While sitting by the side of the pond there was a commotion in the reeds by the shore. A young coot hen came out in a hurry pursued by 2 or 3 larger male coots. I watched for a while and finally decided to get my camera working. There should be a number of new mallards and coots by the time spring gets here as a result of the activities I observed. A few of them will survive the appetites of the eagles, chickenhawks and coyotes.
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."Buddha, Chapter one Dhammapada
My spiritual sensibilities include the supposition that there is more than meets the eye. (note at the highlighted links are texts and materials which support my ideas so for a fuller explanation of my thought take note of the references)
While I truly appreciate the thoughts of Buddha I am mostly familiar with the spiritual tradition of Christ and move easily among the symbols of the Christian faith expressed in the New Testament. It doesn't mean I'm right, but it does mean I have an understanding that makes sense to me. So let's cut to the chase. We can be sure of only one thing and that is that we exist. There is something that says "I exist" that something inside which speaks of your existence beckons you. Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, speaks about this in his parable of the Prodigal Son. In the parable of the Prodigal Jesus tells the story of a young man who rebelled from his wealthy Father and asked his Father for his inheritance before his Father had died. The Father, not one to interfere with the free will of his son, said okay. The young man went off with the wealth of his Father to what is called a 'far country'. Once in the 'far country' he wasted his Father's wealth and became penniless to the point he had to beg a swine herder to let him have some left over food from the swine's dinner just so he could survive. The story has a happy moment. Jesus describes the young man as 'coming to himself' (vs 17). When he came to himself he remembered his Father and his previous condition in his Father's household. He decided to return home and beg his Father to forgive him. This is the essential point in the story for me. When the young man came to himself he did so on the basis of remembering his original identity as being a Son of God instead of being born a bum destined to eat the food of pigs. In this story about the Kingdom of Heaven Christ reminds us that we are spiritual beings in the midst of a material experience. Not the other way around. The Father would have nothing to do with his son begging forgiveness. He had always been forgiven and welcome home: "But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
This is where the material and the spiritual
are connected. In the story the young man had been reduced to eating the food of pigs. This is a spiritual metaphor for the experience of having repudiated his own being, his own self.
The Father in the story is God. The
household the young man deserted was
the Kingdom of God.The picture of the Father running to embrace his wayward son is a beautiful and hopeful message of unconditional love and compassion which is the heart and soul of the reality constructed by Christ.
To tie this together. God made the world.
Humans fucked it up for profit because of
greed. We are now on the cusp of having
to eat the food of swine, in a metaphorical
sense, with regard to the laying waste to
the creation of God in pursuit of profit.
I'ts not likely those in charge will change their minds about the raping of the earth; rather the earth will likely succumb to the Karma loaded drive for wealth.
Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven will respect the Creators handiwork even if they are not religious. It is in their still small voice. From within the heart of humankind good and evil come into the world. Those who align themselves with the Kingdom of God will show respect for the earth and those who live on it. Those who take away from the earth the ability to sustain life...well Buddha has a thought for them to consider:
"If an intelligent man be associated for one minute only with a wise man, he will soon perceive the truth, as the tongue perceives the taste of soup.
Fools of little understanding have themselves for their greatest enemies, for they do evil deeds which must bear bitter fruits.
That deed is not well done of which a man must repent, and the reward of which he receives crying and with a tearful face.
No, that deed is well done of which a man does not repent, and the reward of which he receives gladly and cheerfully.
As long as the evil deed done does not bear fruit, the fool thinks it is like honey; but when it ripens, then the fool suffers grief." From chapter 5 of the Dhammapada.
Any sober minded person can understand that what has been done and what is still being done in pursuit of profit has resulted in conditions which are imperiling our existence.
This is where the notion of the Kingdom of God Jesus revealed applies. Jesus stands in opposition to those who would destroy the earth. The reason for that is Jesus is understood by Christians to be the Creator who made the earth and gave it to man who did what we see today to the creation of God.
Like the Prodigal Son we can change our minds, many have. Sadly those with power have not changed their minds.
In the bible the 'Wrath of God' is represented to be the result of humans making shitty decisions. It is not something God does to us, rather it is something we have done to ourselves while absent from God in a 'far country' where we have forgotten who we are.
Times of calamity such as we now are immersed in can drive a person to despair if he or she thinks in their heart of hearts this is all there is. But there is that still small voice inside of you which says there's more. That voice is saying to all who are in a 'far country' come to yourself, change your mind and come home.
