It is the core of society for humans to have responsibilities - for us to know our place in the world and to act upon it, so that the world continues to move forward.
However, those of us in the most civilized countries are trained to believe our responsibilities in life are to governments, corporations, religions, society and the big business of charity.
We are responsible to pay taxes, responsible to buy things and work, responsible to tithe, responsible to shower, dress nicely and put our best face forward for the benefit of societie's comfort, responsible to donate - to corporations whose business is charity.
These responsibilities are misplaced. Most of them also do harm to the planet which is needless. Money itself, made from paper and ink or metals, is unneccessary. Much of what we are paying the government to do causes additional burden on the planet - paving roads in and of itself is a drain on resources and you can add to that the effect that asphault has on temperature both in the surrounding areas and globally. Paying a tithe to a physical building of a church allows it to grow and possibly build more, and pays for it's owner to have vehicles and buy things. You could get all the information and more from the internet that you can get in a church - and you could have a communal group meeting outside in a park for a more true group worship. Some churches meet in the auditoriums of existing buildings, using the space temporarily when the facility itself is serving another purpose.
As for showering, wearing makeup, dressing in new (and varied) clothing, spraying scents and chemicals on yourself, getting new shoes every week or two, and the like, all of this is absolutely unneccessary human preening that serves no purpose other than to try and make other people like and appreciate you. I am not saying that bathing is unneccessary - but a weekly or so dip or swim in natural water is better for both you and the environment.
Charity, donating and helping out mankind and the planet are all true responsibilities - however we've been fooled into thinking that the money we donate to massive organizations goes mostly to those who need it. Think about it - these organizations have employees, advertise, have travel and office expenses and occasionally are not for profit rather than non profit - the difference being that a not for profit can keep profit should it make it's way into their hands.
If you really want to do the most amount of good, donate to a smaller local organization, or find a way to donate directly to the afflicted people you are trying to help. Even organizations that help animals have much smaller counterparts to which donations are even more pressing - local no-kill shelters. Do you want to donate to the big animal helpers who ultimately might use it to put down perfectly healthy animals that no one wants? Instead you can give that money to a no kill shelter who will instead would use it to feed those animals rather than pay for their death.
We have a set of true responsibilities in life - which often go ignored.
We are responsible to do no harm - to ourselves, to others, to animals, to the planet.
We are responsible to further our spiritual growth in our lives.
We are responsible to help those in need.
We are responsible to act with kindness in all things.
We are responsible to forgive those around us, and any who cause us harm.
We are responsible to create beauty through art, music, storytelling and performance.
We are responsible to seek out the truth in all things - history, religion, life.
We are responsible for our every action and every inaction. Every miniscule thing we do, especially those things we do from habit and take for granted has an impact and we must carefully consider every step, every breath, to ensure that we are not causing any harm.
In a seperate but related issue, the city of Orlando has arrested members of Food not Bombs for feeding the homeless. The reason? Not having a permit for vending.
I am speechless over this.
Fortunately, there are those among us who take exception to the senseless overrunning of government and corporation, and aren't afraid to do something it about it.
To them, I just want to say thank you for giving the masses a voice when we thought it had been completely silenced.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Kill the Buzzwords
Green. Minimalist. Eco-Friendly. Organic. Sustainable.
I'm guilty of it myself - buying into the buzzwords that float through our culture getting everyone worked up and repeating it - for about half a minute until the next one comes along.
Over a year ago when I began to carefully consider what I genuinely wanted out of life and what felt most natural to me, the word nomad came up. At the time I had no idea that "modern nomad" was a hot topic - I just knew that very frequently I'd get in my car and have an almost undeniable urge to drive off in a random direction and just keep on driving.
There are a lot of people who don't like change - possibly even most people don't like change. It's scary and frightening, it is the unknown and people do not like walking down paths they do not recognize. I am not one of these people.
I love change - I relish it. If my surroundings stagnate for too long I get bored and reckless. I don't like keeping old things and I don't like staying in one place. I don't like doing the same work every day or going to the same company. I don't even like eating the same things on a regular basis. I want to see and do everything, and I don't like being in a "comfort zone" because I don't like who I am when I become complacent.
For me, the life of a nomad is very appealing. Constantly moving through differeing scenery, climates, terrains and different food availibility, all the while forcing my body and mind to remain alert and active, occasionally coming up against unique challenges that have to be solved in order for travel or life to continue, is just perfect for me. I almost feel like it's how I was born to live.
