Vmarco

I should be an expert in protesting because of deep convictions,...from Vietnam protest in Wash DC in the early 70's, to fighting authoritarian Austin Cops,...years and years attempting to right wrongs,...and never once (after thousands of hours, and thousands of dollars) getting any satisfaction. Even Buddha appeared to leave because attempts to uncover truth were futile. Buddha purportedly said that he discovered something profound and luminous beyond all concepts. He tried to communicate that something with words, but few understood. Very few will stand on the shoulders of the enlightened,...these are times of self-centeredness. Even the rallying for peace is self-centered,...the desire to right wrongs, or obliterate all bullies, pivots from ego. The only genuine protest or activity to show strong disapproval, is remonstrating underlying falsity,...that is to say,...the core of the falsity one desires to protest.

　 　 　 To the chagrin of American's in denial about their Country,...the USA is a very divided Country,...there is no Liberty and Justice for All. There is just enough perceived liberty and justice to keep the groupthink of the majority Sheeple in lock-step. The current focus on police brutality is good,...but will it bring liberty and justice for All? In the 1950's, Christians with a theocratic agenda took over America. They changed the US Nationalal Motto to the constitutionally illegal Christianized national motto, "In God We Trust," thus replacing "E Pluribus Unum." E Pluribus Unum is abhorant to Christians. "I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good . . . our goal is a Christian nation. We have the biblical duty, we are called on by God to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism..." Randall Terry, Director of Operation Rescue Studies have shown direct links between the insane numbers of incarcerated Americans and Christianity. If America released half of it's prisoners, it would still be the number 1 prison Country. Someone had said,...if America freed 99% of its incarerated population, that they would only fall to number 7 in numbers of prisoners. An American Humantarian once said, "As long as there is a soul in prison, I am not free." Eugene V. Debs 　 Debs also said, "I can see the dawn of a better day of humanity. The people are awakening. In due course of time they will come into their own." Such a day has yet to shone a sliver of light. Thomas Jefferson said, "The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter." Such a day has yet to shone a sliver of light. What continues to prevail is this,.... "My government is the world's leading purveyor of violence." Martin Luther King

Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold. ~Leo Tolstoy "What people believe prevails over the truth" Sophocles Truth is the highest thing that man may keep. Geoffrey Chaucer. This Chaucer quote correctly implies, that there is something which never leaves you, and which you can never leave. Truth is permanent. That which changes is not, nor can be, true. "If truth was understood, ego would no longer be "needed" in the capacity it now enjoys." Sri Ram Kaa However,… “Most men would kill the truth if truth would kill their [beliefs].” Lemuel K. Washburn “Truth lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it.” Goethe No Christian, Muslim or Jew have a willing interested in truth,…because truth will kill their religion, and end their current relationship with ego. Patriotism, Nationalism, competition, Maslow's Lowerarchy, etc., are also distractions from truth. No belief is true.

Your Nationalism is noted. Yes,...war does appear to change things....from one atrocity, to a more palatable atrocity. Only truth can end change.

Rallying for peace,...is war. "If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of your self." Lao Tzu

Many today strive for the perception of positiveness,...however, as Teal Swan articulates in the link,.."positiveness is like an anesthetic"...and is really, for most, a form of denial. She equates today's "being positive trend" as an aspect of Spiritual Bypassing. Any interested in a discussion?

In my view,...it's not a question about judging,...to stand on Lao Tzu's shoulders,...positive and negative are two aspects of the same One. Many appear to seek the One,...not only through positive alone,...but as an End Game,...as if One is the Tao. One is not the Tao (according to Lao Tzu). Lao Tzu, like Buddha,....implied that the Tao (or in Buddha's case, the Tathagata) cannot be realized through duality, but through the One,...which, is itself as a wholeness of duality, and as illusory as duality. However,...before "Oneness" can really be recognized,...an understanding of duality, Yang-Yin, positive-negative, must occur. From my POV,...it is quite unlikely to ever realize Who we are, until When we are is understood,...and the When is very veiled by duality. When we are is in the Present,...and the ego can NEVER observe the Present,...because the ego, and its 6 senses, are part of time,...and there is no Present in time.

Yes,...by the fact that it has produced very little discussion on the theme, When Positive is Negative,...something appears complicated indeed,...the most complicated of all,...when few, if any, see it being complicated. Of course, on another hand, perhaps the lack of discussion on When Positive is Negative, is really an indictment on When Positive is Negative. Thanks for the Ingrid Mathieu, PhD link to her August 1, 2011 book,...which is similiar it appears, to Robert Masters, Ph.D, Spiritual Bypassing. Basically, I wasn't attempting to start a discussion on Spiritual Bypassing, but on the all-important subject of Positive and Negative,...without which, the Tao cannot be understood as Lao Tzu was describing. Ultimately, until Who's Who in Duality is realized,...any real awakening is futile.

