the godless. Ask yourself why these people can be kind with no need of your God. Then you may come to understand you rely too much on your God to explain things for you that you could know for yourself. If you understand the way the world is in that light, I promise you will only strengthen your religious morality and it will be much easier to understand, accept and follow the morals God has given you. You will show kindness and tolerance because you understand kindness and tolerance not simply as an act of obedience to a book.
if everyone learns this lesson, we will swiftly beat the cancer of ignorance.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Love. The lies and the truth.
Hello dear readers! This time I want to share some wisdom I have gained on one of the most important aspects of modern society, love. Specifically romantic love in this case. While it can be a wonderful thing that brings great joy in life, it's one of those things that can be toxic if you go about it wrong. The sad truth of the matter is that MOST people go about it all wrong. I have seen people young and old, truly and deeply in love and it still brings a tear to my eye. Lets face it, without it humanity could not survive. People fall in love, they mate, and they raise children together. And the better they are raised the better chance they have at life. Love is an essential part of this formula. Now yes, it can still happen without "true" love as a factor, but honestly, can two lovers be truly happy if they don't sincerely love one another? I should think not!
Many people seek a romanticized and unrealistic idealized love. Thats why it's called romance, makes sense right? Well it's the truth. Many people are surprised to find that after the honeymoon phase ends its just life as usual. And many people lament losing the "spark" they once had. Couples have had this problem for ages, but here's the thing. Thats how its supposed to be! Do people not realize that romance and passion are fleeting and short lived? People think true love means to live in a constant fairy tale world where anger and frustration don't exist. Where its just you and prince charming riding into the sunset 24/7. Many people complain that their ex made them feel like that at first. That they were sure it was love but then it wasn't. Then these same people seek this sort of thing all over again! Is it not obvious that this elusive and short fused passion is not actually love? Its called attraction, passion and excitement. Its not love. Its a bit like living in misery all the time wondering why every day isn't like Christmas. Thats because well, every day can't be christmas! Its irrational, it's impossible and frankly, people who want it to be christmas every day are kidding themselves. I think most people will agree with me on that. However everyone seems to forget that not every day is going to be like their wedding day either.
True love however is very different. Oh sure, It can start the same way as immature puppy love. In fact it usually does! Attraction is key in romantic relationships. You can be fond of somebody all you want but really, if theres no desire to mate, well... theres no point in leaving the friend zone. Humans are animals too after all. True love is more sophisticated, and more consistent. Its built on a foundation of compassion, and constructed of mutual respect as human beings and decorated with passion! Trying to build a relationship based on feelings of initial passion and attraction is like trying to build a house out of just paint, carpet and wallpaper, yeah... good luck with that! Knowing that, its easy to see how foolish most peoples approach to love is. Yes, the house becomes a home when the floors, and paint and the yard are all set up. You add your own personal touches to it, thats what separates a home from a hotel room. And thats what separates a lover from a friend. However without the proper framing and foundation, in this case; love, respect and understanding. You cannot even be friends, much less lovers!
I've never liked the term "other half". That's a lie thats been spoon fed to us by media for a long time now. And again It's not true. You do not need a romantic partner to be deeply happy in life. And in actuality it is better to go without, unless you are in fact completely happy with yourself. People always say to themselves, "Wow, Im so miserable and empty inside, I must need a man/woman in my life!". And to this I say no, just... no. Thinking this way, you're missing a fundamental piece to the puzzle of life. The truth is that if you aren't happy alone you won't be happy together. Not truly happy anyways. I know, I use analogies a lot, but heres another one. Thinking romance is the answer to any emptiness or incompleteness in your life is like having a car thats broken and buying another car hoping that the first will start working again because of it! You cannot expect another person to provide what you don't have. many people go into relationships expecting their "other half". People think of themselves as 50% of a person all too often. And they get together with another 50% of a person thinking their life will be 100% complete. Well again its a lie. when it comes to people, two halves don't make a whole, they make... two halves. You still have two different troubled and incomplete people, you aren't them, and they aren't you. And as much as you want them to, no one can complete you as a person besides yourself.
Then what pray tell, is the point of love if you can be perfectly happy without it? Well obviously, we can't all be monks! But I think the point of love is both to continue the human species and to find an even greater amount of happiness for those who aren't exactly Zen masters (Ironically Zen-Buddhist monks are among the few sects allowed to marry, ha! ). Love is impossible if you cannot be a happy person all on your own. But most people agree that life is sweeter still with a lover by your side. Another thing is though, and many people may disagree with this, but you should not love your partner more than anyone else. Granted, they are a special person to you. But that doesn't mean they get more love than your mother, or friends (or in the buddhist case, all sentient beings). It's just a different kind of love, a different role altogether than other people in your life. So yes, if I ever get married I won't love my wife any more than my cousins, or grandparents, or my mother, or my friends. But I will simply love her in a way that I cannot love other people. Thats whats sad really, Is that people view love like a competition. "Who do you love more? me, or them??" any woman who says things like this to me will be out of my life in 10 seconds flat and don't think I'll shed one tear about it! Just because a spouse won't receive extra love compared to others that I love shouldn't matter. Because it is as I have said, It's not a competition. I will love her dearly, of course! But I love all sentient beings, and all of humanity. Love has no limits, I won't run out and if I love you as much as a friend it makes no difference.
When I fall in love that means to me that I've found a woman that I find attractive, that I believe will enhance my experience in life and will be able to support my heart, mind and spirituality. And most of all will bring me happiness. Thats what love is everyone, thats what true love is. People keep expecting love to mean they find someone who's attractive, and never makes them mad and makes them feel special all the time. Its vain, Its foolish, its not real! Peoples emptiness and/or ego makes them seek love desperately. Love is just something that happens really. And contrary to popular belief there may not be someone out there for all of us. but theres certainly no one out there that will fall truly in love with an incomplete, shell of a human being. This is the truth of love, and people need to realize it. People need to find out who they are, and to learn to love themselves first. You need to be your own person, no one else can provide that for you. People have to understand the difference between true love and momentary passion. Love is what stays even on the mundane and the bad days. It makes passion sweeter, it doesn't define it. Love is tolerance, love is kindness, love is something we should show to all. And if through loving all beings you find someone who is willing to live life by your side and provide some of the sweeter aspects of life to you, then be grateful! But romantic love is not the highest place one can be in life. There are much greater ambitions, much loftier goals, and much better ways to spend your time than actively looking for it. All who go out desperately hunting for love are acting foolish. And all who find it are truly blessed.
