[Drifter]

Symbiosis

Concept
Symbiosis is a biological relationship in which two species live in close proximity to each other and interact regularly in such a way as to benefit one or both of the organisms. When both partners benefit, this variety of symbiosis is known as mutualism. The name for a situation in which only one of the partners benefits is far more well known. Such an arrangement is known as parasitism, and a parasite is an organism that obtains nourishment or other life support from a host, usually without killing it. By their very nature, parasites are never beneficial, and sometimes they can be downright deadly. In addition to the extremes of mutualism and parasitism, there is a third variety of symbiosis, called commensalism. As with parasitism, in a relationship characterized by commensalism only one of the two organisms or species derives benefit, but in this case it manages to do so without causing harm to the host.
How It Works
Varieties of Symbiosis
When two species—that is, at least two individuals representing two different species—live and interact closely in such a way that either or both species benefit, it is symbiosis. It is also possible for a symbiotic relationship to exist between two organisms of the same species. Organisms engaging in symbiotic relationships are called symbionts.
There are three basic types of symbiosis, differentiated as to how the benefits (and the detriments, if any) are distributed. These are commensalism, parasitism, and mutualism. In the first two varieties, only one of the two creatures benefits from the symbiotic relationship, and in both instances the creature who does not benefit—who provides a benefit to the other creature—is called the host. In commensalism the organism known as the commensal benefits from the host without the host's suffering any detriment. By contrast, in parasitism the parasite benefits at the expense of the host.
Mutualism: Human and Dog
Mutualism is distinguished from the other two types of symbiosis, because in this variety both creatures benefit. Thus, there is no host, and theoretically the partners are equal, though in practice one usually holds dominance over the other. An example of this inequality is the relationship between humans and dogs. In this relationship, both human and dog clearly benefit: the dog by receiving food, shelter, and care and the human by receiving protection and loving companionship—the last two being benefits the dog also receives from the human. Additionally, some dogs perform specific tasks, such as fetching slippers, assisting blind or disabled persons, or tracking prey for hunting or crime-solving purposes.
For all this exchange of benefits, one of the two animals, the human, clearly holds the upper hand. There might be exceptions in a few unusual circumstances, such as dog lovers who are so obsessive that they would buy food for their dogs before feeding themselves. Such exceptions, however, are rare indeed, and it can be said that in almost all cases the human is dominant.
Obligate and Facultative Relationships
Most forms of mutualism are facultative, meaning that the partners can live apart successfully. Some relationships of mutualism are so close that the interacting species are unable to live without each other. A symbiotic relationship in which the partners, if separated, would be unable to continue living is known as an obligate relationship. In commensalism or parasitism, the relationship is usually obligate for the commensal or the parasite, since by definition they depend on the host. At the same time, and also by definition, the host is in a facultative relationship, since it does not need the commensal or parasite—indeed, in the case of the parasite, would be much better off without it. It is possible, however, for an organism to become so adjusted to the parasite attached to its body that the sudden removal of the parasite could cause at least a short-term shock to the system.
Inquilinism
A special variety of commensalism is inquilinism, in which the commensal species makes use of the host's nest or habitat, without causing any inconvenience or detriment to the host. Inquilinism (the beneficiary is known as an inquiline) often occurs in an aquatic environment, though not always. In your own yard, which is your habitat or nest, there may be a bird nesting in a tree. Supposing you benefit from the bird, through the aesthetic enjoyment of its song or the pretty colors of its feathers—in this case the relationship could be said to be a mutualism. In any case, the bird still benefits more, inasmuch as it uses your habitat as a place of shelter.
The bird example is an extremely nonintrusive case of inquilinism; more often than not, however, a creature actually uses the literal nest of another species, which would be analogous to a bird nesting in your attic or even the inside of your house. This is where the analogy breaks down, of course, because such an arrangement would no longer be one of commensalism, since you would be suffering a number of deleterious effects, not the least of which would be bird droppings on the carpet.
Inquilinism sometimes is referred to as a cross between commensalism and parasitism and might be regarded as existing on a continuum between the two. Certainly, there are cases of a creature making use of another's habitat in a parasitic way. Such is the case with the North American cowbird and the European cuckoo, both of which leave their offspring in the nests of other birds to be raised by them. (See Instinct and Learning for a discussion of how these species exploit other birds' instinctive tendency to care for their young.)

[Drifter]

Forgiven

Grace is the kindness
and favor of God
extended to you. It is nothing
you can earn or deserve.
Grace is God saying to you,
You can do nothing to
to save yourself;
there is no need to even try
because I have done it all.
I have given My Son
to die for you and He has
made the perfect sacrifice
for your sin.
Come and receive
My free gift.

[Mikal]

The Voice of The Poet

The voice of the poet
Is but murmurs
From the sea of eternity
The words an uttering
From the deepest depths
Of the heart of life.
Its a cry from silence
Tears from the heart
That understands love
Its a whisper
In the wilderness of pain,
The sigh that died
On the lips of yesterday.
Its the breathe of God
Who breathes into the poets pen
And the spill of ink
Is but...the lingering tears
From the heart
knowing too much love.
The words that dance
Upon an empty page
Are the legacy
Of a thousand shattered dreams
Seeking to build a fantasy
In the cradle of the poets mind
Here is the ear
listening with the heart.
For silence
Is the voice of understanding
And one embrace
Is countless spoken words
That will never fade away
For they were felt
And never heard.

