466.  Past

Theology

Nice to exist

When all is said and done, we are fortunate to have existed. It is a privilege.

I recall reading a book by an American Indian Black Elk who during his life fought, killed, scalped, raped and tortured.  Later he became a sideshow performer.  What remains interesting is how out of such experience emerged such an accepting, wise, and peaceful person.

He alludes to “the Great One.”  Had he not existed, rough edges and all, such realizations would never have been.  What a marvel this is.

465. Past

Principles

Living

Appreciation

Trying is not always productive.  Not trying does not mean doing nothing.  It means accepting your situation, not going along with it, but not rebelling against it.  If it's ugly, jumping off a cliff might be worse.

If possible and if at all tolerable, appreciating what you have without a hidden agenda can lead to a solution.  This spirit of being thankful might lead to a spark of life within which lies a piece of the answer.  If you're always trying and straining, things can't happen.  Perhaps real answers come from this appreciation no matter how small.

464.  Past

Principles

Nature

Our duality

In nature, animals compete and the biggest, strongest and fittest survive and pass on genes.

When we feed them and care for them it seems to break this cycle.  It appears we are the only animals who desire to break the cycle of survival even though we are also part of it.

463.  Past

Principles

Living

Two ways to live
(some value even though not full clarity)

In this vision of life the thinker takes in all the information, observations, principles, experiments he is able to, and with these principles refines and hones them to achieve and accomplish a final work full of wisdom.  This view is progressive and culminates in a vision of ourselves and our work that is perfected as best we can.

In the second way the emphasis is on living fully in the present.  Why?  Because the future is a question mark. 

With this take on life the scale of balance between good and bad is not equal.  Eventually the bad overwhelms the good.  A title wave of emotional, mental and physical pain sooner or later overwhelms us.  Our former “balance” and “harmony” was an illusion.  What is real is the need for relief.

How do we get relief?  We can seek pleasure, numb the pain through medication, or seek spiritual relief.  The basic point here is that eventually pain becomes an issue and dealing with the pain trumps everything.  All intentions, plans, visions take a back seat, and the immediacy of pain becomes the most basic issue we have to face.

462.  Past

Principles

Work

Regular and grand

I've tried being an average solid American.
I've tried being a regular solid guy.
I've tried giving up the need for greatness or grandiosity.
I've tried just doing the art on the side.
All this has not worked.

I then tried to project myself,
to push myself out,
expand where I could.
But this also was not complete.

So which it is I cannot say.
I will just accept what is meant to be.

461.

Spirit  living 

Just listening

I have become one of those people who can just sit and listen.  I don't have to contribute.  Last night during  Passover I did just that.  Sharon, the hostess who did a lot of preparing, while relaxing after the meal voiced various opinions and strategies to deal different problems and situations she was concerned about.  I responded occasionally but mostly just listened.

Letting in opinions or nature and just observing whatever comes your way takes less energy.  It also saves the effort of conjuring up your own opinions which you already know. Instead, the environment feeds you and nourishes you to some extent.  Life is coming to you.  Watching a fire, or viewing the stars, or just listening to someone talk and voice their views fills you up.

This all contrasts to refining and honing your path to wherever it leads, even if it becomes too narrow and dangerous.  Perhaps it even loses its health.  If so you have to let in life and just be quiet while  doing so. So you listen and observe. What is there to say?  What is outside you is so much larger than what is inside you.  It can expand you as it tempers you.  It acts as oil on rusted gears, gradually releasing the tensions and in your case allowing a larger technology or dimension to replace your used up one.  If possible we have to just relax a bit.

460.

Principles 

Purity
 
Purity and awareness

For some of us, it seems as if when we were pure we were not aware and when we became  impure we became very aware.

459.  Past

Principles

Living

Brought to my knees

458.  Past

Principles

Living

Brought to my knees

No knowledge, no way of living, no truth, no outlook, neither common sense nor self mastery, no, nothing has shielded me from being brought to my knees again and again.  It is the one consistency throughout my life.  I've had to accept it.

For years being humbled forced me to search for answers, looking everywhere, inside myself, outside myself, to my immediate environment, or to the outside world.  The unconscious goal was to find a security, a truth, a way of seeing that once understood would give me some control and power over being “wiped out.”  This has proven not to be possible.  Even knowing the gems of existence or the wisdom of the ages or just how to live does not stop the anxiety, fear or turmoil from bringing me to my knees again and being at ground zero, a babe needing to be helped. This has always been with me no matter what I've done.  I'm always brought to my knees again and again.  It is the one true constant.