Thanks for reading, and I hope I helped you understand what love is just a little better. please email me if you have any further questions or comments (or leave them in the comment box) thanks again, and see you next time ^^ <3
Many people seek a romanticized and unrealistic idealized love. Thats why it's called romance, makes sense right? Well it's the truth. Many people are surprised to find that after the honeymoon phase ends its just life as usual. And many people lament losing the "spark" they once had. Couples have had this problem for ages, but here's the thing. Thats how its supposed to be! Do people not realize that romance and passion are fleeting and short lived? People think true love means to live in a constant fairy tale world where anger and frustration don't exist. Where its just you and prince charming riding into the sunset 24/7. Many people complain that their ex made them feel like that at first. That they were sure it was love but then it wasn't. Then these same people seek this sort of thing all over again! Is it not obvious that this elusive and short fused passion is not actually love? Its called attraction, passion and excitement. Its not love. Its a bit like living in misery all the time wondering why every day isn't like Christmas. Thats because well, every day can't be christmas! Its irrational, it's impossible and frankly, people who want it to be christmas every day are kidding themselves. I think most people will agree with me on that. However everyone seems to forget that not every day is going to be like their wedding day either.
True love however is very different. Oh sure, It can start the same way as immature puppy love. In fact it usually does! Attraction is key in romantic relationships. You can be fond of somebody all you want but really, if theres no desire to mate, well... theres no point in leaving the friend zone. Humans are animals too after all. True love is more sophisticated, and more consistent. Its built on a foundation of compassion, and constructed of mutual respect as human beings and decorated with passion! Trying to build a relationship based on feelings of initial passion and attraction is like trying to build a house out of just paint, carpet and wallpaper, yeah... good luck with that! Knowing that, its easy to see how foolish most peoples approach to love is. Yes, the house becomes a home when the floors, and paint and the yard are all set up. You add your own personal touches to it, thats what separates a home from a hotel room. And thats what separates a lover from a friend. However without the proper framing and foundation, in this case; love, respect and understanding. You cannot even be friends, much less lovers!
I've never liked the term "other half". That's a lie thats been spoon fed to us by media for a long time now. And again It's not true. You do not need a romantic partner to be deeply happy in life. And in actuality it is better to go without, unless you are in fact completely happy with yourself. People always say to themselves, "Wow, Im so miserable and empty inside, I must need a man/woman in my life!". And to this I say no, just... no. Thinking this way, you're missing a fundamental piece to the puzzle of life. The truth is that if you aren't happy alone you won't be happy together. Not truly happy anyways. I know, I use analogies a lot, but heres another one. Thinking romance is the answer to any emptiness or incompleteness in your life is like having a car thats broken and buying another car hoping that the first will start working again because of it! You cannot expect another person to provide what you don't have. many people go into relationships expecting their "other half". People think of themselves as 50% of a person all too often. And they get together with another 50% of a person thinking their life will be 100% complete. Well again its a lie. when it comes to people, two halves don't make a whole, they make... two halves. You still have two different troubled and incomplete people, you aren't them, and they aren't you. And as much as you want them to, no one can complete you as a person besides yourself.
Then what pray tell, is the point of love if you can be perfectly happy without it? Well obviously, we can't all be monks! But I think the point of love is both to continue the human species and to find an even greater amount of happiness for those who aren't exactly Zen masters (Ironically Zen-Buddhist monks are among the few sects allowed to marry, ha! ). Love is impossible if you cannot be a happy person all on your own. But most people agree that life is sweeter still with a lover by your side. Another thing is though, and many people may disagree with this, but you should not love your partner more than anyone else. Granted, they are a special person to you. But that doesn't mean they get more love than your mother, or friends (or in the buddhist case, all sentient beings). It's just a different kind of love, a different role altogether than other people in your life. So yes, if I ever get married I won't love my wife any more than my cousins, or grandparents, or my mother, or my friends. But I will simply love her in a way that I cannot love other people. Thats whats sad really, Is that people view love like a competition. "Who do you love more? me, or them??" any woman who says things like this to me will be out of my life in 10 seconds flat and don't think I'll shed one tear about it! Just because a spouse won't receive extra love compared to others that I love shouldn't matter. Because it is as I have said, It's not a competition. I will love her dearly, of course! But I love all sentient beings, and all of humanity. Love has no limits, I won't run out and if I love you as much as a friend it makes no difference.
When I fall in love that means to me that I've found a woman that I find attractive, that I believe will enhance my experience in life and will be able to support my heart, mind and spirituality. And most of all will bring me happiness. Thats what love is everyone, thats what true love is. People keep expecting love to mean they find someone who's attractive, and never makes them mad and makes them feel special all the time. Its vain, Its foolish, its not real! Peoples emptiness and/or ego makes them seek love desperately. Love is just something that happens really. And contrary to popular belief there may not be someone out there for all of us. but theres certainly no one out there that will fall truly in love with an incomplete, shell of a human being. This is the truth of love, and people need to realize it. People need to find out who they are, and to learn to love themselves first. You need to be your own person, no one else can provide that for you. People have to understand the difference between true love and momentary passion. Love is what stays even on the mundane and the bad days. It makes passion sweeter, it doesn't define it. Love is tolerance, love is kindness, love is something we should show to all. And if through loving all beings you find someone who is willing to live life by your side and provide some of the sweeter aspects of life to you, then be grateful! But romantic love is not the highest place one can be in life. There are much greater ambitions, much loftier goals, and much better ways to spend your time than actively looking for it. All who go out desperately hunting for love are acting foolish. And all who find it are truly blessed.
Thanks for reading, and I hope I helped you understand what love is just a little better. please email me if you have any further questions or comments (or leave them in the comment box) thanks again, and see you next time ^^ <3
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Warrior monks. oxymoronic? or sheer brilliance? the psychology of Shaolin.
Though I have only been a buddhist for a short time, I have been a martial artist, or at least a martial arts enthusiast for much longer. Now, Buddhism is a supremely peaceful religion, violence is not preferred under any circumstances. Yet at the same time It is a realistic religion, not an idealistic one. A proper Buddhist understands that violence is sometimes the only way to survive, it is unfortunate but it is the truth. when attacked by animals or aggressive criminals, all the wisdom and inner peace in the world will not help you. There are times where the minds stronger powers such as reason and compassion are either of no use or simply too slow to be useful. Enlightenment cannot stop a bullet, and compassion cannot calm a rabid dog. But still, buddhism teaches karma, meaning everything that happens is the result of a previous occurrence. So things such as this are often written off as unfortunately, unavoidable. Knowing this, one would think that Buddhism would specifically forbid training to fight. And that it is better to not worry about what /might/ happen and avoid violence anyway right? Not necessarily...
