Spirituality * Culture * Self-Expression

Month: September 2012

Are Demons Real?

I often say that there are peculiar forces at work in the world that are harmful to humans. People ask me if I really believe these are actual demonic forces or if I am speaking metaphorically.

Well, the truth is that demons are real – they just aren’t exactly what the average person thinks they are.

I’ll explain.

There is an ancient energy field in the universe that masks the actual appearance of and nature of the world. This field is called variously the Veil of Illusion, Maya, World Glamour, and so on. It is something that clouds the senses, interferes with perception and generally deceives people into believing the world is one way when it is really another.

Most mystical philosophies speak of this Veil of Illusion. Many people who have heard about it, however, believe falsely that it is a negative force – something set up by some arch deceiver or universal enemy of humanity. This is not the case. The Veil is not evil. It is a natural function of our universe much like gravity or reincarnation. It simply exists and we must work with it. If it has any moral attribute it is good, for it protects us psychologically from discovering more of the world than we can emotionally accept. Also, for those on the Path, it offers a way to strengthen us as we evolve spiritually.

The problem is not the Veil.  The problem is that other intelligences in the universe – physical, biological beings with different appearances and psychologies – use the Veil against us. They take advantage of our perceptual difficulties and pretend to be divine or demonic personalities in order to exploit us. They are NOT superior beings, gods, angels or demons as such – they are just other life forms that want to use us for their own purposes.

How can this be? Take an example from recent, human history. When the Europeans first encountered the inhabitants of the Americas and the pacific islands, were they not thought of as deities? And did those Europeans not shamelessly take advantage of the natives to gratify their own desires?

The natives eventually learned the truth and we also must learn the truth. Ongoing meditation helps us break through the Veil of Illusion and gives us greater insight into the nature of the universe and its inhabitants.

Here is a test to help you determine whether the being you have made contact with through prayer or more direct means is really spiritually divine or just a fraud. God, whatever you perceive God to be, is NOT a wish granting genie. God works for your spiritual evolution not your material comforts. Anything that offers you material goods in exchange for your service is a false god.

Recently, a whole pack of celebrities led by the likes of Oprah Winfrey have made it seem that god will give you money and fame if you only learn to pray properly. The book called The Secret  is  big advocate of this. In many interviews Oprah has stated that she prayed to her god and received jobs in movies and television and as a result has become rich and famous.

What god is she praying to?

The 6 million people who died in the Holocaust prayed to their god for life and it was not granted to them. The untold millions of people around the world who have been kidnapped, enslaved, tortured and murdered also prayed for life and it was denied them. Were they all just bad people? Should they have read The Secret before suffering? Were they all just praying to the wrong god? Or are people like Oprah just so much more worthy than everyone else that their genie-god will grant them their wishes.

Oprah’s god gave her money, fame and power. But what did she have to give in exchange?

There are demonic forces in the world. They pretend to be spirits, angels, demons and even Jesus or Satan if it gets them what they want. They might make it possible for you to get money and glory but they will expect you to pay for it – and their price is your humanity and your future development.

When the Master Jesus was in the wilderness someone offered him all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow to that being. Jesus rightly turned him down.

Learn to meditate and learn to be aware of what is actually going on in the world.

Sugar Buying Zombies

It is usually assumed that enlightened people must be more tolerant of those still in the dark. This is true in a sense – tolerance comes out of boredom with arguments and practices people use to preserve their sleeping state. And people will try anything to keep from Awakening. Just think of what you do when you’re sound asleep and need to urinate, or the alarm clock goes off – your dreams take on all sorts of strange shapes to keep you sleeping just a little longer. People like to sleep – not just physically but spiritually as well. When someone tries to bring light into the world and finds themselves surrounded by whole armies intent on preserving the darkness it is so much easier just to say OK – you go your way and I’ll go mine. This appears to be tolerance – a tolerance laced with pity and sorrow for the state of the world.

For every one person who is struggling to remain partially awake in the world there are probably a thousand people intent on putting them back to sleep and keeping everyone else asleep as well. These people act more out of ignorance and self-deception then evil – though there are clearly certain people who actively choose to lead the assault on enlightenment. Sleeping people are easy to control. You know exactly where they are and they’re defenses are minimal.