If considered seriously,...are there some tangible ways to realize World Peace? It must be something that goes beyond religious beliefs,...for example, peace could not possibly be uncovered through Christianity,..."There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to Christianity as a human being." James Joyce On another hand,...as a bumper sticker says, "If the Whole World smoked a joint at the sametime,...there would be World Peace for about two hours. " Know god, no Peace; Gnow Peace, no god.

Of course, millions have been killed by those who don't believe gods,...just as those those who believe. The KEY word is "BELIEVE" No belief is true. If something was true, it would not be a belief. World Peace cannot be realized through anything other than truth. All Abrahamic religions are false,...all atheist beliefs are false. However,..neither the USA, nor "the West" is controlled by atheists,...it is controlled by theists. For an analogy,...it would be easier for a tornado to form an F22 Fighter out of a Kansas junkyard, than for even a single Christian to realize Heart Consciousness. A CONDITION can not enter the UNCONDITIONAL. Let most people,...you are obviously attempting to alter the definition of god to better fit your belief system. However, when I use the term theism, it is with society's accepted definition,...not a New Agey want-to-be definition. God (god), n., 1. A being (condition) conceived as the omnipotent (condition), omniscient (condition) originator and ruler (condition) of the universe (condition), the principal object (condition) of faith and worship (conditions) in monotheistic religions (conditions). 2. The force (condition), effect (condition), or a manifestation or aspect (conditions) of this being (condition). 3. A being of supernatural powers (condition) or attributes (conditions), believed in and worshiped (conditions) by a people, especially a male deity thought to control some part of nature or reality (conditions). 4. An image of a supernatural being; an idol (conditions). 5. One that is worshiped, idealized, or followed (conditioned). 6. A very handsome man (condition). 7. A powerful ruler or despot (conditions). 8. Used to express disappointment, disbelief, frustration, annoyance (conditions). So,...let's say Source is Unconditional,...if so, there is no god in Source. Next,...not only is the Abrahamic god not of Source, their god is so false, that it believes itself to be only part of Duality. Consider the 2nd Century apology 1John (1John 1:5)....their "god is light, and in Him is no darkness"....all Yang,...no Yin. What a pathetic god. Actually, the Abrahamic god identifies with the clinical definition of a psychopath. When viewing the full length and breadth of the Bible, their Patriarch is clearly a murderous, pro-slavery, vacillant, petty, racist, conditional God. And amazingly, a God who is so insecure, that it demands to be worshiped, obeyed and prayed to. Thus,...where is it not obvious that World Peace could never occur through a god.

Yes,...I remember. Visited my mother in the Northeast this past February,...it was so cold,...I left the next day, and flew to Pompano Beach until it warmed up. Heard that thus year would be more of the same.

Depends on your sea level. Of course, for years, geologists been suggesting that a massive tsunami would level South Florida if the volcano in the Canary Islands collapsed,...but that is getting too far Off Topic from Spiritual Problems in America.

Being in the Present. This must be the greatest fear of ego. The ego cannot experience the Present,...thus it generally fights the idea with prejudgments of what it looks like. Although for the last few dozen years, the term "being in the present" has been as a mantra in New Age Spirituality,...almost no one recognizes what that truly is. In the few Tubes I viewed of this Teal Swan, she has made several mentions of the term Present as it actually is,....that which is beyond time and duality. The instruments of duality, ie., the 6 senses, CANNOT observe the Present. Neither the Tao, nor a Tathagata, can be observed through the 6 senses. The 6 senses can only perceive motion. As mentioned in an above post,...I just came across this Teal Swan a few days ago. Although the Tubes I've listened to, are focused towards some very Maslow Lowerarchy persons,...she has occasionally made as-matter-of-fact comments far above the level of her audience. Nevertheless,...this is a fun thread. My whole life I've observed different ways how people dodge important subjects. One of the humorous is how folks go after messengers, and avoid the message. Actually, I recall full or partial threads on the subject of messenger focus,... http://thetaobums.com/topic/19628-three-kinds-of-spiritual-teachings/page-9?hl=+president++ulysses++grant#entry278954