The best example of why this isn't necessarily true is that of the monks of Shaolin temple. Shaolin temple is a temple of the Mahayana Buddhist sect called cha'n (more commonly known as "Zen" Its Japanese pronunciation). The monks of this temple, while peaceful, happy and kind as any other Buddhist monks, just so happen to be some of the most powerful fighters in the world. Capable of smashing through rock, wood and steel with relative ease. And capable of taking hits so tremendously brutal that any other man would be reduced to a wailing pile of bruises and blood. They have been known to take crowbars to the head, baseball bats to the ribs and bricks to the face without so much as a fracture or a bloody nose. they hang by the throat for several hours and literally punch through concrete walls for training every day. Some report them even being able to take down a raging bull bare handed. they're that powerful. Now what on earth do Buddhist monks think they're doing practicing martial arts to such an extreme?? Well the answer to that lies in both the spirit of martial arts and buddhism as well as psychology. There is also a practical reason some monks practiced martial arts as well, The ancient and feudal age world was full of danger and lawlessness. A traveling monk was an easy target for bandits. Granted they didn't have much to steal. But you know how that goes. A temple is an even better place to rob, full of pacifist monks with lots of valuable food and supplies to steal, and no military guards. So naturally they had to defend themselves somehow. And it wasn't like nowadays, where guns overpower just about any martial art. In that time, a powerful martial artist was truly something for criminals to fear. So that is part of how monks and martial arts came to be connected. But this article is more about why they still do this in the modern world. And why they believe that martial arts actually improves their practice as buddhists.
Now its no secret, martial arts is awesome. When people think of martial arts, images of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee might come to mind. But monks? like the Dalai Lama? what would they see in the martial arts? Well, the truth is that traditional martial arts are not just about kicking butt and taking names. Martial arts... proper martial arts, is also non violent and pro-peace. Its about training of the mind and body, and excellence of self. A healthy body leads to a healthier mind and a healthy mind to a healthier body. Its a beautiful cycle. Learning to fight and take down one opponent after another seems to clash with the buddhist desire for compassion and love. But thats not so... to master martial arts is to know confidence. to know confidence is to know courage, and to know courage is to know how to stay cool in dangerous situations. In a situation where you are attacked, one who does not know how to fight will only know fear. and fear leads to irrational decisions. The courageous and cool mind of a true martial artist and the compassionate and loving nature of buddhism is a perfect combination! It's just that martial arts serve the solider and the assassin just as well but for different reasons...
The Buddha once said, "you yourself, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection". We can take this to mean that while we do not wish others to suffer, we do not wish ourselves to suffer either. So if you are fighting for yourself or another makes no difference. the point is to prevent needless suffering at the hands of another. But you do not want them to suffer needlessly either. Martial arts is perfect for filling that gap. A good martial artist can shut down an unskilled opponent with incredible swiftness. And that is an act of compassion. you cannot let yourself or another suffer at the hands of this aggressor. But if you don't know martial arts its hard to defend yourself without straight up killing the guy, or recklessly beating his face in with a rock or something. A martial artist is capable of dishing out a lot of long term and often lethal damage. But his hands are controlled and calculated. he can also win a conflict without causing any unnecessary suffering to his opponent. And many people are oddly enough, very eager to open up to a guy who can so easily hand them their arse on a silver platter, yet will help them to the hospital afterwards. it's the oldest form of winning instant respect.
So in summary, The logic behind martial arts in connection to Buddhism is that martial arts is an excellent way to improve the mind and body. Wisdom is a virtue, but one that often goes out the window when fear is involved. Same with compassion, fear causes us to become wild animals. Lack of action when a person is being hurt by another is not very compassionate. So martial arts is a way to shield yourself and the innocent from suffering while doing as little harm as possible to those with evil in their hearts. After all, we all have buddha nature, some people have just fallen off the path of awakening. It's actually a perfect way to spread compassion and master yourself to a much higher degree. They are only so strong because they have mastered the mysterious power of Qi (or ki). That is, internal energy, It is the ultimate power of the human species. And if you can master the body to such an extreme, certainly you are disciplined enough to attain full spiritual and mental enlightenment as well. And that is the connection between buddhism and martial arts. It seems a contradiction at a glance. But there is in fact, a very logical and powerful significance behind the practice.
Thank you dear readers. I will see you in the next article, may you all know peace and happiness ^^
The best example of why this isn't necessarily true is that of the monks of Shaolin temple. Shaolin temple is a temple of the Mahayana Buddhist sect called cha'n (more commonly known as "Zen" Its Japanese pronunciation). The monks of this temple, while peaceful, happy and kind as any other Buddhist monks, just so happen to be some of the most powerful fighters in the world. Capable of smashing through rock, wood and steel with relative ease. And capable of taking hits so tremendously brutal that any other man would be reduced to a wailing pile of bruises and blood. They have been known to take crowbars to the head, baseball bats to the ribs and bricks to the face without so much as a fracture or a bloody nose. they hang by the throat for several hours and literally punch through concrete walls for training every day. Some report them even being able to take down a raging bull bare handed. they're that powerful. Now what on earth do Buddhist monks think they're doing practicing martial arts to such an extreme?? Well the answer to that lies in both the spirit of martial arts and buddhism as well as psychology. There is also a practical reason some monks practiced martial arts as well, The ancient and feudal age world was full of danger and lawlessness. A traveling monk was an easy target for bandits. Granted they didn't have much to steal. But you know how that goes. A temple is an even better place to rob, full of pacifist monks with lots of valuable food and supplies to steal, and no military guards. So naturally they had to defend themselves somehow. And it wasn't like nowadays, where guns overpower just about any martial art. In that time, a powerful martial artist was truly something for criminals to fear. So that is part of how monks and martial arts came to be connected. But this article is more about why they still do this in the modern world. And why they believe that martial arts actually improves their practice as buddhists.
Now its no secret, martial arts is awesome. When people think of martial arts, images of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee might come to mind. But monks? like the Dalai Lama? what would they see in the martial arts? Well, the truth is that traditional martial arts are not just about kicking butt and taking names. Martial arts... proper martial arts, is also non violent and pro-peace. Its about training of the mind and body, and excellence of self. A healthy body leads to a healthier mind and a healthy mind to a healthier body. Its a beautiful cycle. Learning to fight and take down one opponent after another seems to clash with the buddhist desire for compassion and love. But thats not so... to master martial arts is to know confidence. to know confidence is to know courage, and to know courage is to know how to stay cool in dangerous situations. In a situation where you are attacked, one who does not know how to fight will only know fear. and fear leads to irrational decisions. The courageous and cool mind of a true martial artist and the compassionate and loving nature of buddhism is a perfect combination! It's just that martial arts serve the solider and the assassin just as well but for different reasons...
The Buddha once said, "you yourself, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection". We can take this to mean that while we do not wish others to suffer, we do not wish ourselves to suffer either. So if you are fighting for yourself or another makes no difference. the point is to prevent needless suffering at the hands of another. But you do not want them to suffer needlessly either. Martial arts is perfect for filling that gap. A good martial artist can shut down an unskilled opponent with incredible swiftness. And that is an act of compassion. you cannot let yourself or another suffer at the hands of this aggressor. But if you don't know martial arts its hard to defend yourself without straight up killing the guy, or recklessly beating his face in with a rock or something. A martial artist is capable of dishing out a lot of long term and often lethal damage. But his hands are controlled and calculated. he can also win a conflict without causing any unnecessary suffering to his opponent. And many people are oddly enough, very eager to open up to a guy who can so easily hand them their arse on a silver platter, yet will help them to the hospital afterwards. it's the oldest form of winning instant respect.
