Today I want to talk about the lessons of the election from an enlightenment perspective. Many times, reachers of the path denigrate life in the world as a distraction. They believe the path to enlightenment is best achieved by isolation from the world in which the student can learn the secrets of enlightenment. There may be some truth to that for some, if not many. The real key to enlightenment is understanding and knowing who you really are.
That said, the world is not your enemy. THere are many things in it to experience and enjoy. The key is to understand that none of it defines who you really are.
This is the meaning of the first verse of the Tao. (see the link for Lin yu Tang) It says:
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the Mother of All Things.
Therefore:
Oftentimes, one strips oneself of passion
In order to see the Secret of Life;
Oftentimes, one regards life with passion,
In order to see its manifest forms.
This is the key. TO see the secret of life, you must be objective and silent. However, to see the manifest forms, one must look with passion. Note that he adds:
These two (the Secret and its manifestations)
Are (in their nature) the same;
They are given different names
When they become manifest.
They may both be called the Cosmic Mystery:
Reaching from the Mystery into the Deeper Mystery
Is the Gate to the Secret of All Life.
When you really understand the nature of the mystery-that it exists as both the secret and the manifestations and that they are really the same thing, one will be a lot farther along on the journey.
The election, with all of its energy-positive and negative, is one of the purest forms of the manifestation. We, as a society, actually created this from the Tao.
By looking at what happened and examining the flow of thoughts and energy, you can see how the people of the world manifested this entire election season.
It is one of the best examples of an expression of the Tao I know.
Feel it and know it.
Peace
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A new day
It is election day and like many others, I have been caught up in this year's election fever.
It looks like Obama will win. I am pleased.
ALl is good
It looks like Obama will win. I am pleased.
ALl is good
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Bears
Just today I read another article about another jogger being attacked by a bear in Anchorage.
She was jogging (no doubt with her headphones on and oblivious to all around her) on a trail where at least three others have been attacked.
HELLO!!! I cannot believe anyone would be that dumb. But they are.
So guy wrote a letter to the editor complaining that there are just too many bears. He jogs the trails and cannot believe how many bears there are. My guess is that the number of bears is about the same. The big difference is the increase of clueless joggers who tune out their surroundings and run smack into bear country and then are surprised when a bear attacks.
This is just another example of clueless people moving through life at odds with the harmony of nature.
In all my years of hiking and fishing, I have never been close to a bear on any trail. That is because I make noise and avoid the most used bear trails. To me that is common sense. I guess that is something too many of us lack these days.
MT
She was jogging (no doubt with her headphones on and oblivious to all around her) on a trail where at least three others have been attacked.
HELLO!!! I cannot believe anyone would be that dumb. But they are.
So guy wrote a letter to the editor complaining that there are just too many bears. He jogs the trails and cannot believe how many bears there are. My guess is that the number of bears is about the same. The big difference is the increase of clueless joggers who tune out their surroundings and run smack into bear country and then are surprised when a bear attacks.
This is just another example of clueless people moving through life at odds with the harmony of nature.
In all my years of hiking and fishing, I have never been close to a bear on any trail. That is because I make noise and avoid the most used bear trails. To me that is common sense. I guess that is something too many of us lack these days.
MT
Hello again
Well, it has been quite a while since I have posted. But then it's been a busy summer. Not a great summer, mind you. It has been cold and damp all summer. Really, there have only been a handful of days that were nice and only one or two that have been "beautiful".
That said, I have been busy fishing and camping in our little trailer. I have also resumed backpacking and have been going on hikes. It is great to get out and be outdoors, even if the weather is not the greatest.
I find it odd, though that there are people who go hiking with I-pods. To me, there is nothing better than the sounds of nature. Birds, the wind in the trees, the sound of a creek. I know, I know, that sounds so typical, but it is true. I can't understand why people want to shut that out with their toons.
Obviously, there are times when music comes in handy-at a crowded campsite, after a long day on the trail, etc. But for me, when I am backpacking, I want to hear the outdoors.
That said, I have been busy fishing and camping in our little trailer. I have also resumed backpacking and have been going on hikes. It is great to get out and be outdoors, even if the weather is not the greatest.
I find it odd, though that there are people who go hiking with I-pods. To me, there is nothing better than the sounds of nature. Birds, the wind in the trees, the sound of a creek. I know, I know, that sounds so typical, but it is true. I can't understand why people want to shut that out with their toons.
Obviously, there are times when music comes in handy-at a crowded campsite, after a long day on the trail, etc. But for me, when I am backpacking, I want to hear the outdoors.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Summertime and the living is easy
Well, it has been a while since I've been here. I been busy with life. Too much going on to write or paint.
