Spirituality * Culture * Self-Expression

Year: 2013

What I Learned before I was Born

TheGuffThis is only a story – but some stories can be true.

 

I moved into the Great Hall and noticed the millions of other souls who, like me, were preparing for another incarnation. We moved to the edge of the precipice that separates the Earth plane from the rest of the universe and waited. A Celestial Voice summarized for us all the things we learned about taking on a new material form.

 

“Most of you will get a name. But there is no guarantee of this. What you are called may not be to your liking and it may not reflect your true nature in any way. Fret not – you are free to call yourself anything you choose.

“You will get a body. You probably won’t like it. Aside from the multitude of physical ailments and disabilities that might go along with it, you will probably also suffer from the anxiety of comparing your body to that of others. This is not a good idea. It might make you vain and bitter. There will always be someone with a better form or better abilities than your own. The same is true of material goods you might choose to acquire and cling to – someone else will always have something better. Life is not necessarily fair when it comes to these things. Better not to think about it. Learn to be happy with what you have and what you create for yourself. Strive to be the best you can be.

“The world is full of challenges and opportunities. How you choose to respond to them will teach you much about yourself – if you are willing to learn the lessons. If you aren’t willing to learn, then all you will experience is suffering. The people of the world are mostly concerned about themselves. Your self-esteem is your own affair. Work on building your sense of self-worth on what you ARE rather than on what you DO or what you HAVE.

“Most of you will not come into the world possessing much more than a body and a name. That’s OK.  You have the ability to experience happiness if you choose to see the world as a place of wonder where you can learn and grow. However humble your circumstances, there are always opportunities available if you will only seek them out and accept them. You are, after all, a spirit experiencing a material existence – you are far more than just a body and a collection of bric-a-brac. However, if you choose to believe that the material world you find yourself in is all that there is – you are likely to suffer. If you are one of those who are born into material wealth – be very careful.  You will be expected to do a great deal more with your earthly experience than those who are born with nothing.

“However you choose to view the world and your life, you will be presented with lessons and opportunities to learn. Growth is a process and you will continue to face the same lessons in various forms until you understand them. Then you can move on to new lessons. You will probably make mistakes. Get used to it. Do not blame others for your errors. Your parents, your teachers, your employers, your friends – everyone is there for their own development. You must take responsibility for your own success or failures. The lessons of life do not end. As long as you are on Earth you will be tested and expected to learn.

“Wherever you should find yourself is the best place for you to be – it is the best starting point for your journey in life. Don’t get stuck. Take action and get moving. Wherever you are is just the beginning of a journey; it is not the end.

“Everyone you meet can teach you something, even those that might appear dull or ignorant. Learn from them. Look past first impressions. Accept people as the teachers you need right now.

“Life is about choices. Choose to be happy, choose to grow, and choose to find your destiny.

“The important things that you will need to achieve your greatest self are all within you. Don’t look outside for happiness or contentment. Don’t seek success in things or other people. You contain all the answers to all the mysteries within you.  As the poet said, ‘You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.’

“And finally, you will forget all of this before you take your first breath. Nevertheless, work on finding your true self, be careful and strive to be happy.”

 

After hearing all this, we flew off the precipice and dived into the world.beautiful-world-earth

A Universal Religion

ReligiousSymbolsIn this time of almost constant tensions between people of various faiths and beliefs, it is important to remember that we actually can find common spiritual ground if we choose to.  Those of us on the path, seeking the Light, should especially bear this in mind and be careful not to disparage others because of their spiritual views.

There are many religions in the world. It may be true that not all of them have been inspired by Divine Spirit – but those that have been are part of a primal human tradition, they are emanations of a universal impulse to harmony and joy. The truly inspired religions are an expression of Divine Wisdom; however, that doesn’t mean they contain Absolute Truth. Also, most of them have become distorted over the centuries, and have moved far from their original mission and purpose. Still, they serve as a spiritual guide for billions of people around the world and are, therefore, deserving of respect.Coerxist

Now, we might think that many of these religions just do not represent the current needs of humanity anymore and are possibly even detrimental to social evolution. Nevertheless, as followers of the path, we should not outright condemn them. Instead we should try to find within them that certain something that continues to help people rise up toward a higher plane of awareness.religious-harmony1

Mystically speaking, all the inspired religions of the past and present are destined to eventually manifest a Universal Religion that will be a synthesis of their most beautiful principles. As seekers of Light, we can play a primary role in making this happen by serving as examples of harmony and tolerance when we speak of our own spirituality.