So in summary, The logic behind martial arts in connection to Buddhism is that martial arts is an excellent way to improve the mind and body. Wisdom is a virtue, but one that often goes out the window when fear is involved. Same with compassion, fear causes us to become wild animals. Lack of action when a person is being hurt by another is not very compassionate. So martial arts is a way to shield yourself and the innocent from suffering while doing as little harm as possible to those with evil in their hearts. After all, we all have buddha nature, some people have just fallen off the path of awakening. It's actually a perfect way to spread compassion and master yourself to a much higher degree. They are only so strong because they have mastered the mysterious power of Qi (or ki). That is, internal energy, It is the ultimate power of the human species. And if you can master the body to such an extreme, certainly you are disciplined enough to attain full spiritual and mental enlightenment as well. And that is the connection between buddhism and martial arts. It seems a contradiction at a glance. But there is in fact, a very logical and powerful significance behind the practice.
Thank you dear readers. I will see you in the next article, may you all know peace and happiness ^^
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The Temple in my heart and a new path.
Well now. Its been some time since I've written anything and for that, my cherished readers I apologize. I have been without internet since mid-december and only got re-connected today! But wow, what an adventure Ive had in that time. Its been an incredible spiritual Journey. You see, after I went offline for a while I moved 1,800 miles from Reno NV to Houston TX. Very shortly after my online presence dissipated I made one of the most rewarding changes of my life. I went from being a very spiritually aware agnostic, to a devout Buddhist. And let me just say, I have never been happier. I have read a book called "The art of Happiness" by his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet and Howard Cutler. It is basically a how to manual for achieving ultimate happiness. The kind of happiness that can only come from within. Since then I have drastically altered my plans in life and overall demeanor. Before, though spiritual and kind indeed, I was cruel, heartless and obsessed with money in comparison to now! I now plan to live the life of a spiritual hermit. Living on perhaps 150-$250 a month. Only enough to cover my basic needs such as toiletries, property tax and food I cannot grow myself, by renting a space on the land our family is going to buy and offering lessons In spiritualism and gardening to a willing apprentice. Almost as a monk in many ways. I would pursue monkhood but I do not feel like the traditional monastic lifestyle is for me. I am so at peace right now with everything in my life, that whether I have money or not means nothing in my heart, and I am happy inside regardless of outside circumstances. I don't know how It is that I never figured it out myself, but his Holiness really described the way to be happy in plain and simple directions. I highly recommend that book to everyone. I'll cover that in more detail in another article though.
This life of pure, unrestrained, and unselfish service to others and dedication to a spiritual life turns out to have been the ultimate goal to my happiness in life. I haven't even started yet and I feel almost overwhelmed with so much weight lifted off of my shoulders. I must learn a great deal about the buddhas teachings in the next five years, but for a practitioner of all of 2 1/2 months Id say I have an excellent grasp on the basics of his teachings. But I know I still have a very long way to go. I still get angry, I still feel lust toward the opposite sex and I still have moments of greed just as anyone else does. But these things are fading for me and fading quickly at that. Speaking of the opposite sex, I have taken a completely passive approach to dating, and now debate on whether I will bother seeking romantic love in my life at all. As I studied the Buddhas teachings I began to wonder about the desire for love, and how much that had made me suffer. Being here in Texas where my friends are has reminded me that good friends can mean as much to a person as a spouse without near as much put into having them. I refer back to my article "the real power of real friendship" in which I mentioned the incredible power of true friends. Seeking a mate is a long, complicated and tedious process, and the compromises I would have to make in my life to attract a woman to my side may not even be worth it for me personally. But having good friends handy has soothed my loneliness and all that remains of that desire is shameless sexuality. In reflecting on this, I realized that perhaps for me, a female companion is simply not in the cards. Despite how wonderful love can be, it can be very... distracting to one seeking spiritual enlightenment. I don't know that I can accomplish this by handing 50% of my being over to someone who is not equally dedicated to doing so. And for that reason I believe I may choose to remain single. That being said, If I meet an amazing girl who sees my way of life as something to be treasured and wishes to live the same way alongside me I would be open to such a love, but I have ceased actively pursuing romance, and that alone opens up many many possibilities for me.
Since beginning to walk the path, I have known great patience, tolerance, and compassion. And I did not realize how closed off and selfish I still was. It has always been a belief of mine that surprising yourself is an extremely good feeling. And yes I could say, "wow, was I really still that bad?" but I prefer to think, "wow, look how much Ive improved as a person in such a short time! I didn't know I was capable of such great compassion!" Because of this, my powers of empathy have grown even stronger. In many ways It feels like I was born to be a buddhist. How quickly and easily I grasp these concepts and how natural it feels for me to let go of anger and see the good in all beings is very unusual. It seems that many people cannot control these things without a great deal of effort. however for me it comes so naturally I almost do it instinctively. That does not mean however that I will allow myself to become arrogant and complacent. after all, my awakening is for the sake of all beings as well as myself, as is a popular buddhist concept. I love the path that the Buddha has layed before me. It is free of judgement and guilt. Free of harsh rules and inflexible traditions. And It is based on truth, not blind faith. It fills me with hope, for myself, for the ones I love personally and for the entirety of the human family. We are all equal, we all deserve happiness. There is much to come from now on dear readers, thank you for staying by me, thank you for reading. namaste ^^ see you next time!
This life of pure, unrestrained, and unselfish service to others and dedication to a spiritual life turns out to have been the ultimate goal to my happiness in life. I haven't even started yet and I feel almost overwhelmed with so much weight lifted off of my shoulders. I must learn a great deal about the buddhas teachings in the next five years, but for a practitioner of all of 2 1/2 months Id say I have an excellent grasp on the basics of his teachings. But I know I still have a very long way to go. I still get angry, I still feel lust toward the opposite sex and I still have moments of greed just as anyone else does. But these things are fading for me and fading quickly at that. Speaking of the opposite sex, I have taken a completely passive approach to dating, and now debate on whether I will bother seeking romantic love in my life at all. As I studied the Buddhas teachings I began to wonder about the desire for love, and how much that had made me suffer. Being here in Texas where my friends are has reminded me that good friends can mean as much to a person as a spouse without near as much put into having them. I refer back to my article "the real power of real friendship" in which I mentioned the incredible power of true friends. Seeking a mate is a long, complicated and tedious process, and the compromises I would have to make in my life to attract a woman to my side may not even be worth it for me personally. But having good friends handy has soothed my loneliness and all that remains of that desire is shameless sexuality. In reflecting on this, I realized that perhaps for me, a female companion is simply not in the cards. Despite how wonderful love can be, it can be very... distracting to one seeking spiritual enlightenment. I don't know that I can accomplish this by handing 50% of my being over to someone who is not equally dedicated to doing so. And for that reason I believe I may choose to remain single. That being said, If I meet an amazing girl who sees my way of life as something to be treasured and wishes to live the same way alongside me I would be open to such a love, but I have ceased actively pursuing romance, and that alone opens up many many possibilities for me.