The top Tube: Spiritual Bypassing is quite beyond elementary,...and I doubt if 2% of humanity could even grasp it. Nevertheless, it looked like a good Tube to add to a discussion of Positive-Negative,...which still hasn't occurred,...almost as if the denial she mentioned is alive-and-well here @ TTB. One, quite denied, subject she broached was "Pure Positive,"...which I'm certain is over the head of 99.4% of all who pass over that term. "Pure Positive" is very advanced Buddhism-Taoism. A self help purveyor once put it this way: "We teach meditation, or quieting the mind, because it is really easier to teach you to have no thoughts, than to teach you to have pure, positive thought. We would rather you be in a state of appreciation, than in a state of meditation, because in appreciation you uncover Source." In other words,...meditation, although useful for physical-emotional calmness,...usually is a form of "spiritual bypassing." "Do you think you can clear your mind by sitting constantly in silent meditation? This makes your mind narrow, not clear." Lao-Tzu "The practice of meditation is represented by the three monkeys, who cover their eyes, ears and mouths so as to avoid the phenomenal world. The practice of non-meditation is ceasing to be the see-er, hearer or speaker while eyes, ears and mouths are fulfilling their function in daily life." - Wei Wu Wei Hui Neng reportedly scolded his monks for spending too much time sitting in meditation....He said that meditation is unnecessary, and warned that such practice can easily become a narcotic. “meditation and spiritual teachings are all gentle deceptions meant to soothe the inner coward, not forge the inner hero." Jed McKenna "The state of non-meditation is born in the heart...." Jigme Lingpa “If your purpose is to medicate dukkha,...then meditate. If your wish is bodhi,...practice absolute bodhicitta.” A Buddhist saying. The practice of Absolute Bodhicitta encourages the uncovering of Pure Positive.

No,...I watched too many comments to assume otherwise. Teachers do it all the time,...they cannot, even if they wanted, discuss algebra, if the audience is having trouble understanding math,...or in these cases, understanding anything above Maslow's Lowerarchy or theistic beliefs. I've recognized in myself many years ago that I could not be a teacher,...what a crazy life, unless that's your vocation. I have a hiking friend who just retired as a grade school teacher,...30 years teaching 4th graders. One of my favorite quotes: One evening, while gathered in the big lounge at the Taliesin Fellowship, G. I. Gurdjieff was talking to some pupils, who were listening with attention. Frank Lloyd Wright, husband of Gurdjieff’s student Olgivanna, said, “Well, Mr. Gurdjieff, this is very interesting. I think I will send some of my young pupils to you in Paris. Then they can come back to me, and I’ll finish them off.” “You finish! You are idiot,” said Gurdjieff. “You finish! No. You begin. I finish.” “You know, Frank,” said Olgivanna, “Mr. Gurdjieff is right.” As regards “being and understanding,” Wright was a child compared with Gurdjieff. —C. S. Nott. Journey Through This World (152)

NOAA ( National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) says the first ten months of 2014 have been the hottest since record keeping began. On December 3, the World Meteorological Organization reported that if the month finishes as expected, "14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all occurred in the 21st century." If you have property near today's sea level,...this might be a good time to sell. If you want beach property, wait till 2020, and prices will be quite cheap. "the more deeply I search for the roots of our global environmental crisis, the more I am convinced that it is an outer manifestation of an inner crisis that is, for the lack of a better word, spiritual". Al Gore

If you watched batgap,...she went way beyond Jungian psychology,...although only in short comments that went way over the head of the theist Rick Archer,..especially comments about time, present, duality. I'd really like to see her with a spiritually advanced host, or advanced group,...where she doesn't feel the need to dumb down the discussion,...before I could form a fair opinion. I've heard too many "revolutionary" comments from the few vids I've watch,...to dismiss her. Nevertheless,...this thread was suppose to be about the nature of positive and negative,...using one Teal Swan message as a talking point,...not necessarily a discussion on the messenger. Of course,...this is the Off-Topic forum,...and as such,...the discussion should flow wherever it does.

That sounds very New Agey. Let's start with this concept of "source energy." What does this mean? The source of energy? Energy is an illusion,...an illusion of a perceived separation from Source. From a Taoist/Prajnaparamita Buddhist view, Source is not a generative force nor cause,...thus the term "source energy" is pretty much an oxymoronic notion. How many times does a person need to look at E=MC2,...before realizing that from Light's point of view, it travels no distance in no time, without any "energy," and has no need for speed. Energy is about duality,...yang/yin,...not the Tao. Energy comes and goes. The Tao/Source does no come or go. Energy can NEVER cease coming and going. Source and energy NEVER meet. The Tao/Source is synonymous with being Present. There is no Present in energy, nor in time. Positive and negative is about coming and going. Yang comes, while Yin goes. Most folks fear Yin,...they desire coming,...but attempt to deny going. 　 The link above says, "The most difficult phase after becoming "aware", is to endure the phase during which the past negative momentum ebbs away." What the heck is that supposed to mean? 　 To realize "real awareness,"...is to be liberated from duality. If one is liberated from an attachment to duality, there is no positive nor negative that needs enduring. Enduring is a condition that Christians associate with love. Christian love says, "love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things", 1 Cor 13:7. HOWEVER, this , bearing, believing, hoping and enduring is merely ridiculous conditions,....the submission, devotion, expectation and suffering to the conditions of their religions brewed beliefs. Who we are is never disconnect from Source. Who we think we are, is not disconnected from the illusion of energy.

