manitou

The terrible twos are when a child first becomes aware of itself as a person. The ego has found form.

Stirling, I hardly know what to say. I won't even try. Thank you. What a strange set of horses we are tasked with riding in these incarnations. I feel like Annie Oakley much of the time. And this goes back to my original point. If we are carrying around a presumption of what we will see, we may be limiting ourselves. Often one will hear about someone coming back from a near-death experience, and they will often see Jesus, or Buddha. I've never heard yet of a Jesus person seeing a Buddha. Personally, in my ego-brain, I would like to hold nothing in mind at the time of passing. No-thought at all. Perhaps if one is met with an untimely death, the overriding principle will be the general trend of their mindset in life.

mustachio

I would guess that Gandhi was an enlightened one. I remember when a reporter asked him about the movement of which Gandhi was a part, the reporter said 'you are certainly ambitious!', Gandhi said 'I hope not'. I don't think the enlightened one needs to have a specific function, like instructing the world or anything. I think the enlightened one finds that if he/she stays in their own lane, the things needing straightening out (usually by not-doing) come to him. This is to be one with the current, not looking to change the stream's direction. Divine will has been delegated. That sounds dual to me. We are divine will.

Chop wood, carry water.

One who surrenders to what is.

As there are no limitations on us, why could this not be the case? I've been involved in some pretty strange healings myself.

In the DDJ, it is said that we are as ceremonial straw dogs. What that says to me is that there is no 'personal' god or being that much cares about who gets what, who gets punished or saved, who does seeming good or seeming bad. It is an impersonal presence that dwells within us, within animals, within lizards, within everything. There is nothing out there that 'cares' for us. Love is indwelling, and when personal identity has been removed it is spontaneous. It doesn't care about the pregnant lady, either. It doesn't care about the bus driver. When a person prays, who or what in the world are they praying to?? A dual, separate god that lives in the ethers that goes by separate names depending on where a person was born? Interesting question you pose, about whether choices are made for us or not. When one takes into consideration that linear time is a construct of our minds, that there wouldn't be time if the planets weren't rotating - if that is the case, then whatever it is that's of concern has already happened! It's all Now. Trying to get our heads around that is next to impossible, but I do find it rather comforting to know that something that appears 'fearful' has already played out. That sort of takes the punch out of it. As to when the judging is done, there is no judging, as I see it. We judge ourselves. Unresolved karma will dictate how our life and how our death will go. We are currently at a phase, that's all. How often we recycle is completely up to us.

I often think of us, in the physical, being 99.9999999999999% space, only .00000000000001% matter. I suppose that would be the ratio of the components of an atom to the whole of its outer perimeter. Essentially, we're ghosts. As I see it, there is no difference between Spirit and our physical self. My understanding is that our physical self is manifested from the Intelligence contained within the DNA, to the molecules, to the cells and that intelligence is the very same as the Life of Spirit. We are that Spirit experiencing a physical phase. My understanding, also, is that we're all the same Mind, seemingly separated by different conditionings. I think our Presence, our essence, will be the same whether we are in or out of body. Please forgive my dyslexic recollection I think the Castaneda thing has many different depths. That could be the sole extent of it, but I think it might be something different than worrying about whether death is looking or not, as applied to our immediate wellbeing. The Sage described in the DDJ has no harm come to him. Why is this? Having thought much about this, I have come to the conclusion that it is because the Sage, being an enlightened being, suffers no further karma. He is devoid of repercussion from actions, reaction, and conditions. He is a case study in acceptance. I studied the Castaneda series 3 or 4 times many years ago. It's amazing to me how often he comes to mind. I had no idea at the time the profundity of this series. I learned much more from him than I originally thought I had. Liminal, absolutely nothing is above your pay grade! IMO, you have a wisdom that is pretty unparalleled. I'm of the understanding that we're not really individual at all. We just think we are.

If we manifest our life, why do we not manifest our death?

I am speaking of the removal of conditioning when I use that word. Once enlightenment is found, the rest of our lives are spent learning all the ramifications of that, and wearing this new robe that we have. The pregnant lady will also have manifested her beating. The beater still has some work to do on herself, lol.

We are all straw dogs. Who's doing the judging?

I think true virtue is something that happens post-enlightenment. From that point of view, you and the pregnant lady are one and the same. To give to her is to give to yourself. The individual 'I' is gone, while one is in consciousness. No accolades needed.

It seems to me that no-Force is still a dual concept. If one looks at the intelligence needed for the embryo (or any seed) required to develop into its form, the intelligence is contained within the cells of the embryo. The only thing that distinguishes a fingernail cell from an eyeball cell is how the cells line up next to each other while developing! What incredible intelligence! Same with trees, or bees, or knees. The template is from the inside to the outside, not the other way around. All of life, looked at with these eyes, is unfathomable and mind-blowing. And BTW, how is it that any item retains its form? Why don't the atoms just fall apart? Is there an intelligence contained within the lamp on my desk?