Peace....mikal

[Drifter]

I Sing to Him In Praise;

In My Heart there burns a Flame...

And It's A Holy Fire!!!

How I long To Be With Him...

And that's My One Desire!!!

Oft within that Holy Place...

And Kneeling at His Throne...

He is always there for Me...

And I Am Not Alone!!!

One set of footprints in the sand Mikal.

Thank you for the lovely poem.

Namaste`

[Drifter]

As an aside Mikal this experiential trasformation/transcendance... is also known as metanoia and metempsychosis.
a New Creature steppng forth from within an old one.

[an after thought]

Originally Posted by Mikal

Drifter...once upon a time my thoughts too ...were like clouds passing in the immense..then I began to integrate my consciousness...that was intense...stormy...its a process ended for some time now.....now my thoughts are like the deep, blue sky......this process was not psychosis...it was the balancing of many polarities of consciousness.....

peace....Mikal

[Drifter]

I'm truly sorry for the loss of your nephew Mikal.

I know you loved and miss him very much...and are saddened by the loss.

Did you pen this Love?

It is a very sad but beautiful poem... the words left behind by an encumbered spirit.

All My Love
D.

Originally Posted by Mikal

The Voice of The Poet

The voice of the poet
Is but murmurs
From the sea of eternity
The words an uttering
From the deepest depths
Of the heart of life.
Its a cry from silence
Tears from the heart
That understands love
Its a whisper
In the wilderness of pain,
The sigh that died
On the lips of yesterday.
Its the breathe of God
Who breathes into the poets pen
And the spill of ink
Is but...the lingering tears
From the heart
knowing too much love.
The words that dance
Upon an empty page
Are the legacy
Of a thousand shattered dreams
Seeking to build a fantasy
In the cradle of the poets mind
Here is the ear
listening with the heart.
For silence
Is the voice of understanding
And one embrace
Is countless spoken words
That will never fade away
For they were felt
And never heard.

Peace....mikal

[Mikal]

Thank you Drifter...I detest the word psychosis...experts throw it around as disinformation...until society becomes conditioned to see others as possibly mentally ill..its a grave injustice in our society when we do not completely understand what the Intergration of consciousness this..I passed through the process..it threw up heaps of strange and unknown fragments of consciousness. I could have fell into the mentally unstable label but you see I knew that I was going through some process of extreme change...I also never lost my faith that I was sane and intelligent. Our society...we speak but put no measure into our words...it hurts everybody.

peace Mikal

[Mikal]

Thank you Drifter...I wrote and published that poem in the United States in their Anthology of Great Poems of the Western World. I won an award for it and I wrote it because I experienced a Universal moment which I could only describe as "grazing the fingertips of God...being me, you and all as I felt and experienced my soul."

Thank you for your kind words about my nephew...worst tragedy our family ever faced..he was a beautiful young soul...too sensitive for this harsh world. I am well beyond that agony and pain...I have him now in my heart..

peace Mikal

[Drifter]

Hi Mikal,
I understand and in the context in which I spoke the transmigration of the soul is an awakening of the spirit.

Originally Posted by Mikal

Thank you Drifter...I detest the word psychosis...experts throw it around as disinformation...until society becomes conditioned to see others as possibly mentally ill..its a grave injustice in our society when we do not completely understand what the Intergration of consciousness this..I passed through the process..it threw up heaps of strange and unknown fragments of consciousness. I could have fell into the mentally unstable label but you see I knew that I was going through some process of extreme change...I also never lost my faith that I was sane and intelligent. Our society...we speak but put no measure into our words...it hurts everybody.

peace Mikal

God creates an ordering principle - the Mind of the Cosmos. This ordering principle continually organizes chaotic matter into a beautifully ordered physical Cosmos. Time is one of the principles by which the Cosmos is ordered. The existence of time means that everything within the Cosmos is constantly changing, but in a measured way.

God is the Goodness that creates Life. The Mind of the Cosmos is the fundamental laws of nature - the permanent and unchanging principles which govern Life. The physical Cosmos is the beautiful order of nature within which Life exists. Time is the governing principle of the Cosmos which produces change. Constant change is the process of everything living and dying.

The Cosmic Mind is an idea expressed by the Mind of God. The physical Cosmos is a thought expressed by the Mind of the Cosmos. At the heart of the Cosmos is the life-giving sun which is an image of the life-giving soul at the heart of every person.

God creates the Cosmic Mind.
The Cosmic Mind creates the Cosmos.
The Cosmos creates Time.
Time creates change.

The essence of God
is Primal Goodness.
The essence of the Cosmic Mind
is permanent sameness.
The essence of the Cosmos
is beautiful order.
The essence of Time
is movement.
The essence of Change is Life.

God works
through Mind and Soul.
The Cosmic Mind works
through immortality and duration.
The Cosmos works
through turning and returning.
Time works
through increase and decrease.
Change works
through quality and quantity.

The Cosmic Mind is in God.
The Cosmos is in Eternity.
Time is in the Cosmos.
Change is in Time.

The Cosmic Mind
is permanently connected to God.
The Cosmos is made up of thoughts
in the Cosmic Mind.

The Cosmic Mind is an image of God.

[Mikal]

Well thank you Drifter...I was not sure that you were understanding me and it is important to me to speak out against those issues in life which are hurting us..thank you for your beautiful words...smiles

I answered your other post which you will find above..

peace Mikal