However,...if you did a search on Psychopaths on Wall Street, psychopaths in the work place, Study Finds Corporate Psychopaths Run the Banking Industry, Which Professions Have the Most Psychopaths?, etc,...you will find thousands that disagree with your higher experience,...and very few, if any, that agree. Go figure! Why are there so many psychopaths on Wall Street? "People with psychopathic personalities seek out jobs in the financial industry, where charisma, confidence, risk-taking, and a singular focus on self-interest are often rewarded. In fact, DeCovny finds that the best candidates for Wall Street positions often display such characteristics. But some Wall Street workers also develop these traits because of the job and its attendant pressures."

A positive attitude in negative situations seems much better than reacting in kind to any given situation. Although Buddha may have stressed having a neutral or impersonal attitude. My last post was somewhat focusing on the idea of denial,...in that it has become trendy to not look at anything that appears negative,...it is one way the faith-based keep any light from shining on their BS (belief systems). A good example of Positive Negativism is the 12 Step Programs,...the "Steps" are ultra negative in that they sustain an indoctrination in theism,...and through that negativity, a seemingly positive result of sobriety manifests. Positiveness also looms large in today's therapeutic culture,...to the detriment of humanity. Perhaps I see it more like this,...is one's positive attitude connected to hope,...if it is,...then their positiveness is negative, and will retard all opportunities for spiritual awakening. Hope is an expectation,...and all expectation obscures one from being in the Present. As for you career choice,...I had read in the NY Times that psychopaths make the best financial managers,...naturally refusing to allow emotions to enter decisions.

For percussion lovers:

There is no life in duality without positive,...but then, there is no duality without negative either. To seek the perceived positive over perceived negative is denial of life. Allow me to repeat a quote I have often used,...and remember, as all quotes I use, it has nothing to do with the messenger, but simply the message. "we need to draw our attention to what is false in us, for unless we learn to recognize the false as the false, there can be no lasting transformation, and you will always be drawn back into illusion, for that is how the false perpetuates itself" Eckhart Tolle Now,...imagine that quote for someone only seeking the positive,...and you should quickly realize that such a person will never recognize the false, and thus, their perceived positive view is itself a falsity that perpetuates their delusion. The underlying teaching of Buddhism and Taoism is to realize neutrality,...to see positive (yang) and negative (yin) for what it is. "The Tao gives birth to One. One gives birth to yin and yang. Yin and yang give birth to all things....Recognize that everything you see and think is a falsehood, an illusion, a veil over the truth." Lao Tzu Keep in mind,...everything one sees and thinks arises from things,...all things are positive and negative. Wholeness is not realized by merging with positive, as if such could even be done,...Wholeness is beyond the sum of opposites. Duality,...or Yang-Yin,...or positive-negative,...must be fully recognized BEFORE anyone backtrack to Oneness,...and from there, to the Tao. To deny the negative,...to deny the Great Feminine,...is to remain in hell.

Conservatism deconstructed: Fiscal conservatives and libertarians favor small government, low taxes, limited regulation, and free enterprise. Social conservatives see Judeo-Christian traditional social values as threatened by secularism; they tend to support school prayer and oppose abortion and oppose same-sex marriage. Neoconservatives want to expand American ideals throughout the world. Paleoconservatives advocate restrictions on immigration, non-interventionist foreign policy, and stand in opposition to multiculturalism. Again,...ALL Fiscal Conservatives and Libertarians should be appalled by Christian Social Conservatism, and immediately cease enabling them.

" SOCIAL CONSERVATISM in the United States is a political ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional Judeo-Christian values. The accepted goals and ideologies related to preserving traditions and morality often vary from group to group within social conservatism. Thus, there are really no policies or positions that could be considered universal among social conservatives. There are, however, a number of general principles to which at least a majority of social conservatives adhere, such as support for traditional Christian family values." Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, "the rule of law and the Christian religion," and a defense of "Western civilization from the challenges of modernist culture and totalitarian governments."[

I have no problem with Conservatives,...but I agree fully with Barry Goldwater and Sam Harris: "Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy." Barry Goldwater “We will see that the greatest problem confronting civilization is not merely religious extremism: rather, it is the larger set of cultural and intellectual accommodations we have made to faith itself.” Sam Harris I also agree with Thomas Jefferson when he said, "No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him" Thomas Jefferson In US America, Social Conservatism is an idea that Government should also be responsible for policing morality, and should punish people for their "sins," according to the Christian meme. EVERY Goldwater Conservative should be appalled by the Social Conservative, Christocratic influence in America. "The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason." Benjamin Franklin