Inventions of Gods, many of whom have traits of evil that good humans would never do, such as commanding, vengeance, not allowing freedom, anger, tantrums, wanting ego banished, just get in the way… and even cause people to war over their differing inventions.
Love of what? Good aspirations? define what you mean by good; good for who, good for what?
All that pertains to self is selfishness--sel- centeredness!, self serving, self aggrandizing, selfism. aka "EGO".
Recognize when these traits arise and perforate the ego. The battlefield is the ground of the mind. That is the root of our troubles, driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking and self-pity we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt, we muust be rid of this selfishness, we must or it kills us. God makes that possible. And there often seems no way of getting rid of self without His aid. God makes that possible. We have to quit playing God, it won't work. Allow Him to be our 'Director'. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept is the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we pass to freedom. It is this "self-will that is the root of all evil. inho
Self-will is ignoble and breeds enmity toward God and fellow man.imho
O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart andIllumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being.O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety,Nor will I let trouble harass me.I will not dwell On the unpleasant things in Life.O God! Thou art more Friend to meThan I am to myself.I dedicate myself To Thee, O Lord.
Being selfish is not wrong - Humans just have to define what all they can accommodate in this SELFISHNESS.
When every other life is seen as self, and when there is no difference seen between the human and the nearby flower - then Being selfish is the best. Being selfish hurts only when it is confined to one personal physical structure. or to a set of people around him/herself where priority is given. If the whole universe is seen as one - and when it is realized him/herself also in this THE ONE of cosmos, then every act which comes out of him/her can be defined as Good.
__________________ I can see death. Its very Far, yet very Near.
Coz, I don't see anything in between from where I stand NOW, and where the death is. Its pure vacuum.
Or, Is it the Death is Here? Now?
Drifter, perhaps you confuse "selfish" with "having a self". 'Self' is much more (don't play dumb).
Most religions wish the self to flourish and go forth and higher in service and love; what kind of religion wishes to ban it outright as a Satan-Impostor as you have often said.
You don't think we have a zest for life as a unique individual (a self)?
Drifter, perhaps you confuse "selfish" with "having a self". 'Self' is much more (don't play dumb).
Most religions wish the self to flourish and go forth and higher in service and love; what kind of religion wishes to ban it outright as a Satan-Impostor as you have often said.
You don't think we have a zest for life as a unique individual (a self)?
There are some Eastern Traditions that teach 'the aniihilation of the ego' is the only path to liberation and freedom from its grip in attaining the bliss of spiritual emersion, the ultimate sacremental act of spiritual intercourse."Who Am I", Sri Ramana & "I Am That IAm, Sri Nizargadata Maharaj." Consciousness without an Object"; "Franklin Merrell Wolff", Numerous works by "Ken Wilber." as many more not mentioned, both East and West. This is referred to as the 'satan character' in Westernized Christianity.imho
This dicipline has produced many wise Philosphers, Sages, Saints, Teachers. Men thusly cut, from a different cloth.
imho Do you have a self(what can I do for you) or does a self (what can you do for me) have you? In personalities where people are driven by selfish motives I believe this to be ignoble.imho
If a personality has transcended this common lowly human trait of Ignorance of others wellfare and being, arrogance towards them or greediness in dealing with them then I think a zest for all life when all are considered as equals makes a person unique. If not the impostor is in control but that does not absolve anyone from the responsibilities of such activities. Capitalism makes monsters out of otherwise decent folk.imho
No I don't have all the answers. I doubt anyone would listen anyway. "Business as usual", seems to be the wake-up call for most in these times.imho
In my current circumstance, and ever as always, I have to philosophically think of what is best for all, even if other things present themselves, and do them.
Outside of that, when time is then available, my zest for life takes me to tennis, social people, reading, posting, writing a book or lounging out in the beautiful day.
Service happens, the self goes on, even helps matters of service from its drive.
Some chose to annihilate it, for perhaps that is the best way for them as they are, for each of us is different and free to choose. That's the great thing about life.
Some chose to annihilate it, for perhaps that is the best way for them as they are, for each of us is different and free to choose.
That's the great thing about life.
What doesn't exist cannot be annihilated.
Oneness arises as everything, but only as appearance.
First you appear then you disappear.
So the question is '' What are you '' ?
There is no independent you, you are the very embodiment of all life.
Appearing ONE without a SECOND.
What we call indivi-duals walking around on this planet is in fact the manifestation of UniCity playing diversity,
all the actors are different masks of the same Face.
The mind cannot turn dualism into nondualism,
but it doesn't have to because dualism is only an appearance,
there was never any real separation that was split in two,
the split is apparent, the separation is fiction,
any attempt to bring them together again only strengthens the belief in the illusory division.
For ego, personal experiences are very important, they confirm the sense of separation,
this is why we like to think it is we that are having fun and enjoying life's pleasures,
but all of life's pleasures and enjoyments are arising through you AS YOU.
BUT they are not you.
If they were you, then you would choose to be happy all the time, and that is impossible.
Emotions and form are appearances and have no independent reality what's so ever, they come and go like clouds in the sky.
In my current circumstance, and ever as always, I have to philosophically think of what is best for all, even if other things present themselves, and do them.
Outside of that, when time is then available, my zest for life takes me to tennis, social people, reading, posting, writing a book or lounging out in the beautiful day.
Service happens, the self goes on, even helps matters of service from its drive.
Some chose to annihilate it, for perhaps that is the best way for them as they are, for each of us is different and free to choose. That's the great thing about life.