So even though nomad has become a buzzword, it fits me because it has always fit me. It's not a new way of thinking, it's just one potential name for who I have always been.
What is wrong with Buzzwords?
The concepts presented are generally good healthy ideas. Each thing I listed at the beginning of this post is a good idea and an even better practice. However, like the fads of the 80's, the use of these words and the consciousness of what they mean can be very fleeting. Back in the mid 1990's there was a lot of interest in wildlife protection and keeping animals from becoming extinct. At the time there were again words and concepts being thrown around by just about everyone, and a lot of good work was done towards those goals. However, while the protection did continue the awareness of the general public of those causes dropped significantly as we moved into the 2000's and everyone became obsessed with new ideas. Things that were more talked about included reality TV and bling.
Rather than paying any attention to the cultural obsession of the moment, we should be figuring out what really matters to each of us as individuals. While most of us want to help and make a difference, we each have our own focal areas that are most important to us. Instead of following the herd and thinking about a single (or a few) ideas as a group, smaller groups could be working on specific areas that matter to them. These things will hold our attention more simply because they are causes that matter to us for personal reasons rather than that we hear about them every day and are basically forced to be aware of them.
Another potentially detrimental side effect of buzzword causes is that people feel guilty if they don't follow the path everyone is focused on. This is true whether it's a cause of the moment or just a fashion designer's latest offerings. We shouldn't be basing our self worth on what everyone else thinks, wants or appreciates, but we do.
So when it comes to being green or living sustainably, do it because deep down it really matters to you - not because you'll feel guilty if you don't. If that's the case you'll revert eventually to how you lived your life before. Instead find something that really matters to you and devote yourself to that. You can still make a difference even if it's not in the way other people expect you to.
I'm guilty of it myself - buying into the buzzwords that float through our culture getting everyone worked up and repeating it - for about half a minute until the next one comes along.
Over a year ago when I began to carefully consider what I genuinely wanted out of life and what felt most natural to me, the word nomad came up. At the time I had no idea that "modern nomad" was a hot topic - I just knew that very frequently I'd get in my car and have an almost undeniable urge to drive off in a random direction and just keep on driving.
There are a lot of people who don't like change - possibly even most people don't like change. It's scary and frightening, it is the unknown and people do not like walking down paths they do not recognize. I am not one of these people.
I love change - I relish it. If my surroundings stagnate for too long I get bored and reckless. I don't like keeping old things and I don't like staying in one place. I don't like doing the same work every day or going to the same company. I don't even like eating the same things on a regular basis. I want to see and do everything, and I don't like being in a "comfort zone" because I don't like who I am when I become complacent.
For me, the life of a nomad is very appealing. Constantly moving through differeing scenery, climates, terrains and different food availibility, all the while forcing my body and mind to remain alert and active, occasionally coming up against unique challenges that have to be solved in order for travel or life to continue, is just perfect for me. I almost feel like it's how I was born to live.
So even though nomad has become a buzzword, it fits me because it has always fit me. It's not a new way of thinking, it's just one potential name for who I have always been.
What is wrong with Buzzwords?
The concepts presented are generally good healthy ideas. Each thing I listed at the beginning of this post is a good idea and an even better practice. However, like the fads of the 80's, the use of these words and the consciousness of what they mean can be very fleeting. Back in the mid 1990's there was a lot of interest in wildlife protection and keeping animals from becoming extinct. At the time there were again words and concepts being thrown around by just about everyone, and a lot of good work was done towards those goals. However, while the protection did continue the awareness of the general public of those causes dropped significantly as we moved into the 2000's and everyone became obsessed with new ideas. Things that were more talked about included reality TV and bling.
Rather than paying any attention to the cultural obsession of the moment, we should be figuring out what really matters to each of us as individuals. While most of us want to help and make a difference, we each have our own focal areas that are most important to us. Instead of following the herd and thinking about a single (or a few) ideas as a group, smaller groups could be working on specific areas that matter to them. These things will hold our attention more simply because they are causes that matter to us for personal reasons rather than that we hear about them every day and are basically forced to be aware of them.
Another potentially detrimental side effect of buzzword causes is that people feel guilty if they don't follow the path everyone is focused on. This is true whether it's a cause of the moment or just a fashion designer's latest offerings. We shouldn't be basing our self worth on what everyone else thinks, wants or appreciates, but we do.