Since beginning to walk the path, I have known great patience, tolerance, and compassion. And I did not realize how closed off and selfish I still was. It has always been a belief of mine that surprising yourself is an extremely good feeling. And yes I could say, "wow, was I really still that bad?" but I prefer to think, "wow, look how much Ive improved as a person in such a short time! I didn't know I was capable of such great compassion!" Because of this, my powers of empathy have grown even stronger. In many ways It feels like I was born to be a buddhist. How quickly and easily I grasp these concepts and how natural it feels for me to let go of anger and see the good in all beings is very unusual. It seems that many people cannot control these things without a great deal of effort. however for me it comes so naturally I almost do it instinctively. That does not mean however that I will allow myself to become arrogant and complacent. after all, my awakening is for the sake of all beings as well as myself, as is a popular buddhist concept. I love the path that the Buddha has layed before me. It is free of judgement and guilt. Free of harsh rules and inflexible traditions. And It is based on truth, not blind faith. It fills me with hope, for myself, for the ones I love personally and for the entirety of the human family. We are all equal, we all deserve happiness. There is much to come from now on dear readers, thank you for staying by me, thank you for reading. namaste ^^ see you next time!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The Loss of a true hero
Today we lost Nelson Mandela, It makes me happy for him, as I am sure he has found the peace that he has deserved for so long. But I am deeply saddened for the people who revered and loved him, as they were many in number. There are few in the world who had a grasp on peace and love better than he. The world needs more people like him, free of prejudice and hate, strong enough in heart to speak out against it. But pure enough in the soul to maintain peace and love within themselves. Why can't we all learn front this? We know that spreading hate and prejudice will only make the world shun us in the end. Yet we do it every day, sneering coldly at others who are different than ourselves. Yet those who spread a message of Peace and love are remembered forever, Jesus of Nazareth, Siddhartha Guatama (the Buddha), Nelson Mandela... these sort of people are loved into eternity and hence, gain a sort of immortality in memories. yet human beings continue to walk away from the path which leads to it. Why is that? Like Mandela, I too believe that hatred is a learned skill, and that Love is far more natural a force than hate. So why do we continue to preach such bitter, senseless words to our posterity? If we would not do this our children would grow up blind to such silliness.
So Today I will simply say, thank you Mr. Mandela. You were a true inspiration to humankind and will be dearly missed. Thank you for the kind words of wisdom you gave to us all and for being the amazing human being that you were. Today I pray that you find peace in knowing that your legacy will live on. One day the world will be as you saw it should have been. As those who loved and respected you will continue to live by your example. People continue to believe the world is falling apart. but really, racism and legally backed hate crimes are at an all time low. The world is slowly becoming a better place. And much of that is thanks to you, as well as many like-minded individuals, such as myself. I vow that I will personally continue your work in my own life. As Im sure others will as well. And one day, all the world will find peace. And when that day comes, I know that you will be able to see it from wherever you are. Thank you Nelson Mandela, for everything you did and everything you were, from the bottom of my heart. You were a friend to all of mankind and I speak for us all when I say this, Thank you, and goodbye my friend.
So Today I will simply say, thank you Mr. Mandela. You were a true inspiration to humankind and will be dearly missed. Thank you for the kind words of wisdom you gave to us all and for being the amazing human being that you were. Today I pray that you find peace in knowing that your legacy will live on. One day the world will be as you saw it should have been. As those who loved and respected you will continue to live by your example. People continue to believe the world is falling apart. but really, racism and legally backed hate crimes are at an all time low. The world is slowly becoming a better place. And much of that is thanks to you, as well as many like-minded individuals, such as myself. I vow that I will personally continue your work in my own life. As Im sure others will as well. And one day, all the world will find peace. And when that day comes, I know that you will be able to see it from wherever you are. Thank you Nelson Mandela, for everything you did and everything you were, from the bottom of my heart. You were a friend to all of mankind and I speak for us all when I say this, Thank you, and goodbye my friend.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Dwellers of the other side of the mortal fence
Ive made mentions and references to this in a few past articles but Im just now addressing the topic as a whole. It is my first, but unlikely my last article on this topic as it is a very broad subject that is among my favorite paranormal topics of all. Thats right dear readers, Im talking about ghosts. The mysterious entities that inspire so much undeserved fear in us as mortal beings.
First of all of course, is the main question. Just what is a ghost? While the specifics are still very much a mystery, The general Idea is that a ghost is the soul of a deceased person that for one reason or another is still attached to our world. While the specific beliefs vary depending on the particular religion, culture and individual that observes them that is the basic definition.
If there is one thing that we all agree on its that ghosts are purely spiritual entities. Despite their occasional ability to effect the physical world they themselves are not of the physical realm at all. A ghost was once and still is a human being. They often are bound to our world for a number of reasons. Usually, having to do with powerful emotions that don't allow them to leave this world behind. Strong feelings of hatred, vengeance, denial and even love can chain them to the same ground that we mortals stand upon. Many people agree that there are actually many sub-categories of ghosts as well, or at least of ghost-like phenomenon. Ghosts are generally thought of as intelligent and sapient spirits. Although there is a phenomenon known as "residual hauntings". This is known to occur in places where unspeakably horrible events have unfolded and are permanently "recorded" into the surrounding energies and objects of the area. Such as battlefields, and other historically significant areas. And to those sensitive to such energies the past has a way of playing itself out in the form of voices, footsteps, poltergeist activity and such just like a ghost. However there may not be an actual spirit there at all. these hauntings, while generally harmless may be even more frightening due to their random, undiscriminating and incommunicable nature. trying to stop a residual haunting is like stopping a tornado by trying to reason with it. And lack of control is often what frightens us more than anything else. Ghosts on the other hand can be as reasonable or unreasonable as any other person. Just as they have many reasons why they may be there.
Now, why is it, that despite not having a physical form at all, ghosts can seemingly interact with the physical world? (and often in very dramatic and frightening ways!) well, a common belief is that ghosts exist purely as our own psychic energy. And that somewhere along crossing the bridge they have no choice but to learn how to interact on a psychic level. so in a sense there may be a gain of some psionic abilities that were impossible or simply too difficult or pointless to attain while in a physical body. After all, why bother training for hours a day on simple, weak telekinesis when your hands work just fine and do a better, more reliable job? Well as a spirit you can pretty much throw that line of thinking out the window. A ghost has no mouth, no hands no eyes, no ears... so any interaction at all has to be on the psychic level, that's simply all they have. And while they can manifest and look an awful lot like a person with such things, It is at best a facade, and likely it is a psychic illusion as well. Think about it, a purely psychic being born of a soul of a deceased person... now what on earth would they need clothes, or accessories for? Even more importantly, /how/ would a spirit have inanimate objects in the afterlife where only the soul can travel? clothes, vehicles, swords and other such objects have no soul. they cannot die because they were never alive. So just what are they doing in the realm of the dead? Simple, I believe that ghosts, when seen, wish to be seen a certain way. And thus project themselves to our minds and eyes in the form that they were in upon death or most loved in life, more often the former. So essentially, It may be that any full bodied apparition is an illusion or perhaps a purposeful false appearance. And that the mysterious, formless lights and mists are much closer to their true appearances. Also, appearing in the form of their living face is obviously MUCH more familiar and comforting to the ones they love than wandering around as a creepy light ball with whispering, distant voices.