A useful exercise for all of us is to learn as much as possible about the messages proclaimed by spiritual masters such as Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Krishna and Muhammad, and be aware of their legacy to the world. The light these people and others like them have brought to humanity must be preserved in its purer state and conveyed to future generations. Their lives and works are examples for all of us who seek knowledge and enlightenment. Their words and actions are a great source of true wisdom.Religious_Harmony_II_by_zeushadesposeidon

One of the greatest causes of conflict among people has always been religious intolerance. Consider world history: How many wars have been fought for the glory of the Divine? And, how many crimes and atrocities have been committed in the name of one God or another? These wars and crimes generally originate in fanaticism – that is, a conviction that one’s own religion is the only True religion, the only path to salvation, and is superior to all others. Of course, this is nonsense – no religion represents Absolute Truth, and such a conviction, whether acted upon or not, generates particularly negative karma for those who teach or defend it. As seekers of Light, we must release ourselves from such beliefs and strive to be tolerant in your mystical quest.  That doesn’t mean we have to embrace, accept or support all the various beliefs and religions, but we should remember that in the eyes of the Divine Spirit all people are brothers and sisters and all are evolving toward the same goal: the perfection of their soul.religious-harmony

Changes

change-the-worldFrom time to time we’ve all probably thought about the idea of changing the world. Typically, we want to change it so that it conforms more to our own way of thinking. This is not a new wish. The following words are said to have been found on the tomb of a 12th century Anglo-Saxon Bishop in the crypt of Westminster Abbey:

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But, it too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.change-the-world-sign

As Tolstoy observed, “We all think of changing the world, and none of us thinks of changing ourselves.”

The world is on a path and evolves as it will. Most things are beyond our manipulation. But we can change how we see the world and what our role in it can be. We can become more active in the world’s evolution.

If you really want the world to change, start by making changes within yourself. Change the way you see the world and the way you behave within it.  Specifically, work on waking yourself up. Wake up by whatever means you can discover. Wake yourself up and then wake up everyone else. In this way the world can become the truly wondrous place we all want it to be.change1

Another Birthday

birth-dayToday is my birthday – and although I would prefer to take the whole day off, I promised myself I would do a new blog post every week. This seemed like a good topic.

Most people, including mystics, like the idea of living life in cycles. There are daily cycles, weekly cycles, monthly cycles and yearly cycles. We eat at the same time every day, take the weekends off work, observe regular holidays and celebrate the New Year and anniversaries all at the same time. Some people also observe 7-year cycles; they consider certain years auspicious – eg. 21st birthdays; they celebrate 100-year and even 1000-year events like the dates really mean something.

Maybe it’s because we evolved on a planet that orbits a star in a fairly regular pattern; and because the seasons appear to occur in a fixed pattern. This is only appearance. To paraphrase the great philosopher Heraclitus, “you can’t pass through the same section of space twice.” Things change all the time.splash-planets

I prefer a more linear (or lateral) path. The past is gone, the present is the only thing we can be confident in and the future doesn’t exist until we create it. But I admit I do like to celebrate a couple of annual occurrences. I like the Spring Equinox, the Winter Solstice and my own birthday.

If you like observing the world as a cycle, you might consider the following special dates upon which just about every religious and civic holiday is based.

First, one of my favorites – the Spring Equinox. It occurs between the 19th and 21st of March. It is the time of year when the hours of night and day are equal and, more importantly, the days begin to get longer – the Light is growing stronger.