So when it comes to being green or living sustainably, do it because deep down it really matters to you - not because you'll feel guilty if you don't. If that's the case you'll revert eventually to how you lived your life before. Instead find something that really matters to you and devote yourself to that. You can still make a difference even if it's not in the way other people expect you to.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Lord's Prayer - a deeper look
Here are two of the most well known prayers of the Bible, known by many and recited by many, in some cases on a daily basis.
Matthew 6:9-13
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."
And, the 23rd Psalm:
"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever."
I question that either of these are fully understood to their true meaning. Memorizing, recitation and belief in them are no doubt common practices, but they are not the same as understanding what is being said.
The Lord's prayer: this is an appeal to God that says that we are to emulate the ways of heaven here on earth, through which action the Kingdom of God will come forth in us. It goes on to say that God will provide for us, and that we will be forgiven of our sins through our forgiveness of others for their sins. Finally, it asks for guidance to avoid sin and be strong in our convictions as we follow the law of God.
Psalm 23: This is a pure statement about faith, through the understanding that we need not try to provide for and protect ourselves. It states that God will watch over us and whatever it is we need will be provided as it is needed. The Psalm also says that fear itself is unnecessary because even under the shadow of death, we have nothing to fear.
Both of these prayers get across one big point that many people miss in their daily lives: Whatever it is that we need will be provided. Food, shelter, water, these are things that we do not need to seek out, fight for or die over as they will appear as needed. If something doesn't appear that we think we need, then for reasons unknown to us that is how it was meant to be and is purposeful to help us to find the Kingdom of God within ourselves.
Provisions from the universe:
We get very caught up in what we think we need in life, and what we want. We are specifically warned about this over, and over, and over in every scripture there is, Biblical or otherwise. Greed, lust, and gluttony all describe the same thing - wanting something that we do not already have, or trying to hold on to something that isn't really ours. Scriptures like these unagressively urge us to let go of our desire to obtain for ourselves (especially through force or harming another) and be patient and wait for the universe (GOD) to provide for us.
I know it may sound frightening and silly to wait for what you need to be provided, but I can assure you that it will. I can also assure you that if you are needlessly holding onto something that you cannot (or don't) use, it will be taken away or something else of "equal" value will be lost. If you aquire something by dishonest means, at some point you will lose something, possibly a value of 3x or more what you aquired dishonestly.
Many people, when things are taken from them (fire, theft, flood, etc) try to blame someone, consider it a tragedy, and hold themselves as victims. In most cases they are victims of nothing but their own intentions. I know that it can be hard to accept that if your home was destroyed in a flood that it is somehow your fault, but it is in fact the blameless movements of karma. Karma is like Newton's law - every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
If you do good, good is returned to you. If you cause harm, harm is caused to you. Karma is passive, patient, and faceless. It is a movement behind the curtain, through the fabric of space time and it's reach stretches beyond the cycle of death and birth to pass from lifetime to lifetime. Karma also impacts reincarnation, as the life you are born to was in part determined by the lives you've lived before.
These two prayers, and many others, are trying to tell us several very important facts about life and spirituality:
1. What you need will be provided when you need it.
- remember that what you think you need and what is necessary for you to grow are two completely different things
2. The Kingdom of God comes from within us when we grow enough spirituality to see it has been there all along.
3. There is nothing in life for us to fear, for nothing here in life can take us from God unless we let it.
4. One of most important things we can do is to forgive others and ourselves.
Sadly these four basic things are lost in religion, as religion teaches us to be afraid, that the kingdom of God is without rather than within, fosters vengence nearly as much as forgiveness, and (in form) puts emphasis on money and appearance.
If you're looking for truth, you must look within. You'll not find it in the faces of man or within the walls of any building. It has to come from inside you.
Matthew 6:9-13
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."
And, the 23rd Psalm:
"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever."
I question that either of these are fully understood to their true meaning. Memorizing, recitation and belief in them are no doubt common practices, but they are not the same as understanding what is being said.
The Lord's prayer: this is an appeal to God that says that we are to emulate the ways of heaven here on earth, through which action the Kingdom of God will come forth in us. It goes on to say that God will provide for us, and that we will be forgiven of our sins through our forgiveness of others for their sins. Finally, it asks for guidance to avoid sin and be strong in our convictions as we follow the law of God.
Psalm 23: This is a pure statement about faith, through the understanding that we need not try to provide for and protect ourselves. It states that God will watch over us and whatever it is we need will be provided as it is needed. The Psalm also says that fear itself is unnecessary because even under the shadow of death, we have nothing to fear.