I consider myself to be an art-ist, but I think we're talking about apples and oranges. Being an artist is not actually a belief, it's just the is-ness of our selves. I say that about atheists because they are not caught up in the duality of believing that some god-force outside of themselves is going to pave the way. Finding the inner baby before it has learned to smile is a process of reduction. If one is caught up in dogma, there is the necessity of having to remove dogma before the baby is found. Assumedly the atheist has no god-dualism to shed. No doubt that the various paths help to get us there. But that's all they are. Paths to ultimately be transcended. What next? Chop wood, carry water Love to you, my friend Steve. I hope all is well with you and yours.

I would almost say that an atheist is closer to enlightenment than they think. No baloney to transcend.

I love it when the cicadas are screeching in the trees! For one brief shining moment, I can pretend that my ears aren't ringing.

Right after I posted this, I saw a recent post from CT. Apparently this entity can be stricken from my list of missers.

@songsofdistantearth! @marblehead @CT

Hi friends, Over the last months, it's been getting harder to sign in here and participate. I find myself wanting to be amidst you, because of the love I have for the Bums - and a handful of Bums in particular. So I seem to end up reading a post or two and putting a Like on what I consider to be a beautiful post that points the Way. Or to find a laugh in the What made you laugh today thread. The personality part of me, the ego, still connects to the personality parts of you, and I have enough ego left to want to feel the comradeship of one who lives in Culver City (or somewhere around there), one who lives in Baltimore, one who lives in Baja. There are a few others, I just don't know where they live, but you know who you are. What made me realize that it's time to drop out of active participation, is that I'm tired of my own words. I've been evolving into these words for 40 years and it is partly because of you that I have learned these words. These are not words that come through your mouths, but through your hearts; the hearts that have arrived at, or are very close to, Self Realization. You've pointed me to books, to philosophies; so many things to read and discuss. And it is because of the melting pot nature of this place that I've been here as long as I have. It is through the channel of my heart that these words and ideas come to me now, which I feel a need to communicate to you. I know that to put Freemasonry in the tag portion of this post seems odd. I want to use this as an example, because the 33 degrees of Freemasonry are a very direct path to self-realization. Of course I'm not a Freemason, I am merely a woman. But I did get my hands on Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike at a yard sale some years ago, and was immediately captivated by it. I studied it, and it pointed me to something. When a man begins his journey in the Scottish Rites, he learns the name of a strange entity, introduced to him in the third degree. That name is Hiram Abiff, a representation of Hermes. This entity is introduced as the head mason appointed by King Solomon at the time the temple was built, and it is a lodestar for all further engagement within the Scottish Rites. But it has a more esoteric meaning as well. He is a half god/half man figure, a representation of that of which we are capable of understanding, once realized. I use 'realized' because that is the final necessity for entrance into the 33rd degree. It is a realization of who we are. I'll pick this up again a little later. Continuation along the Freemason path is an arduous task. Each degree, as outlined in Pike's Morals and Dogma, enumerates in grueling detail the character qualities one must develop, but even more grueling, remove from one's character to ascend to the next level; the selfishness, the self centered aspects of ourselves. Any seemingly odd ceremonies are in furtherance of the goal of removing conditioning from the individual; old beliefs, iffy upbringings, rejection of structure, in the end. On a seemingly different note, I went to a retirement dinner a few years back. I hadn't been to a police function in a long time, but when I walked in the door of the conference room, a gleaming bit of light immediately hit my eye. It was the reflection off an oxygen tank worn by a particular man, who I immediately recognized. His name was Jan, and he had been the police chaplain for some years. He wrote a monthly spiritual article in The Blue Line, a police publication which I still get. I was very glad to see him, we used to work together in the West L.A. squad room. As I crossed the room to talk to him, the words 'lack of inspiration' came to mind, because he had manifested a breathing problem. I let that go, and walked up to him. As we talked, I noted that he was wearing a Freemason ring. I asked him if he was a 33rd degree, given the depth of his spirituality. He answered 'No, I'm a 32nd degree'. I'll pick this up again a little further down. There was a 33rd degree Freemason named Manley Hall who is now deceased. I knew him from his lectures at the Philosophical Research Society in Hollywood, CA, where he spoke on Sundays. I tried to get to as many of his lectures as I could - this was in the early to mid seventies. This beautiful man, always impeccable in a black suit and starched white shirt, his white hair gleaming under the lights on the stage where he sat, would slowly walk onto the stage, sit in the chair in the middle of the stage, close his eyes, and start channeling. That was all you could call it. The words flowed out of his being and into my heart, where I could 'feel' the resonance. Although I was young, in my early 20's, something inside me knew that they were true words, straight as an arrow. He had written metaphysical books, a few of which I still have. It was one big seed he planted in my heart, although I didn't have the eyes or the ears yet to understand them - not fully. If I were to reread them today, I would be reading with a different set of eyes. He didn't speak of Freemasonry, not ever. He spoke with the I Am consciousness as his context. And subsequently, in one of his books, Mr. Hall did answer a question about the 33rd degree. He said "Yes, it is the I Am consciousness". In trying to describe this consciousness (which can't be described: 'the