BUt then this is what we do. Winter is a time of repose while snow and cold and darkness surround us. Spring is a time of renewal. Well, you know that. How much more of a cliche can that be. And yet, at least up here, it still carries some truth.
THat is one of the fundamental ideas behind the I Ching. It is also called the book of changes. You see, change is all around us. It is ceaseless. Even our knowledge and "enlightenment" are constantly changing. Make no mistake. Becoming enlightened is not a dead end where you suddenly "know everything" and spend the rest of your life sitting around smiling!
No, enlightenment is really a step in a long process. It is a measure of understanding-a higher level of understanding -but it is not an end.
So enjoy the summer get out, have fun and renew.
BUt then this is what we do. Winter is a time of repose while snow and cold and darkness surround us. Spring is a time of renewal. Well, you know that. How much more of a cliche can that be. And yet, at least up here, it still carries some truth.
THat is one of the fundamental ideas behind the I Ching. It is also called the book of changes. You see, change is all around us. It is ceaseless. Even our knowledge and "enlightenment" are constantly changing. Make no mistake. Becoming enlightened is not a dead end where you suddenly "know everything" and spend the rest of your life sitting around smiling!
No, enlightenment is really a step in a long process. It is a measure of understanding-a higher level of understanding -but it is not an end.
So enjoy the summer get out, have fun and renew.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Spring has sprung
Ah, it has been while since I've written anything. But, then spring has sprung. I've had an inch to get out and go camping, but it is still a little early up here.
Camping is a great way to get focused. It does not have to be in a tent or an RV or any particular type of vehicle.
One can go for a walk in the woods or a week on a deserted beach. Paddle a canoe in lake country-anything to get away.
What do I mean by "get away"? Well, it means breaking out of your current position. If you work in an office, sometimes you need to get out and see the world from a completely different viewpoint.
Remember, enlightenment doe snot mean solemn and somber. Rather, it means being free from the things that oppress us.
Now, when one is enlightened, one is not normally oppressed by the world around him or her. THat does not mean that you should sit in a state of bliss all day either.
Go out and experience the world. Enjoy what life has to offer 24/7. But always remember you are not limited as to how to enjoy the world.
Many enlightened people live in quieter areas of the country, however. Quiet and peacefulness are better than frantic and "busy" for anybody, but the enlightened are naturally attracted to them.
So, find a place to get away for a few days and then go out and enjoy.
Camping is a great way to get focused. It does not have to be in a tent or an RV or any particular type of vehicle.
One can go for a walk in the woods or a week on a deserted beach. Paddle a canoe in lake country-anything to get away.
What do I mean by "get away"? Well, it means breaking out of your current position. If you work in an office, sometimes you need to get out and see the world from a completely different viewpoint.
Remember, enlightenment doe snot mean solemn and somber. Rather, it means being free from the things that oppress us.
Now, when one is enlightened, one is not normally oppressed by the world around him or her. THat does not mean that you should sit in a state of bliss all day either.
Go out and experience the world. Enjoy what life has to offer 24/7. But always remember you are not limited as to how to enjoy the world.
Many enlightened people live in quieter areas of the country, however. Quiet and peacefulness are better than frantic and "busy" for anybody, but the enlightened are naturally attracted to them.
So, find a place to get away for a few days and then go out and enjoy.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Many paths
Now that I have basically covered the road to enlightenment. I want to turn my attention some aspects of the road.
There are almost as many paths to enlightenment as there are people. True, most of them are based on Eastern philosophies and "new age" thinking. However, they are not the only ways to enlightenment. We each have the ability to reach enlightenment because it is really a self awakening. So, just how each individual arrives at that awakening is particular to that individual.
As I just said, it is not necessary to follow some Eastern philosophy to reach enlightenment. Yet, that is the way most people use to get there. I wondered why we in the west have not developed more of an enlightened pathway. I have done much research to try and understand and answer this question. More on this in my next post.
Mr.T
There are almost as many paths to enlightenment as there are people. True, most of them are based on Eastern philosophies and "new age" thinking. However, they are not the only ways to enlightenment. We each have the ability to reach enlightenment because it is really a self awakening. So, just how each individual arrives at that awakening is particular to that individual.
As I just said, it is not necessary to follow some Eastern philosophy to reach enlightenment. Yet, that is the way most people use to get there. I wondered why we in the west have not developed more of an enlightened pathway. I have done much research to try and understand and answer this question. More on this in my next post.
Mr.T
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