May the Force be with You

"... the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together."
―Obi-Wan Kenobi —

Sunday, March 16, 2014

The Denial Of Love

It is my belief that The United States has come to the point in its history when the denial of certain fundamental truths is manifesting itself in the form of suffering throughout the world.  The cause of the suffering did not begin with the founding of this country.  It could be argued that the seeds of our current dilemma were sewn more than two millennium ago when the matriarchal foundations of civilization were gradually subsumed by authoritarian patriarchal societies.  Nevertheless the journey of humanity, just as it is for every soul who walks upon the earth," is what it is".  The key to understanding is to learn.  Ironically, while science has acquired vast knowledge of the physical universe in which we live it has failed to understand the true nature of man -- until now.  Historically science has accepted that its methods could only apply to that which can be observed and the human spirit was not in that category, which was the domain of religion.  However the religion of western civilization, the so-called Judaeo Christian tradition, had become an authoritarian patriarchal institution itself and was primarily motivated by the desire for power rather than the spiritual evolution of the individual.  As nation-states expanded their domain through conquest and colonization with the support and collaboration of the church, the spiritual nature of human evolution was manipulated by religious dogma to support the top down monarchical system.  The world today is the consequence of this journey.   

It has become clear to me that all the problems we face as a global community stem from the denial of our true nature of Love. This fact is increasingly being realized though there have always been those (such as indigenous people) who have had this understanding.  Today the center of global domination is the U.S., and so it is we in particular who must awaken to the truths of which I and many others speak.  To the extent that we do not respond to the crisis at hand  suffering will increase. Many scenarios portray this hopeless vision yet the choice is ours. Do we choose Love or fear?  A simple question to which most people would respond by agreeing that it would be better if we acted from Love, yet don't believe it can be that way.  "There is too much evil in the world", they might say.  We have created a society based on fear.  We have been "programmed" in countless subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways to behave.  To not behave (out of fear of the consequences) in ways that are deemed acceptable is to invoke the wrath of the "Empire".  

By now if you have read my previous blogs you may be saying that I am repeating myself.  Perhaps I do have a one-track mind since wherever I start I seem to end up at the same place:
     Love is the answer
     Be the Change
     Peace is the Way

The better world we seek will come about as a result of each of us becoming aware that we are the answer.  The truth is that we are by nature beings of Love. Studies now show this and a most compelling movie "I Am" makes this very clear.  As we begin to express our true nature as caring and compassionate beings with those with whom we are around each day the energy of Love will grow.  As I have said before this is not easy because so much of what we believe is based on fear, but we must do it and we can. Whatever ones circumstances it is possible to transform a situation of despair, hopelessness, suffering or anger with the power of Love.  Each day commit yourself to listening to your Heart for this is the source of Love and embrace the attitude of gratitude.  The more I practice these principles the more natural it becomes and the experience of peace and joy grows in proportion.  Discover your truth.  There is nothing more important!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Live Simply



Live simply, that others may simply live.  When I first saw this injunction I realized that it embodied the basic truth that everything is connected.  This understanding can be a powerful force for bringing about change both inwardly and outwardly as well as locally and globally.  Personally it motivates me to thoughtfully consider my choices with respect to the impact on others and indeed our Mother the earth.  This is not easy since most people reading this will have evolved in a culture that they were told was God's gift to mankind, to do with what they wanted.  Even though we now know in our hearts this is wrong, nevertheless  the process towards equality, freedom and justice, ideals we have always held to be valid, is not easy.  Again, the difficulty is not related to governments or corporations changing their ways.  It is the challenge of awakening millions of people from their slumber.  

As I've mentioned before I am greatly encouraged by changes taking place already.  There is a greater awareness by many especially younger people of the importance of cooperation instead of competing for ones self-interest.  More people understand the concept of ecosystem and the connectedness of all life on the planet particularly within the environmental/conservation movement. Sustainability has become a word used more and more frequently in every context most significantly with regard to the question of life itself.  Yet the challenges of implementation are complex, mainly because it now involves over 7 billion humans who's lives are becoming more and more intertwined.

It is not logical to imagine that it would be better if we all lived off the "grid", but it is reasonable to imagine that our amazing technology if applied appropriately  can be helpful. It is also reasonable to imagine that we can become more conscious of our "carbon footprint" and make changes to our habitual patterns.  As an example:  When I was young everyone had a clothesline and they  used it.  Today they are seldom seen in many neighborhoods.  Dryers consume lots of energy whether gas or electric.  Granted that dryers are convenient but hanging clothes to dry does not reduce ones standard of living. It does involve a little more time but if our lives are so rushed that we can't do basic chores then probably there are bigger issues that need to be worked out. As you can see we once again have come to the place where the world we want depends on each of us changing to be in harmony with a world that is just and sustainable.  In Sanskrit the word "prama" refers to a dynamic balance that is seen readily in the natural world but is just as relevant at every level of human existence.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Reflection


I have noticed that for me reflection is integral to the process of awareness.  It is often said that experience is the "best" teacher.  I believe it might be said that it is the only teacher, but we do not learn from experience alone.  Clearly, there are many unhappy people who appear to make poor choices resulting in undesirable consequences repeatedly.  So it is not just experience, but also understanding.  If we understand then we learn.  For me, reflection is the process of transforming experience into understanding that leads to awareness or greater consciousness. To be fully conscious is to be in the Now.

Reflection is not dwelling on the past and passing judgement as to mistakes and success. These notions are created by the ego-self to deflect us - our true higher self - from the truth that we are all connected and Life in this form is the journey to that understanding.  Each day, each moment we are challenged to demonstrate - to express our understanding. As we grow we are drawn toward the light but are held captive by our attachments, and so it is said "attachment is suffering".  But the Force is our nature - the Force is Love - it is, in fact, our nature to love, care and cooperate with each other.  As we connect to our true self we recognize this truth, and if we reflect upon those experiences that have brought us "true" happiness we realize that it is when we acted from the unselfish concern of others. I say true happiness in contrast to the illusion of happiness that most people believe is happiness.  If it has anything to do with satisfying the needs of the ego-self it is not about love and therefore will never bring true happiness.  Indeed some would argue that the word happiness does not convey the right idea since it has been so misused.  Joy and peace are commonly used to express the feelings associated with loving actions.  The words are not important, it is our feelings that reveal our level of understanding - our consciousness.