Dao that can be spoken is not the true Dao') all I can do is to relate this to my own experience, and say what I have said ad nauseum on this site - the experience of a recovering alcoholic person. The key to recovery, as it turns out, is to go through all previous conditionings, see where we made wrong turns, make amends to those we harmed; all in all a pretty humiliating experience to one with a large flaming ego. But over the past 40 years, the rough edges have been smoothed; the peaks have turned into valleys; patience is with understanding; and most importantly, the realization of the oneness of all mankind, regardless of where on the planet we live, or what religious structure we've been brought into as a child, or adopted as an adult. And as it also turns out, I am grateful for the fact that I was an alcoholic, because it led me here. To you. To a consciousness of oneness. And not just one with people; one with animals. Oneness with trees, with rocks, with mountains, with sky, with fire and all the elements. The total Oneness of life. It is this mind expansion which is our reward - the ability to grasp this consciousness, the I Am. The awareness that we are all the same substance, the same stardust, and that we all have the I Am inside us that knows, although our egos like to capture that knowing to bolster ourselves and elevate ourselves to a higher position. That's a challenge too; to keep our necessary ego out of the mix; that is a practice all its own. But the Valley of the Dao is the goal; the ability to receive everything, to make no judgments, to see things as neither Good or Bad or Evil; to realize that if it's not done with Love, which is utilized in different forms, it's not the true Way. To fully embrace Is-ness, with a twist of agape love and understanding as our guideposts. Lofty, indeed. And here we are, stuck in these skin bags walking this physical earth. And what are religions? They are conveyances to get us to the other shore. Once arrived, there is no need to stay in the boat. Just get out and walk the challenge; the challenge to remain in Consciousness as much as 'humanly' possible, the challenge to meet each situation with love, whatever that requires... and what your wisdom has taught you as to how to apply it. The wisdom of how to love is a great challenge. But above all, love life; not as a feeling, but as a practice. Chop wood, carry water. But with love always, placing ourselves as the valley into which all things flow. No need for contention, no need for ambition; egoless. And finally realizing that we really have no control over anything; that most often, the best answer to the enigma is to Do Nothing. The universe knows what it's doing, and putting our hands into the water usually muddies it. The reason I put such odd references in the Tags box, including will.i.am and Morgan Freeman, is because they get it. The Black Eyed Peas singer gets it now. William James Adams changed the spelling of William to will.i.am. He now lives the I Am consciousness; his words now reflect that. And Morgan Freeman? I saw him interviewed by Larry King once. As Freeman is instrumental in producing highly spiritual documentaries, King asked him "Do you believe in God?" Freeman didn't miss a step; he looked right at Larry, and quietly said "I am god". Larry then said "you mean, you believe in god, right?" I don't recall Morgan saying anything further, other than smiling, but Larry King abruptly changed the subject, no doubt believe that he had a real kook on his hands. I wonder how many folks are still sitting in mental institutions because they have this understanding. That which we have been drawn to search for 'outside' is not outside at all. It's this common entity that we all share. We Are. We are god, in that sense of the word. If you look at all of creation as a spear, we are the tip. We're the thinking, feeling, seeing, touching, tasting, hearing tip. The essence burns within us, always prodding us forward and into situations that are required for our further understanding. Perhaps this is why we learn to still the mind, and why no harm comes to the sage. Because life gets so incredibly smooth; we realized that all Time and Space are ours. And that comes when we finally become capable of stilling the monkey mind. And what is 'It' looking for? Self realization; realization of who we Are. We're 'It'. I guess little kids had the answer all along; 'Tag, you're it!' It occurs to me that that's what all of life, this wonderful earth, is looking for; Self Realization, but on a communal level. There are so many seemingly horrible things now happening world-wide, but I take comfort in the Daodejing when it says 'that which is to be deflated must first be inflated'. When I look at the political stuff that's happening, I try to keep this in mind. And moreover, those politicians which appear most grievous are actually Me! So, we wait and love, trusting that the universe knows what it's doing. Actually, what's even more comforting is the Nowness of it all; and knowing that that which gives me anxiety, when I fall from consciousness on any given day, has actually already happened. That snaps me back. Like Ouroboros, the tail eating snake, I return to my friend Jan, the 32nd degree with 'lack of inspiration' in his oxygen tank at the retirement dinner. We spoke for a few minutes, and then I was about to walk back to my table. As I left, Jan smiled and said "God be with you", and he turned to talk to another. I walked a few steps and stopped, turning around. I realized his 'lack of inspiration' and the need for the oxygen tank. I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Jan, we are god", and then I walked away. I turned back a few steps later to see how he reacted to this. He had stopped talking to the other person, and he was staring in disbelief at me. His eyes were sparkling, like a little kid's. His jaw was hanging open. He got it. And this encounter was written up in his next article in the Blue Line. At that moment, my friend Jan ascended to the 33rd Degree. He became Hiram Abiff, just in time. He died a month later. For anyone who reads this, thanks for hearing me out. If this turns into a thread, I don't want to make it about me. Any personal comments, please PM me. I'll still be around, just not quite so often. And this is most likely my last lengthy post. Love to everyone. You're the best. Barb Ortega

lemmeouddahere!

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