Six weeks after this, there is a celebration of the fruition of Spring. Known by various names the time between April 30th and May 1st is has been revered since ancient times throughout the world.

Six weeks after that comes the Summer Solstice – very important as it is the longest day of the year – the Light in its most powerful state. This occurs around June 21st and 22nd.

About six weeks after that – around August 2nd – is another date commemorating the fruition of the Solstice.

Next, comes the Fall Equinox between the 20th and 22nd of September. This is the time when the day and night is again equal but the Light is now in decline.

About six weeks after that is the fruition of the Equinox – October 31st and November 1st.

This is followed by my other favorite day the Winter Solstice – around the 21st of December. Although it is the shortest day of the year, the Light is about to be reborn and all the days will now get longer and longer.

Six weeks after this around February 2nd is the fruition of the Solstice.

If you look at a calendar you will notice that just about every religious and secular holiday or commemoration of a special event occurs within a week or two of these 8 days. Consider St. Patrick’s Day, Passover and Easter, Yom HaShoah; Earth Day, Arbor Day, Walpurgisnacht, May Day, Cinco De Mayo; Pentecost, Isra and Mi’raj, National Aboriginal Day, St. Jean Baptiste Day, Lailat ul Barat; Canada Day, Independence Day, Ramadan, Bastile Day; August Bank Holiday, Simco Day, End of Ramadan; Labor Day, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot; Thanksgiving (Canada),Halloween, Diwali, Islamic New Year; Remembrance Day, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving (U.S.); Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, Epiphany, Orthodox Christmas; Prophet’s Birthday, Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day.

But if we’re being honest, everyone’s favorite day is their own birthday. Some of us may not have been wanted or planned and we may be living in humble circumstances or even worse – yet, if we think about it we should be glad to be here, even if no one else is. I like to treat myself especially nice on my birthday, I reflect on the things I’ve done and look forward to the future I will be creating.

So, Happy Birthday to me.

And Happy Birthday to all of you, whenever you have your special day.

Celebrate and be glad you have the chance to be you.celebration-of-light-by-jon-dejong

The Difference You Make

PonderingCan we really make a difference in the world? Do the things we do matter?

When I think about the work I’ve taken on and the actions I perform to carry it out, I wonder if anyone is even aware of it – let alone concerned with it. I wonder if there’s any point to my efforts.

Then I remember a story I learned a long time ago.  It goes something like this:

A young man was on vacation on a tropical island. After a night of partying, he found himself walking along the beach at dawn. He noticed, up ahead, an old man slowly moving along the shore. The old man would stop, pick something up and throw it into the sea, and then move on. The young man watched him do this over and over and was curious about the action. He caught up with the old man and asked him what he was doing.

The old man looked up along the beach and said, “You see all these starfish?”Starfish on Beach 1

The young man noticed thousands of starfish lying on the sand.

The old man said, “If I don’t throw them back into the ocean they’ll die.”

The young man said, “But there are thousands of them, and miles of beach. You can’t save them all. What difference does it make if you toss a few back?”

The old man picked up a starfish, looked at it and then threw it into the ocean. He turned to the young man and said, “It made a difference to that one.”Throwing Starfish

The old man moved on. The young man stared at the starfish on the beach and then gazed out over the water. After a few moments, he picked up a starfish and tossed it into the sea.Starfish on Beach

What I Really Think

Is it wrong to have negative impressions of the world?

Let’s be realistic and honest – we do not live in paradise. The world is a troubled place full of troubled people. And, sad and unbelievable as it may be, there are dark forces at work leading humanity toward self-destruction. I’m not insisting that these forces are in any way intelligent or intentional – it just appears to be so; and appearances, although often deceiving, are usually symptoms of actual conditions. Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Many people have accused me in the past of being too reserved and uncommunicative – despite the fact that I appear to constantly broadcast my opinions in person, through books, on my website, over social media and in other ways. So, I now offer a few opinions I hold to be true that might make it clear just what I am saying in life. I am going to use absolute statements – even though, as a philosopher, I am aware that not to use them is often better form. I do this for emphasis.