Both of these prayers get across one big point that many people miss in their daily lives: Whatever it is that we need will be provided. Food, shelter, water, these are things that we do not need to seek out, fight for or die over as they will appear as needed. If something doesn't appear that we think we need, then for reasons unknown to us that is how it was meant to be and is purposeful to help us to find the Kingdom of God within ourselves.
Provisions from the universe:
We get very caught up in what we think we need in life, and what we want. We are specifically warned about this over, and over, and over in every scripture there is, Biblical or otherwise. Greed, lust, and gluttony all describe the same thing - wanting something that we do not already have, or trying to hold on to something that isn't really ours. Scriptures like these unagressively urge us to let go of our desire to obtain for ourselves (especially through force or harming another) and be patient and wait for the universe (GOD) to provide for us.
I know it may sound frightening and silly to wait for what you need to be provided, but I can assure you that it will. I can also assure you that if you are needlessly holding onto something that you cannot (or don't) use, it will be taken away or something else of "equal" value will be lost. If you aquire something by dishonest means, at some point you will lose something, possibly a value of 3x or more what you aquired dishonestly.
Many people, when things are taken from them (fire, theft, flood, etc) try to blame someone, consider it a tragedy, and hold themselves as victims. In most cases they are victims of nothing but their own intentions. I know that it can be hard to accept that if your home was destroyed in a flood that it is somehow your fault, but it is in fact the blameless movements of karma. Karma is like Newton's law - every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
If you do good, good is returned to you. If you cause harm, harm is caused to you. Karma is passive, patient, and faceless. It is a movement behind the curtain, through the fabric of space time and it's reach stretches beyond the cycle of death and birth to pass from lifetime to lifetime. Karma also impacts reincarnation, as the life you are born to was in part determined by the lives you've lived before.
These two prayers, and many others, are trying to tell us several very important facts about life and spirituality:
1. What you need will be provided when you need it.
- remember that what you think you need and what is necessary for you to grow are two completely different things
2. The Kingdom of God comes from within us when we grow enough spirituality to see it has been there all along.
3. There is nothing in life for us to fear, for nothing here in life can take us from God unless we let it.
4. One of most important things we can do is to forgive others and ourselves.
Sadly these four basic things are lost in religion, as religion teaches us to be afraid, that the kingdom of God is without rather than within, fosters vengence nearly as much as forgiveness, and (in form) puts emphasis on money and appearance.
If you're looking for truth, you must look within. You'll not find it in the faces of man or within the walls of any building. It has to come from inside you.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Message
Throughout our lives messages of truth and wisdom are thrown at us, but most of these bounce off. We'll see, hear and even feel the message, but we don't absorb it and it falls away.
Years later, when we have grown into a different frame of mind, that message will again hurl itself in our direction - but this time it hits our brain like a bolt of lightning - and we have a massive dawning realization.
Then we say to ourselves "I heard this message before, why didn't I understand its significance?"
This happened to me - literally 5 minutes ago. I watched a movie that had a lot of gnostic inspiriation in it about ten years ago. In fact, it seems the entire plot is based on gnostic principles. While I was very intrigued by the movie I was disappointed in the ending and felt like it fell kind of flat. It wasn't until today that I understood the full meaning of what I had seen, presumably because until now I wasn't ready to hear the message. Now it makes perfect sense to me, and I want to watch it again and see if there is any nuance that I had missed before.
Humans are linked to each other and to the entire universe, but because of our nature we cannot see 99.999% of that link. We essentially walk around blinded to the truth and unable to access most of what is out there. When we do access it, it is often in the form of the stories that we tell - but we often view these stories as unique creations of our minds and fail to recognize the constant flow of truth behind them. This doesn't mean that every story told by man is 100% true, it means that every story has some truth in it. Whether or not this truth makes it's way to our concious minds depends on where we are in our spiritual development.
We are bombarded with messages every single day, which contain truths about ourselves and the universe, but most of them bounce off of us like darts thrown at a rubber ball. It takes anywhere from one to a thousand attempts for that dart to pierce the ball and expose what is inside to everything that is outside.
We cannot force ourselves (or anyone else) to open up to these messages, this is something that must come from within when the person is ready. All we can do is try to be open to the possibilities, and give the message a little bit more chance to drive itself home and enlighten us just a bit more.
Years later, when we have grown into a different frame of mind, that message will again hurl itself in our direction - but this time it hits our brain like a bolt of lightning - and we have a massive dawning realization.
Then we say to ourselves "I heard this message before, why didn't I understand its significance?"