Which brings me to the next topic. The voices, they are even more of a mystery. While I would love to say that they are perhaps another mental illusion played for the living, Im not sure of that. They have no physical form, and hence they cannot possibly have a voice. But wait a minute... how is it they can be recorded on machines?? Unlike with humans, with a brain to be manipulated, machines cannot hallucinate, or be tricked. if they hear a voice it is there. end of story. But how can that be? Sound is produced by vibrations as a result of matter interacting with other matter. so how can pure energy do that? well, energy tends to interact with sound producing qualities as well, (i.e. thunder). but can it be possible to manipulate energy and matter so precisely as to produce words, and voices on pure psionic power? and not just that but to exactly copy the voice one knew in life? That would imply a far more precise form of telekinesis than we ever thought possible. And if thats not it, then just what is it? Can it be that ghosts are in fact, physical beings, that are in another dimension? and what we see and hear is through a sort of dimensional curtain? think about it. Dark matter makes up most of the known universe right? Yet it is completely impossible to detect. we only know what it isn't not what it is. considering that, worlds within worlds, occupying the same space, yet completely separate. Is that perhaps possible? Ghosts, no matter how you view them challenge everything we know about physics and the way the universe works.
Ghosts offer us comfort in knowing that death is not truly the end. But terrify us, because they are so unknown and mysterious. And they cannot be controlled at all. People seem to have their own hocus pocus ancient remedies to drive them away. But I'm not confident that something as mundane as burning sage and waving eagle feathers does anything at all. We maybe know, optimistically, 3% of what the supernatural world has to teach us. So to come up with cures for it is just plain silly. And how do you think the spirits feel about that? They want to be consoled, and comforted. They are slowly driven insane by the many people who cannot see, ignore or deny their very existence. If you wandered around a building for hundreds of years, seen by no one, with nothing to do, and had people talking about you all the time, wouldn't you go a little crazy too? And having these shamans and mystics acting like you're some disease to be cured... It must be a painful existence. But really.... how many people have been hurt or killed by other living people? ..... far more than one can count. how many people have been seriously hurt or killed by a ghost? a handful of minor injuries reported, and no deaths on record. I would say that living people are far more terrifying.
Ghosts are hard for some people to believe, and quite frankly, I used to be a skeptic myself. in fact it was around 10 years ago that I found my own personal proof. My mother was putting my sister and I to bed and when she opened the door there was a mist there. in the vague shape of a human form. it was very clear. like a cloud, standing in the middle of my room. My mother looked on in horror as it turned towards us and simply disappeared into the air. needless to say, I slept on my moms floor for a while after that. Since then I have had many more interactions with the deceased, and that has opened my eyes and I am not so afraid as I once was. We must understand, they have feelings too. In fact, thats all they have. It may be difficult, but when you come across a ghost. Try to understand them, their pain and suffering has been great, beyond what most of the living can fathom.
Now, ghosts are largely harmless. but not always... And they have at times been known to take on a much darker nature. Some cultures tell tales of ghost-like creatures that have terrified and attacked humans in ways more horrible than anything the real world can probably offer. But are these creatures ghosts? or do they merely share the shadowy appearance? And even more disturbing, is the question, could they have been real? Some believe that dark entities gain power from fear. But in this age of science and reason, many people have shunned the idea of spirits all together, much less waste time fearing them. But it wasn't always that way... hundreds of years ago people were in constant paranoia about evil ghosts and demons. And such thoughts were not superstition, they were real to these people and everyone took them very, very seriously.... Could it be that perhaps as science developed and made us think less of the supernatural world that our reason and logic gradually eased our fears and drained these dark entities of their sustenance? Perhaps science itself made this world much harder to inhabit for them. I'm not usually a believer in fairy tales, but I can say I have seen some pretty horrid things done to people by unseen forces, and I can't help but wonder if more powerful evil spirits are a thing of the imagination... or of the past. And if the amount of spiritually related deaths is 0.... or just 0 known to science...
But to counter these shadowy, dangerous creatures are ghosts and spirits that have a much, much more powerful purpose. Those who have been robbed of their proper afterlife for the sake of love. Love, a force on this earth far more powerful than hatred or fear, also keeps some peoples souls earthbound. My great grandmother for instance, she bore and raised many children to adulthood or at least to an age where they could help care for themselves. All but one that is... my grandpa. He was the youngest of his siblings and she died tragically when he was only 8. In a mothers eyes, 8 years old is still just a baby... And to this day her spirit lingers. She follows him to wherever it is he lives. I recognize her presence from when I was little but as I understood the spirit world more she became clearer with each passing day. And now I am able to see her fairly often... Her mournful shade wanders our house still today. lamenting her death and wishing she could love and care for the one child who she couldn't, before fate so cruelly took her. When my grandfather is content and happy she is often nowhere to be seen. But in times of great stress or sadness for him she often wanders the halls on a nightly basis. And I think that she will always be there until which time he comes to join her on the other side. It is an occurrence that is both chilling and tragic. When I think of it, it both gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes at the same time. But she is the very picture of a benevolent ghost, she wishes to protect and watch over her baby and his family. She is here out of pure love and concern and I feel quite comfortable with her around...
Ghosts continue to make their presence known to us. No matter how much we hide behind science and state that they don't exist they simply keep proving us wrong. They protect us, they live alongside us every day, they frighten us, they mystify us, fascinate us and some even try to harm us. I still believe however, that many of them just want a little bit of recognition and understanding. To be treated like the human beings they were and still are. So next time you go to a place that is known to be haunted, (by non-malevolent spirits at least!) or sense it for yourself, try to leave a smile and some words of comfort as an offering. Let them know they are not forgotten, and that their humanity is not lost. It may be all that some of them need to pass on. It maybe seems silly at first, but some spirits have been cruelly denied so much as a hello for thousands of years. So next time your spine tingles and the hair on your body stands on end... try to understand that. :)
First of all of course, is the main question. Just what is a ghost? While the specifics are still very much a mystery, The general Idea is that a ghost is the soul of a deceased person that for one reason or another is still attached to our world. While the specific beliefs vary depending on the particular religion, culture and individual that observes them that is the basic definition.