  1. All governments of the world – including Canada, the U.S., Britain and the rest – are corrupt. Outright, criminally based, enemies of humanity.U.N.2 There is at present no good government. Granted, some are far worse than others and I would much rather live under the criminal regime in Canada than just about any place else in the world. Nevertheless, they are all corrupt. They daily demonstrate their complete disregard for the people they claim to represent. In fact, this is the big problem – there simply is no true form of representative government any more. Perhaps nations of the world have become too large or too complicated to administer properly – whatever – all governments are corrupt.
  2. All poverty, crime, social injustice, famine, war, economic disparity, illiteracy, disease and social unrest are the direct result of government interference. It is the wrongful action of government that leads to all the problems of the world.world-poverty I do not say that leadership or good government is not beneficial – certainly it is. We desperately need true leadership and effective administrative control in the world today. However, we simply do not have it. The governments of the world are hopelessly flawed. Professional politicians and administrators have lost their way – the system itself – the system of a select group of qualified individuals determining the fate of a people – fell into darkness centuries ago and has never stumbled back into the light. Certainly the current swarm of overfed politicians is not doing anything to illuminate the world.politician
  3. It is absolutely possible to have good government, sound leadership, social equality, justice for all and true freedom. It is just not manifest in the world today. There is no individual force, no matter how strong or righteous in may be, that can counteract the negative effects of current government. Resistance to the darkness is futile. The only way individuals can thrive as positive, self-determining forces is to completely dissociate ourselves from all the ruling bodies. We cannot participate in the madness. It is certainly possible to survive and financially prosper by going with the flow and collaborating with the ruling powers. However, to truly thrive as authentic human beings requires separation of mind and spirit from the body of government. As the Master Jesus said, “be IN the world, but not OF the world.”meditating-for-students2
  4. Certain celebrities in the world clearly appear to be in league with the forces of darkness and preach a message of corruption to their followers. Oprah Winfrey comes to mind. There is nothing she has said or done publicly indicates to me that she is anything other than a child of darkness. She preaches “the Secret” – ask and you will get. This sounds vaguely Biblical and thus people are encouraged to believe it. But in the Bible, Jesus advises us to ask for the Holy Spirit and to become enlightened – celebrities such as Oprah tell us to ask for money, jobs, power, fame and other material goods. The only force or being that actively grants this type of request is a force of Darkness. God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, is not a wish granting genie and should not be treated as one.
  5. Demons, devils, angels and spiritual, non-corporeal beings of all kinds are real – they are just not what ordinary people think they are. Ordinary people are stupid.

I hope these few brief statements make my position somewhat clearer. It is possible to avoid falling victim to the negativity and deceptions currently active in the world. To do so you must determine to get yourself awake. Wake up using any methods available to you. Wake yourself up and then wake up others.beautiful-world-earth

 

Eclipse

eclipseBack in March 1970 there was a total eclipse of the sun visible over Toronto. I was pretty young at the time but I wanted to see it – so, I stood in front of my father’s restaurant on the corner of Queen and Sumach and stared up at the sky waiting for it.

For those of you who don’t know Toronto, Queen and Sumach is on the southern border of a neighborhood known as Regent Park.

Now, Regent Park is quite famous – it is the site of the very first social housing project built in Canada. Located in one of the country’s worst slums, it was set up in 1949 to be a “transitional community” – people experiencing financial difficulties could live there at low, or no rent until their situation improved – and then they were supposed to move on. Of course, few people’s situation ever improved, so they just stayed. Later, the area also developed into a new immigrant settlement.