This happened to me - literally 5 minutes ago. I watched a movie that had a lot of gnostic inspiriation in it about ten years ago. In fact, it seems the entire plot is based on gnostic principles. While I was very intrigued by the movie I was disappointed in the ending and felt like it fell kind of flat. It wasn't until today that I understood the full meaning of what I had seen, presumably because until now I wasn't ready to hear the message. Now it makes perfect sense to me, and I want to watch it again and see if there is any nuance that I had missed before.
Humans are linked to each other and to the entire universe, but because of our nature we cannot see 99.999% of that link. We essentially walk around blinded to the truth and unable to access most of what is out there. When we do access it, it is often in the form of the stories that we tell - but we often view these stories as unique creations of our minds and fail to recognize the constant flow of truth behind them. This doesn't mean that every story told by man is 100% true, it means that every story has some truth in it. Whether or not this truth makes it's way to our concious minds depends on where we are in our spiritual development.
We are bombarded with messages every single day, which contain truths about ourselves and the universe, but most of them bounce off of us like darts thrown at a rubber ball. It takes anywhere from one to a thousand attempts for that dart to pierce the ball and expose what is inside to everything that is outside.
We cannot force ourselves (or anyone else) to open up to these messages, this is something that must come from within when the person is ready. All we can do is try to be open to the possibilities, and give the message a little bit more chance to drive itself home and enlighten us just a bit more.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Jesus and Minimalism
Minimalism may be a modern term, but the concept has existed throughout time, as described by various sources. The most prominent, in my mind, is Jesus himself:
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Matthew 6:31
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"
Mark 8:34
"If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matthew 19:21
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Matthew 19:23
"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."
Matthew 19:29
"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
Luke 12:15
"And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?"
Luke 12:22
"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Luke 12:33
"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."
Acts 4:32 (takes place after the presentation of Christ's ressurection.)
Minimalism is part of the path to the Kingdom of God, as described by the Bible and specifically, by Jesus.
The same is true of Buddhism, as said by the Buddha:
"Those who shaving their heads and faces and becomes Sramanas and have accepted the Doctrine of the Way, should surrender all worldly possessions and be contented with whatever they obtain by begging. Only one meal a day and loding under a tree, he desires nothing else. For what makes one stupid and irrational is attachments and passions."
Minimalism is not just the current trend in lifestyle changes, it is a tenant of spiritual growth.
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Matthew 6:31
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"
Mark 8:34
"If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matthew 19:21
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Matthew 19:23
"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."
Matthew 19:29
"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
Luke 12:15
"And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?"
Luke 12:22
"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Luke 12:33
"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."
Acts 4:32 (takes place after the presentation of Christ's ressurection.)
Minimalism is part of the path to the Kingdom of God, as described by the Bible and specifically, by Jesus.
The same is true of Buddhism, as said by the Buddha:
"Those who shaving their heads and faces and becomes Sramanas and have accepted the Doctrine of the Way, should surrender all worldly possessions and be contented with whatever they obtain by begging. Only one meal a day and loding under a tree, he desires nothing else. For what makes one stupid and irrational is attachments and passions."
Minimalism is not just the current trend in lifestyle changes, it is a tenant of spiritual growth.
Monday, June 6, 2011
How much farther are we going to go?
I was reading about a study done on the effect of active cell phones on bees. The results are neither shocking nor promising. It was found that cell phones that are actively making or receiving calls when placed near bees cause the bees to become confused and essentially, alarm the hive.
There were comments about it saying that the study didn't directly link the cell phones to bee deaths so of course it is junk science and inconclusive. What is not being taken into consideration is the actual reported problem from beekeepers:
Colony Collapse Syndrome is marked by a colony disappearing - there are no live, sick or DEAD bees present - they are simply gone. The preliminary tests done with cell phones caused the bees to become disoriented, fly erratically, and raise an alarm that would lead the bees to abandon the hive. That sounds exactly like what would cause CCS.
Either way, nearly every cause that could be potentially killing bees is manmade. Most of the species on the planet who are extinct or endangered were killed off by man. We're killing ourselves, killing the planet, thank goodness we can't travel significant amounts in space, who knows what we'd destroy out there.
We have only two options.
Either we stop what we are doing and let go of our destructive technologies (re: all of them) or we continue and will be destroyed by them. We had the chance, at first, to use these things in MODERATION. Use electricity only when absolutely necessary, use cell phones only in urgent matters or emergencies, use cars only when our legs or horses wouldn't do. But in typical human fashion we took all we could get and we wanted MORE. We even warned ourselves with books and movies about what could potentially happen because of this.