If there is one thing that we all agree on its that ghosts are purely spiritual entities. Despite their occasional ability to effect the physical world they themselves are not of the physical realm at all. A ghost was once and still is a human being. They often are bound to our world for a number of reasons. Usually, having to do with powerful emotions that don't allow them to leave this world behind. Strong feelings of hatred, vengeance, denial and even love can chain them to the same ground that we mortals stand upon. Many people agree that there are actually many sub-categories of ghosts as well, or at least of ghost-like phenomenon. Ghosts are generally thought of as intelligent and sapient spirits. Although there is a phenomenon known as "residual hauntings". This is known to occur in places where unspeakably horrible events have unfolded and are permanently "recorded" into the surrounding energies and objects of the area. Such as battlefields, and other historically significant areas. And to those sensitive to such energies the past has a way of playing itself out in the form of voices, footsteps, poltergeist activity and such just like a ghost. However there may not be an actual spirit there at all. these hauntings, while generally harmless may be even more frightening due to their random, undiscriminating and incommunicable nature. trying to stop a residual haunting is like stopping a tornado by trying to reason with it. And lack of control is often what frightens us more than anything else. Ghosts on the other hand can be as reasonable or unreasonable as any other person. Just as they have many reasons why they may be there.
Now, why is it, that despite not having a physical form at all, ghosts can seemingly interact with the physical world? (and often in very dramatic and frightening ways!) well, a common belief is that ghosts exist purely as our own psychic energy. And that somewhere along crossing the bridge they have no choice but to learn how to interact on a psychic level. so in a sense there may be a gain of some psionic abilities that were impossible or simply too difficult or pointless to attain while in a physical body. After all, why bother training for hours a day on simple, weak telekinesis when your hands work just fine and do a better, more reliable job? Well as a spirit you can pretty much throw that line of thinking out the window. A ghost has no mouth, no hands no eyes, no ears... so any interaction at all has to be on the psychic level, that's simply all they have. And while they can manifest and look an awful lot like a person with such things, It is at best a facade, and likely it is a psychic illusion as well. Think about it, a purely psychic being born of a soul of a deceased person... now what on earth would they need clothes, or accessories for? Even more importantly, /how/ would a spirit have inanimate objects in the afterlife where only the soul can travel? clothes, vehicles, swords and other such objects have no soul. they cannot die because they were never alive. So just what are they doing in the realm of the dead? Simple, I believe that ghosts, when seen, wish to be seen a certain way. And thus project themselves to our minds and eyes in the form that they were in upon death or most loved in life, more often the former. So essentially, It may be that any full bodied apparition is an illusion or perhaps a purposeful false appearance. And that the mysterious, formless lights and mists are much closer to their true appearances. Also, appearing in the form of their living face is obviously MUCH more familiar and comforting to the ones they love than wandering around as a creepy light ball with whispering, distant voices.
Which brings me to the next topic. The voices, they are even more of a mystery. While I would love to say that they are perhaps another mental illusion played for the living, Im not sure of that. They have no physical form, and hence they cannot possibly have a voice. But wait a minute... how is it they can be recorded on machines?? Unlike with humans, with a brain to be manipulated, machines cannot hallucinate, or be tricked. if they hear a voice it is there. end of story. But how can that be? Sound is produced by vibrations as a result of matter interacting with other matter. so how can pure energy do that? well, energy tends to interact with sound producing qualities as well, (i.e. thunder). but can it be possible to manipulate energy and matter so precisely as to produce words, and voices on pure psionic power? and not just that but to exactly copy the voice one knew in life? That would imply a far more precise form of telekinesis than we ever thought possible. And if thats not it, then just what is it? Can it be that ghosts are in fact, physical beings, that are in another dimension? and what we see and hear is through a sort of dimensional curtain? think about it. Dark matter makes up most of the known universe right? Yet it is completely impossible to detect. we only know what it isn't not what it is. considering that, worlds within worlds, occupying the same space, yet completely separate. Is that perhaps possible? Ghosts, no matter how you view them challenge everything we know about physics and the way the universe works.
Ghosts offer us comfort in knowing that death is not truly the end. But terrify us, because they are so unknown and mysterious. And they cannot be controlled at all. People seem to have their own hocus pocus ancient remedies to drive them away. But I'm not confident that something as mundane as burning sage and waving eagle feathers does anything at all. We maybe know, optimistically, 3% of what the supernatural world has to teach us. So to come up with cures for it is just plain silly. And how do you think the spirits feel about that? They want to be consoled, and comforted. They are slowly driven insane by the many people who cannot see, ignore or deny their very existence. If you wandered around a building for hundreds of years, seen by no one, with nothing to do, and had people talking about you all the time, wouldn't you go a little crazy too? And having these shamans and mystics acting like you're some disease to be cured... It must be a painful existence. But really.... how many people have been hurt or killed by other living people? ..... far more than one can count. how many people have been seriously hurt or killed by a ghost? a handful of minor injuries reported, and no deaths on record. I would say that living people are far more terrifying.
Ghosts are hard for some people to believe, and quite frankly, I used to be a skeptic myself. in fact it was around 10 years ago that I found my own personal proof. My mother was putting my sister and I to bed and when she opened the door there was a mist there. in the vague shape of a human form. it was very clear. like a cloud, standing in the middle of my room. My mother looked on in horror as it turned towards us and simply disappeared into the air. needless to say, I slept on my moms floor for a while after that. Since then I have had many more interactions with the deceased, and that has opened my eyes and I am not so afraid as I once was. We must understand, they have feelings too. In fact, thats all they have. It may be difficult, but when you come across a ghost. Try to understand them, their pain and suffering has been great, beyond what most of the living can fathom.
Now, ghosts are largely harmless. but not always... And they have at times been known to take on a much darker nature. Some cultures tell tales of ghost-like creatures that have terrified and attacked humans in ways more horrible than anything the real world can probably offer. But are these creatures ghosts? or do they merely share the shadowy appearance? And even more disturbing, is the question, could they have been real? Some believe that dark entities gain power from fear. But in this age of science and reason, many people have shunned the idea of spirits all together, much less waste time fearing them. But it wasn't always that way... hundreds of years ago people were in constant paranoia about evil ghosts and demons. And such thoughts were not superstition, they were real to these people and everyone took them very, very seriously.... Could it be that perhaps as science developed and made us think less of the supernatural world that our reason and logic gradually eased our fears and drained these dark entities of their sustenance? Perhaps science itself made this world much harder to inhabit for them. I'm not usually a believer in fairy tales, but I can say I have seen some pretty horrid things done to people by unseen forces, and I can't help but wonder if more powerful evil spirits are a thing of the imagination... or of the past. And if the amount of spiritually related deaths is 0.... or just 0 known to science...