With low income, overcrowding, general despair and no visible future for most residents, street life degenerated. By the 1960’s crime and violence were commonplace – and the dregs of society seemed to converge on the area.regent park crime 2

regent park 1964I learned pretty quickly which of the human “flora and fauna” to avoid and where to run to if I needed a friend. But it never got too bad for me. Older kids had to deal with more stress growing up in such circumstances. I had my books and my imagination to shield me from the worst elements, and I developed the habit of keeping pretty much to myself. The neighborhood has been revitalized since then and is supposed to be better – I don’t know.Police Raid Complex In Regent Park

But that day, as I stood there, on the verge of losing my retina by staring directly at the sun, something unusual happened. A young girl – 12 or 13 years old – saw me. She was also waiting for the eclipse – an eclipse that the media reports suggested, erroneously, might be the last in 50 years – but she was prepared. She had some kind of plexi-glass visor and a note book in her hand. Where would she have found a visor like that in our neighborhood? As far as I could tell, everyone who lived in Regent Park was stupid and ugly. This girl was neither.

I didn’t know who she was, I never learned her name, I have no idea what happened to her after that day – but she saw me and offered me a look through the visor. There was no reason for this. What was in it for her?

I used the visor and looked up at the sun, but I don’t really remember what I saw. Some other little kids were also on the street and she let them all have a look through the visor. The eclipse lasted about 3 minutes, so by sharing with us she lost the full experience she could have had.

I don’t remember the eclipse – I remember that girl. She switched a light on within me that has grown brighter over time. There could be simple compassion, joy and beauty even in the most depressed areas. Perhaps something beautiful in the most ugly people.

I don’t know who that girl was, yet she left her imprint on me.

Over 40 years later I still remember her and her gentle kindness. Maybe all of us do little things every day that leave an impression on others. Maybe if we think about it we could try harder to ensure that those impressions are good and worth remembering.sun18

Zombies Everywhere

San Francisco Zombie Walk

San Francisco Zombie Walk

I seem to be obsessed with zombies these days. They’re scary and they are everywhere. There are zombies on TV, zombies in movies, zombies in books – even zombies on the streets. Scariest of all, there are even real life zombies that move among us – camouflaged, unseen but very present. These real zombies are people just like you and me who have abandoned their will and purpose in life and accepted the blank staring, mindless slavery of the damned.

Yes, zombies are everywhere and their numbers are growing. It is true that most of humanity is sleepwalking through life – but the zombie is someone who has given up even the pretense of dreaming. The zombie no longer truly lives, it merely exists. It is a scary proposition yet one that many people seem to embrace. Why? Why is the zombie fate so popular – especially among young people?

There actually are some positive aspects to being a zombie – dubious as they may be.

  1. No need to make decisions – you are a zombie
  2. No morality, no right or wrong – you are a zombie
  3. No need to plan or speculate on the future – you are a zombie
  4. No fear of the future in general – you are a zombie
  5. No disappointments, no consequences to your actions – you are a zombie
  6. No need for money, jobs, career or education – you are a zombie
  7. No concern for cleanliness, appearances, clothing or fashion – you are a zombie
  8. No need to diet, exercise or worry about your health – you are a zombie
  9. No need for good looks, talent, or charm – you are a zombie
  10. No need for homes, cars, or possessions of any kind – you are a zombie
  11. No fear, despair, anxiety, frustration, pain, – no feelings at all – you are a zombie
  12. No solitude, loneliness, separateness – you are instantly part of a community that accepts you totally and without judgment – you are a zombie.

Perhaps this last point is the strongest – for anyone struggling with issues of identity and self-worth and the feelings of being an outcast and not belonging – suddenly being part of an accepting group – even a mindless horde – is a deeply appealing prospect for so many people.

And what are the negatives to being a zombie? Ayn Rand mentions a big one “Your self is your mind; renounce it and you become a chunk of meat ready for any cannibal to swallow.”

To be a zombie means to renounce your mind and with it surrender all humanity and any possibility of real love, vitality, satisfaction and self-expression in life. These things cannot exist without the mind and soul, without consciousness. To be a zombie you must give up the possibility of ever being awake, alive and in control of yourself.