Nonetheless, we waste and destroy and wasted and destroy and do very little to rebuild. If you believe that anything on this planet matters at all - including yourself, your children, your families, then you need to stop and consider every single miniscule action, every single thing that you take for granted.
We all need to stop what we are doing before it's too late. Maybe it already is. I don't know.
There were comments about it saying that the study didn't directly link the cell phones to bee deaths so of course it is junk science and inconclusive. What is not being taken into consideration is the actual reported problem from beekeepers:
Colony Collapse Syndrome is marked by a colony disappearing - there are no live, sick or DEAD bees present - they are simply gone. The preliminary tests done with cell phones caused the bees to become disoriented, fly erratically, and raise an alarm that would lead the bees to abandon the hive. That sounds exactly like what would cause CCS.
Either way, nearly every cause that could be potentially killing bees is manmade. Most of the species on the planet who are extinct or endangered were killed off by man. We're killing ourselves, killing the planet, thank goodness we can't travel significant amounts in space, who knows what we'd destroy out there.
We have only two options.
Either we stop what we are doing and let go of our destructive technologies (re: all of them) or we continue and will be destroyed by them. We had the chance, at first, to use these things in MODERATION. Use electricity only when absolutely necessary, use cell phones only in urgent matters or emergencies, use cars only when our legs or horses wouldn't do. But in typical human fashion we took all we could get and we wanted MORE. We even warned ourselves with books and movies about what could potentially happen because of this.
Nonetheless, we waste and destroy and wasted and destroy and do very little to rebuild. If you believe that anything on this planet matters at all - including yourself, your children, your families, then you need to stop and consider every single miniscule action, every single thing that you take for granted.
We all need to stop what we are doing before it's too late. Maybe it already is. I don't know.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Don't be who they want you to be
So many people worry about being accepted, being part of the group, being liked, and fitting in. They follow trends and buy the right things. They work jobs that allow them to afford those things, and go into debt because "it's what people do" in life.
They avoid going to extremes, bend their opinions around the opinions of others, even agonize over decisions that could "step on someones toes". The thought of being exiled or outcast, unable to make friends, be social or get dates is life threatening to them. They put up with superficial friends who they may be buddies with and whose company they enjoy, but who they feel don't really understand them. Usually they have that one best friend they know really understands them, but not always.
What is everyone so afraid of?
Allow me to explain. I am an outcast. From the time I hit kindergarten, I wasn't like the other kids. I was different, and I just never fit in. In a way, I feel like I've spent my entire life outside looking in. While it was painful when I was younger, that was because I was young and growing and needed human interaction and support that I wasn't receiving.
Now that I am an adult I know that growing up that way gave me strong coping skills - I don't rely on other people for happiness. I understand that the only place it can come from is within myself, and other people can only have an impact on that happiness if I let them.
Not to be insensitive, but trying to please people or look the way you think they want you to is a bit cowardly. It's trying to cover up who you really are and bury it under the guise of trend and being the norm. It's just a disguise, and deep down you know it feels fake. You've told yourself this is who you are for so long you don't even know who you really are anymore - but you know that you're unhappy.
Let go, give it up, make a decision. It's happiness or popularity. They don't play well together, you usually can only have one or the other.
When you lose the fake friends - the ones who are around you because you act or look the way they want or expect - you'll find more real friends. People who actually care about the person you are instead of the person you appear to be will come into your life.
They avoid going to extremes, bend their opinions around the opinions of others, even agonize over decisions that could "step on someones toes". The thought of being exiled or outcast, unable to make friends, be social or get dates is life threatening to them. They put up with superficial friends who they may be buddies with and whose company they enjoy, but who they feel don't really understand them. Usually they have that one best friend they know really understands them, but not always.
What is everyone so afraid of?
Allow me to explain. I am an outcast. From the time I hit kindergarten, I wasn't like the other kids. I was different, and I just never fit in. In a way, I feel like I've spent my entire life outside looking in. While it was painful when I was younger, that was because I was young and growing and needed human interaction and support that I wasn't receiving.
Now that I am an adult I know that growing up that way gave me strong coping skills - I don't rely on other people for happiness. I understand that the only place it can come from is within myself, and other people can only have an impact on that happiness if I let them.