What does this have to do with sugar buying zombies? Well, I call anyone who easily succumbs to society’s command to stay asleep a zombie. I might tolerate them because they are clearly weak and pathetic creatures – but I don’t respect them. I am, however, less tolerant of the agents of “zombification.” Whether they understand their actions or are deceived – by themselves or others – I don’t care. They are the enemy. They must be resisted and if possible put out of commission.

The prevailing theory is that the leading forces in the zombification process have at one time experienced enlightenment and have made a deliberate and conscious choice – perhaps out of fear or self-loathing – to return to the darkness and keep everyone else in there with them.

Another theory is that although these leaders are enlightened they are choosing to set up challenges and obstacles for others so that only those strong and courageous enough to pass the tests will be awakened.

These agents of darkness are everywhere – in government and politics; organized religion and entertainment; education and law enforcement; and in big business.

Sugar is big business.

It is a nice and comforting commodity in low doses but in high quantities it is one of the most dangerous substances on the planet. It is highly addictive and is a big factor in the zombification process.  Sugar eating zombies do two things that are favorable to big business – they consume endlessly until the day they die and they go along with any plan to keep their supply of sugar active.

Sugar has been linked to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, macular degeneration and tooth decay. It contributes to alcoholism, tobacco and other drug addiction, personality disorders, aggression, low self-esteem and decreased intelligence. Yet this product is available everywhere, it’s cheap and it is regularly given out to children.

Think of the industries that use sugar extensively – soft drinks, alcohol, tobacco, bakeries, confectioners as well as illegal drugs. It is used to feed cattle and other animals as well as in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. Sugar is everywhere and its debilitating effects can be seen by anyone who takes a good look at society.

Once, sugar was a luxury. Then in the 18th century it became more widely available. By the 19th century it was considered a necessity around the world. The demand for sugar unleashed major economic and social changes. These include colonization of tropical islands and nations where labor-intensive sugarcane plantations and sugar manufacturing could thrive; and the slave trade and the use of indentured servants to perform the hard work involved in the cultivation and processing of sugar. The millions of people transplanted for these uses created the modern ethnic mix of many nations that have been settled in the last few centuries.

The history and impact of sugar is scary and it continues to shape our society. But people do have a choice – they can bow down to the whims of the agents of darkness and become sugar buying zombies or resist as best they can and move a step at a time into the light.

What is Enlightenment?

A student once asked me if I was enlightened. I said “what is that?”

He went on to explain in detail all the various types and phases of enlightenment bringing in arguments and quotations from Zen Buddhism, yoga, and Christian mysticism. He was getting pretty animated so I stopped him in the middle of a sentence and said, “No, no, no – What is THAT?”

He looked at me, mouth still open, brain in mid-thought. Then he looked at himself and the Light came upon him.

Many people wonder about enlightenment and I wish I had that student’s intellect and tenacity to pour through all the literature on the subject and pull up quotes and arguments on what it is, what it might be, what it looks like, how it feels …

Enlightenment isn’t an intellectual concept at all. It isn’t something you can study and research – although thousands of people through the centuries have done just that and have written whole books and encyclopedias on the subject. Enlightenment is more of a state of mind – a frame of reference for living – It is a way of being and a process of engaging in the world condition. It’s an IS-NESS of the world. The whole universe is enlightened, the stars are enlightened, the earth is enlightened. We exist wholly in the midst of enlightenment all the time. Enlightenment is the NATURAL order of all.

To ask if someone is enlightened is completely the wrong question – yet, also the question that must often be asked.

The real question should be “How are you NOT enlightened?”

Imagine, if you can, that we humans are magnificent works of art. Like sculpture carved by a divine hand. We are extraordinary wonders of the universe. Unfortunately, through some horrible and bizarre process, we have become covered and encased in “stuff” – nasty stuff, bad stuff – crap. But inside all that crap we are still creatures of light. The great artist, Michelangelo, was once asked how he created his incredible sculptures. He said he looked at the marble and then cut away everything that WAS NOT the statue.

For us it is the same – we are all born to be enlightened but we are encased in a mess of “stuff” that dulls us into the zombie like creatures most people present to the world. Our job is – or at least I think should be – to get rid of all the dull stuff in our lives and let our true light shine free.

So, am I enlightened? Let’s say I’m not NOT enlightened.

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