Toronto Zombie Walk

Toronto Zombie Walk

For anyone with a mind, the zombie life is scary and depressing. Yet the numbers of zombies are growing. More and more people around us appear to be opting out of the human race in favor of the non-life of the zombie. A few just play the game of dressing up and acting like the zombies in the movies. But many, many more are taking the camouflaged, invisible but common zombie route – they join gangs, cliques, and clubs with strict, often violent, rules and guidelines of behavior; they immerse themselves in political and religious ideologies; they give up all self-determination, free thought, and individuality and behave and react exactly like all the other zombies. They might not eat the physical brains of the living like they do in the movies, yet their mere presence sucks out the minds and souls of the people around them.

Zombies are perpetual consumers. They gorge themselves on sugar, alcohol, tobacco, drugs of all kinds, deviant sex, the so-called entertainment media, and all the glitter and bling of the world. Modern zombies succumb to obsessive, violent and primal urges and serve and defend the governments and religions that support and perpetuate these urges. They lessen the world and shatter the hopes and dreams of all who try to experience and enjoy real life.

How do you avoid becoming a zombie? If you are a sleepwalker like most of humanity you must first wake up. Wake yourself up by whatever means possible to you and then wake up others. The more awakened people there are the fewer sleepwalkers there will be that can be infected by the zombie plague.

Wake up now and perhaps the world will be saved.

The Fight for Mediocrity

What happened to us? We used to be a planet of heroes: overcoming obstacles, building great cities, creating amazing art, experimenting with empowering forms of government.

One of the last impressive things humans ever did was put a man on the moon way back in 1969. Since then we’ve pretty much just been coasting along – most of our current technology is based on discoveries and advancements from the 1960’s. We really haven’t come up with anything new for some time.

We still have constant warfare and terrorism; bad government around the world; hunger and poverty; human and animal rights violations; criminal degradation; and non-stop cruelty and depravity everywhere.

Instead of working to stop all this “badness” and generate some overflowing “goodness” – we in our so-called advanced civilization seem pretty content to do nothing – as long as we have our favorite TV shows and high-speed Internet access.

What are we doing? Where are the champions that used to motivate and energize us?

The world of politics certainly has no heroes – it is pretty clear that career politicians think only of re-election. Politicians in recent years have, as a whole, clearly demonstrated a complete lack of vision for a sustainable, prosperous and harmonious world. Whenever any one in government or near government makes a speech or statement we must ask “what’s in it for them?” they appear to do nothing that does not directly benefit them or their financial supporters.

We used to honor athletes and entertainers – No more. Professional athletes and entertainers, as a rule these days, display only the baser human traits. They lie, cheat, steal, bad mouth people and exploit everyone around them. They seem to no longer have a concept of chivalry, patriotism or civic duty. They are constantly depicted as violent, sexist, racist, and generally debauched. Perhaps not all – there might still be a few people with integrity seeking the spotlight – but in general they can be seen to use their talents for the sake of mediocrity – free of any concern for values or ideals. A pig-at-the-trough kind of morality – just consume as much as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Maybe that’s the problem – consumerism has run rampant. We don’t want to create we just want to own and use. We don’t even need the best (or know what that is) – we just go after what other people want, what other people have, what other people say is good. Quality and originality are no longer required. Success is based on the ability to re-package the work of others.

The world has become average, ordinary and commonplace. It’s true a few rare souls might occasionally step into the game and try to advance the causes of creativity, freedom, social equality, and universal harmony. Yet their battle against the trends, the mainstream, the status quo, the tradition, the authority and so on becomes a painful trial. So much easier just to bend and conform to the system. To embrace mediocrity and even fight for it – that is the way of the world.

So many people are sleepwalking through life, today. Following, lazily, the easy rule of the few who would seriously enslave us all if they had the chance. And most of us are willing to give them that chance. We fight for the easy way, the common path, the preservation of the herd. The phony success of endless sameness. We fight for mediocrity and it might very well lead us to extinction – at least as a moving, energized species.

So, what can we do about it? How do we help humanity achieve its fullest potential?

The first step is to WAKE UP! Wake yourself up as soon as possible.

And then, go out and wake everyone else up. The more awakened people there are, the fewer sleepwalkers there will be that can defend and sustain the mediocre ideals that now plague us.

Wake up now and perhaps the world will be saved.

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