Not to be insensitive, but trying to please people or look the way you think they want you to is a bit cowardly. It's trying to cover up who you really are and bury it under the guise of trend and being the norm. It's just a disguise, and deep down you know it feels fake. You've told yourself this is who you are for so long you don't even know who you really are anymore - but you know that you're unhappy.
Let go, give it up, make a decision. It's happiness or popularity. They don't play well together, you usually can only have one or the other.
When you lose the fake friends - the ones who are around you because you act or look the way they want or expect - you'll find more real friends. People who actually care about the person you are instead of the person you appear to be will come into your life.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Dinosaur What?
Science has said that the dinosaurs lived and died long before humans evolved on this planet.
Then why does nearly every ancient religion and mythology have tales of gigantic lizards and other fantastical large creatures? If those ancient peoples did not exist until thousands (even millions) of years after the dinosaurs died and were burried deep in the Earth's crust, where did they get their ideas for the mythological creatures they described?
The image above is from a temple in Angkor Wat that is about 900 years old. The image looks very much like a stegosaurus, yet those who built the temple shouldn't have had contact with such a creature, according to our "known timeline" of Earth. Even if they had found the skeleten of one, how would they know what it had looked like? It is only through more modern methods of reconstruction and computer estimations that we think we know what the dinosaurs looked like while they were alive.
Dragons, Leviathans, Behemoths and other 'fantasy' creatures have both a following of people who believe they are or were real and science saying they are fictitious creatures. It isn't such a stretch to consider the possibility that dinosaurs did exist simultaneously with humans at one time and stories of them were passed down to become the fictional beasts we know today.
There is lots of discussion going on about this image - that it may be a rhinocerous, boar, or a hoax. While the answer of what was actually being depicted here died along with the temple's original builders, we should consider the possibilities and be open to what the answer may be. If nothing else, it opens an interesting discussion and gives us the opportunity to dream up the possibilities.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
No Escape
Every day, whether you realize it or not, you are running from something. We all are.
You try to escape it by working, buying things, eating, interacting with people, distracting entertainment, drugs (prescription or not), alcohol, hobbies, crafts, driving, talking on your phone or texting, watching tv, fighting, having sex, shopping, following trends, cultivating a lifestyle, living in the past, constantly keeping yourself busy, etcetera, but you can never stop these things because if you do, you'll feel it right at your back - and you'll know a confrontation is on the verge of happening so you take off running again.
What are you running from? We are all running from the same thing - afraid to face the one thing that we can never escape - ourselves.
It may be in the form of your conscience, knowing there is something(s) you have done that make you feel terrible if you allow yourself to think about them. Or it could be pain you've suffered at the hands of others, yourself, or even just chance that you can't face or think about. It could even be that you'll never feel good enough for anyone or that you can accomplish anything.
Maybe it's all of the above.
Regardless of what it is, please understand this one thing about yourself that will not change nor go away: If you don't face the things which cause you pain, you will be unable to stop running from them and you'll never have a moment's rest in life.
Your mind will constantly be in turmoil, your heart will always feel a little tight. In this state you can't enjoy solitude or being in a quiet room. Distraction becomes a need that helps you to smooth over the turmoil and ignore it.
It may seem like you are ok, or that so long as you ignore what hides in the corners of your mind that you will be ok and you can go on with your life.
You can't.
Our minds are amazing organs that can process thoughts and information at lightning speeds, regulate our bodies and our worlds, multitask and even recombine what we see into new forms of beauty and creativity. However, they can only take so much - and you can't control your mind. After years of ignoring things and stuffing down feelings and thoughts, they begin to push themselves out into your life. You'll find yourself getting angry or sad or having emotional outbursts for no reason at all, becoming more and more afraid of people and the world outside your door, possibly even becoming paranoid.
If you want to stop the process, there is only one thing to do.
Face yourself, no matter how much it hurts. Allow yourself to feel the things that you have pushed aside. Don't make excuses for yourself, accept the responsibility for your past actions and then forgive yourself. Forgive others who have hurt you, to loosen the burden of the pain you've carried all this time.
Here are easy, deliberate steps you can take: (the steps are easy, but they will likely become very painful at times)
Think about events that caused you pain, that you caused pain, or were somehow traumatic.
Let yourself feel the feelings to those events, have whatever reaction is natural for you (crying, yelling, curling up in a ball) but DON'T stop thinking about them while your reacting and don't try to distract yourself with something else.
Write down what you're feeling as this will help your mind to release those feelings.
Try to understand why you did what you did - or if something was done to you, why that person did what they did.