It is a sobering thing to contemplate. How many of us would have recognized in a carpenter from Nazareth our Lord and Savior, either during His lifetime or at anytime during the two centuries thereafter? Would we have been moved by the story of His life and His teachings, or would we have distained Him? Would we have accepted the explaination of the Gospels of how He fulfilled the promises of the ancient prophecies, or would we have clung to our notions of how such prophecies were to be fulfilled? Would our hearts have been touched by His love, by His suffering, and by His sacrific; or would we, like most everyone else, have remained indifferent?
Often these questions lead to another: If He were to return to earth today under similar circumstances, would we be prepared to recognise Him, or would we fail such a test?
Summing up the life of the Bab, A.L.M. Nicolas, a Frenchman who travelled to Persia in the years immediately after the death of the Bab, wrote:
"The same is true of the Bab, so the Babi's say, who, in this way gave a clear sanction to his teachings. He likewise died voluntarily because his death was to be he salvation of humanity . . . His life is one of the most magnificent examples of courage which it has been the priveledge of mankind to behold, and it is also an admirable proof of the love which our hero felt for his countrymen. He sacrificed himself for humanity, for it he gave his body and his soul, for it he endured the privations, insults, torture and marrydom. He sealed, with his very liveblood, the covenant of universal brotherhood. Like Jesus he paid with his life for the proclamation of a reign of concord, equity and brotherly love. More than anyone he klnew what dreadful dangers he was heaping upon himself. He had been able to see personally the degree of exasperation that a fanatacism, shrewdly aroused, could reach; but all these considerations could not weaken his resolve. Fear had no stonghold upon his soul and, perfectly calm, never looking back, in full possession of all his powers, he walked into the furnace." (excerpy from an introduction to the Bahai Faith ~Kenneth Bowers; "God Speaks Again"
The Bahai Faith is a respector of all religions and all people. Equanimity towards all.
Being selfish is not wrong - Humans just have to define what all they can accommodate in this SELFISHNESS.
When every other life is seen as self, and when there is no difference seen between the human and the nearby flower - then Being selfish is the best. Being selfish hurts only when it is confined to one personal physical structure. or to a set of people around him/herself where priority is given. If the whole universe is seen as one - and when it is realized him/herself also in this THE ONE of cosmos, then every act which comes out of him/her can be defined as Good.
Self-will out of control predicates evil.imho Can higher aspirations, a love of fellowman, i. e. be accomodated when selfism"I", "Me" vs. "They", "Them" rules or governs a persons thought processess(mentality)? When this "I" concept establishes a stronghold it is a very difficult proposition. Watch children at 'play', selfism is engrained by our conditions and cultures to 'get' for number one as much as we can. Usually at any expence, and many times to the detriment of local and social circles. Look at the shape the world is in today because of this very principle, or lack thereof. This is simply the very beginnings of greed and selfishness, however they have become manifest. Mostly unknowingly to the innocence of a child. It's bred into us many times by the people we trust, their own ignorance passed along generation after generation, the child thus brought up, not knowing any different, until later years, much to our chagrin, when the habit has beome engrained by persitent repitition reenforcement.
Some times, as we mature we become aware of this and get a certain amount of control over the engrained impulse, sometimes not.imho
In my current circumstance, and ever as always, I have to philosophically think of what is best for all, even if other things present themselves, and do them.
Outside of that, when time is then available, my zest for life takes me to tennis, social people, reading, posting, writing a book or lounging out in the beautiful day.
Service happens, the self goes on, even helps matters of service from its drive.
Some chose to annihilate it, for perhaps that is the best way for them as they are, for each of us is different and free to choose. That's the great thing about life.
Therein is the problem of "getting it right", we usually live and are held accountable by the decisions we make good/righteous and bad/self-righteous (evil).
Namaste`Austin,
(Regardless of our shortcomings.The spirit within me recognizes, honors and greets the spirit within you) We are One in That.
As a Human being - there is a limitation in understanding the Oneness, which has made the generations a failure. I wont proclaim that understanding the life, a person becomes successful in life. Coz even that can be a concept of Mind. Similar to the concept of happiness that arises in mind, even the urge to know the TOE can also be a concept of Mind. But when there is a pause in the state of Mind, there can be a understanding that there is No happiness and No sadness. This awareness is possible when the self that is limited to a boundary is dropped and when the self gets accommodated with every tiny life on this earth. Then the possibility of realizing that "We are the Embodiment of reality" arises.
And a child is brought up by their parents along with their ideologies. But that stage of dependency is very short time. Probably until when a guy/gal thinks about opposite sex. At this age, definitely a human is independent at least in his/her mental state. This opportunity should be utilized to pursue the search of answers for certain questions for which the parents, society and religion doesn't provide an experiential answer. He/She has to UNLEARN. I always feel that the most beautiful word in English is UNLEARN. Until a human is able to break free his/her dumped knowledge the opportunity is lost. This process of Unlearning, will take the human to the first stage where he was in junction of two roads, and was guided by the ideologies of parents and society, to choose one of the road. IF he/she had chosen by their Heart, they would have walked thro' the road less travelled. Coz that's the path where we find less Humans have opted - i.e. to live by their heart.
__________________ I can see death. Its very Far, yet very Near.
Coz, I don't see anything in between from where I stand NOW, and where the death is. Its pure vacuum.
Or, Is it the Death is Here? Now?
Linear Mode