But to counter these shadowy, dangerous creatures are ghosts and spirits that have a much, much more powerful purpose. Those who have been robbed of their proper afterlife for the sake of love. Love, a force on this earth far more powerful than hatred or fear, also keeps some peoples souls earthbound. My great grandmother for instance, she bore and raised many children to adulthood or at least to an age where they could help care for themselves. All but one that is... my grandpa. He was the youngest of his siblings and she died tragically when he was only 8. In a mothers eyes, 8 years old is still just a baby... And to this day her spirit lingers. She follows him to wherever it is he lives. I recognize her presence from when I was little but as I understood the spirit world more she became clearer with each passing day. And now I am able to see her fairly often... Her mournful shade wanders our house still today. lamenting her death and wishing she could love and care for the one child who she couldn't, before fate so cruelly took her. When my grandfather is content and happy she is often nowhere to be seen. But in times of great stress or sadness for him she often wanders the halls on a nightly basis. And I think that she will always be there until which time he comes to join her on the other side. It is an occurrence that is both chilling and tragic. When I think of it, it both gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes at the same time. But she is the very picture of a benevolent ghost, she wishes to protect and watch over her baby and his family. She is here out of pure love and concern and I feel quite comfortable with her around...
Ghosts continue to make their presence known to us. No matter how much we hide behind science and state that they don't exist they simply keep proving us wrong. They protect us, they live alongside us every day, they frighten us, they mystify us, fascinate us and some even try to harm us. I still believe however, that many of them just want a little bit of recognition and understanding. To be treated like the human beings they were and still are. So next time you go to a place that is known to be haunted, (by non-malevolent spirits at least!) or sense it for yourself, try to leave a smile and some words of comfort as an offering. Let them know they are not forgotten, and that their humanity is not lost. It may be all that some of them need to pass on. It maybe seems silly at first, but some spirits have been cruelly denied so much as a hello for thousands of years. So next time your spine tingles and the hair on your body stands on end... try to understand that. :)
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
A world abound with mysteries.
This planet we live on, its a wonderful place. The cosmos beyond Im sure are just as beautiful if we had the ability to explore them. In our short time here we have figured out so many things about our world and the way it works, and were even beginning to look into the universe and unlock its secrets. But there are things far more mysterious still. Beyond the realm of science and into the realm of myth and legend. Spirits of great power who rule over the natural world, and creatures of magic and majesty beyond compare. We often dismiss things like this as merely myth. But behind every legend lies a grain of truth. And sometimes I wonder just where that grain lies. While many cultures have their own unique legends, the ones I find interesting are the ones that are prominent in cultures around the globe in cultures that have never met. From Ryujin, the Japanese God and guardian of the sea, to the Leviathan of hebrew sacred texts to the Kolowisi of native American legend. Somehow the same concept, that of a serpent or dragon of the sea with the horns of a stag, made its way around the world to many people. It seems that any culture that has laid eyes on the sea has its own legend about essentially the same thing. And of that I cannot help but ponder the implications as more than coincidental.
The concept of ghosts has become more accepted in the modern world as well. While in the ancient world everyone believed in such things, there came an age of science and knowledge. And with that, such seemingly magical concepts were cast off as gibberish of the ancients. But yet the more we learned about the world the more mysterious the supernatural world became. Eventually it became more and more apparent that some concepts of magic and myth such as the soul, had some truth behind them. We have many solid and trustworthy methods for debunking supposedly "paranormal" evidence. Nevertheless, unexplained events continued to occur despite everything we did to disprove them. While our ancestors had some primitive and foolish thoughts on the world, they were also well aware of the fact that not everything can be explained in this life. And that there is one afterwards. While many consider an afterlife to be a man made concept to shield against the fear of imminent mortality. Many have seen undeniable proof that such worlds beyond physical being certainly exist. I myself have seen that there is a life beyond this one. And have had others verify the things I have seen.
Besides the human soul itself, many believe that there are spirits in nature, and even of collective groups of people. Whether these spirits be reminiscent of our own souls or whether they are something else entirely, perhaps something more divine and independent, is really not universally known. While I am sure there exist people who have been enlightened to things that I have not, just as I have been been enlightened to things others have not, this is hardly common knowledge. Such spirits may protect or even discipline us and we have no awareness of it whatsoever. Even tales of angels and similar spirits of the deceased that have ascended to higher levels of purity and power in the afterlife are quite common throughout the world.
However for every victory there is a defeat, and a dusk for every dawn. The mysterious powers in the world are not always there to protect us. People love tales of Angelic guardians. To think that our ancestors grow so close to divinity in the afterlife purely in the interest of protecting and guiding us is a wonderful thought. But tales of demons and monsters are equally common. From terrible beasts that revel in destruction and terror to dark spirits that plague us with nightmares and feed upon our very souls, the world has no shortage of dark and terrifying legends either. While many of these are also merely myths, born of ignorance and a need to explain the unexplained. It would seem that some of this darkness is indeed lurking through the shadows in the world. While being a non religious type I tend to steer clear of the Abrahamic definition of "demons" there are certainly very, very dark spirits in the world that should be avoided at all costs. Now, to my knowledge I can only personally confirm spirits of the dead that have taken on a very dark and evil nature. As for demons and other dark spiritual entities I cannot fully say that they exist. But given how many things I have seen on the divine side of things It would surprise me little if the tails side of that coin is just as prominent. Again, there may be others who are more enlightened than I in this particular area.
I wonder also, since the mind can create things that do not exist within our bodies, as mentioned in one of my previous articles. If the same is not responsible for many of these darker entities as well? Since we do not know how spirits are brought into this world, this area of the occult is very much open to theories. One such theory that I have is, and it may be a hard pill to swallow, but bear in mind that it is only a theory; Is that many dark spiritual entities or 'demons" as some call them are born of our own minds. Our fear, our hate, anger, greed and our darkest of desires. Could it be that we ourselves have the power to produce these beings from ourselves? Perhaps the term "inner demons" has more to it than previously imagined. So many cultures have their own ideas about these dreaded spirits. But perhaps they are created by the darkness in our own hearts and take the form of what we imagine them to be. While that thought may be slightly disturbing it may also lend credibility to such wide varieties of different spirits around the world. We know so little about the world beyond our five senses that the possibilities are literally endless.
So since Ive bothered to say all this, I should note that while heavily spiritual and very much an occult enthusiast I am not one to believe things without evidence. I believe that we must take responsibility for our own actions and not blame some red, horned fellow with a pitch fork every time something goes awry in the world. And while faith in the divine and prayer can be a good thing, I also maintain that where applicable, getting off your knees and working to improve things yourself is much more reliable. A good expression that I have heard is to "be open minded, but not so much that your brains fall out". It is one thing to believe that the world is full of mysterious things that we may never understand. Because I can personally guarantee this is true. But to deny fact and proof in favor of superstition is just foolish. That is why I am not religious, there are too many preconceived notions and it invites fear and misunderstanding. But I am not a man purely of science either, because I know the world cannot be fully explained on a calculator. I remain very spiritual and open to new lessons the world has to teach, but If I uncover something that shows my beliefs simply were not true I can accept that as well.
So enjoy it my friends, the world is an incredible place full of endless adventures and mysteries. Let the light into your heart, be open to the worlds teachings, no matter what you think of them. Remember to stay out of the dark if you can help it. Do not let fear control you, embrace the unknown and the shadows may be illuminated for you. Be curious, but also be cautious. And never grow bored of life.
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