Once you understand the reasons behind the action - forgive the action and know that whoever did it - you or someone else - we are all human and we all make mistakes and hurt other people, whether that was our original intention or not. For you to hold on to the hurt does nothing but cripple you.
Allow yourself to rest, do something relaxing. Sleep, take a long hot shower or bath, take a walk, write a poem, paint, whatever relaxes you and eases your mind.
If you've dealt with these issues for a long time, repeat this procss any time you feel sad, like crying or like you're going to have an emotional outburst of anger or crying. Also repeat if you find yourself running to a vice that you're trying to quit like drinking, smoking, sex, eating or any type of drugs.
Eventually this process will become natural and less structured, you'll find that your emotions flow through you with more ease and that you begin to forgive yourself and others without even thinking about it. You'll accept what has happened, understand that it is in the past and unchangeable, and move on.
Stop running from yourself - it's a race you can never win, and you'll only destroy everything you hold dear in the process.
You try to escape it by working, buying things, eating, interacting with people, distracting entertainment, drugs (prescription or not), alcohol, hobbies, crafts, driving, talking on your phone or texting, watching tv, fighting, having sex, shopping, following trends, cultivating a lifestyle, living in the past, constantly keeping yourself busy, etcetera, but you can never stop these things because if you do, you'll feel it right at your back - and you'll know a confrontation is on the verge of happening so you take off running again.
What are you running from? We are all running from the same thing - afraid to face the one thing that we can never escape - ourselves.
It may be in the form of your conscience, knowing there is something(s) you have done that make you feel terrible if you allow yourself to think about them. Or it could be pain you've suffered at the hands of others, yourself, or even just chance that you can't face or think about. It could even be that you'll never feel good enough for anyone or that you can accomplish anything.
Maybe it's all of the above.
Regardless of what it is, please understand this one thing about yourself that will not change nor go away: If you don't face the things which cause you pain, you will be unable to stop running from them and you'll never have a moment's rest in life.
Your mind will constantly be in turmoil, your heart will always feel a little tight. In this state you can't enjoy solitude or being in a quiet room. Distraction becomes a need that helps you to smooth over the turmoil and ignore it.
It may seem like you are ok, or that so long as you ignore what hides in the corners of your mind that you will be ok and you can go on with your life.
You can't.
Our minds are amazing organs that can process thoughts and information at lightning speeds, regulate our bodies and our worlds, multitask and even recombine what we see into new forms of beauty and creativity. However, they can only take so much - and you can't control your mind. After years of ignoring things and stuffing down feelings and thoughts, they begin to push themselves out into your life. You'll find yourself getting angry or sad or having emotional outbursts for no reason at all, becoming more and more afraid of people and the world outside your door, possibly even becoming paranoid.
If you want to stop the process, there is only one thing to do.
Face yourself, no matter how much it hurts. Allow yourself to feel the things that you have pushed aside. Don't make excuses for yourself, accept the responsibility for your past actions and then forgive yourself. Forgive others who have hurt you, to loosen the burden of the pain you've carried all this time.
Here are easy, deliberate steps you can take: (the steps are easy, but they will likely become very painful at times)
Think about events that caused you pain, that you caused pain, or were somehow traumatic.
Let yourself feel the feelings to those events, have whatever reaction is natural for you (crying, yelling, curling up in a ball) but DON'T stop thinking about them while your reacting and don't try to distract yourself with something else.
Write down what you're feeling as this will help your mind to release those feelings.
Try to understand why you did what you did - or if something was done to you, why that person did what they did.
Once you understand the reasons behind the action - forgive the action and know that whoever did it - you or someone else - we are all human and we all make mistakes and hurt other people, whether that was our original intention or not. For you to hold on to the hurt does nothing but cripple you.
Allow yourself to rest, do something relaxing. Sleep, take a long hot shower or bath, take a walk, write a poem, paint, whatever relaxes you and eases your mind.
If you've dealt with these issues for a long time, repeat this procss any time you feel sad, like crying or like you're going to have an emotional outburst of anger or crying. Also repeat if you find yourself running to a vice that you're trying to quit like drinking, smoking, sex, eating or any type of drugs.
Eventually this process will become natural and less structured, you'll find that your emotions flow through you with more ease and that you begin to forgive yourself and others without even thinking about it. You'll accept what has happened, understand that it is in the past and unchangeable, and move on.
Stop running from yourself - it's a race you can never win, and you'll only destroy everything you hold dear in the process.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)