This video came to me after I finished. It is a discussion by Manly Hall on the topic of Buddha and his approach to ending suffering, it is uncannily appropriate to my blog post.
Tragic news from Washington this morning. Only two days having passed since his Inauguration President Trump has been diagnosed with Affluenza. This news comes as a shock to the American people who have been looking forward to a positive change after the Obama years. Affluenza is a rare disease afflicting only about 5% of the population. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, a lack of concern for anyone not the patient. The symptoms of the disease itself only become apparent in inter-human relationships where the stricken person may act out in anti-social ways. Those who stand to suffer the most from President Trump's unfortunate affliction are the American people. Courts have decided that this disease makes one incapable of recognizing right from wrong. While this disease is rarely harmful to those afflicted with it those who have contact with the afflicted person are in the most danger. To make matters worse, due to the mental incapacity that the disease produces the victim is not able to be held legally accountable for anything he may have done. Because the symptoms of this disease afflict others rather than the sick person, this places the entire nation at risk. He cannot be held legally responsible for anything he does due to previous court decisions. This could bode badly for the nation. We need to pray for the President's speedy recovery of both body and soul. Several specialists are already at work looking for ways to alleviate the sources of the disease. However, as is often the case when one is stricken with affluenza, President Trump is not cooperating with the specialists and refuses to release his tax returns making a speedy recovery to good health virtually impossible.
The United States is awaiting the Inauguration of Donald Trump as President. His Presidency is not universally applauded by the electorate. Americans are apprehensive about the future the man has in store for them. Some do not trust Donald Trump because they view him as a morally depraved individual with no conscience. It could be said the Republican party has revealed it's own soul in the acceptance of this man. I thought that it would be informative as well as an eye opening meditation to compare the values of Jesus Christ, King of Heaven, with the values of Donald Trump, Supreme Leader of the United States. To provide the values of President Trump I will let him speak for himself. Being either the leader of the Kingdom of Heaven or the Supreme Leader of the United States requires paying some attention to the subjects of the realm. By taking the social issues of the day we can examine what a 'Godly' response to the lot of the citizens is and what an 'un-Godly' response to that same situation looks like by comparing what Jesus would do with what Trump would do.
As luck would have it I found that the hard work had already been done for me in an article by Carol Kurvilla posted in the Huffington Post titled"10`Donald Trump Quotes That Should Horrify His Evangelical Supporters". Thank you Carol. The writer brings both the words of Jesus the world's Savior and the words of the Supreme Leader of the United States together side by side for easy comparison about how to treat human beings. Don't miss it, this is an eye-opening insight into the nature of good and its opposite.
It should be of little surprise to those who have the Spirit of Christ that the religious right would support Donald Trump. Read the article in the Huffington Post. The issues are real life and death issues for human beings and the response to each of these issues reveals just what human beings mean to the speaker. I'll give you a hint. The Son of Man was always on the side of the poor and the social outcast. You may already know how Trump feels about those same people. The social issues must be addressed. If we can rectify the injustice that would be good. But as the people who revolted from England understood there is dormant in the hearts of all the seeds, incipient counter-values, which have the capacity to return society to the condition it is in now. I call those seeds desire and greed. The seeds of societal destruction are spiritual seeds. The problems confronting society are spiritual. In order to succeed we need to change what we regard as our values, we must be born again. Taking care of your neighbor is part of what it means to worship Christ. The values of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven have nothing in common with the values of Donald Trump and the political initiatives of the United States. As we have seen Christ seeks to lift up those who are downtrodden and forgotten. A just society would do that. You cannot avoid seeing the needs of humanity which go unattended by society when you walk the streets. The following two examples illustrate the difference between the Spirit of this Age, and the Spirit of Christ. In the Motor City Muckraker the testimony of a Police officer against himself should be appalling to ordinary good hearted people. Trump's rhetoric on the path to Supreme Leader has legitimized sentiments like this. It should frighten you. Read it and see the Spirit of Donald Trump at work. Here is an account from the lips of Christ. The Parable of the Good Samaritan. This story told by Jesus of Nazareth was one of many he spoke to point out the hypocrisy of the religious class. If you're not familiar with the story I'll fill you in but go ahead and read it. Okay, in the story a man gets mugged and severely beaten and left to die on the side of the path. This is a familiar scene in any big American city. After the mugging down the path comes the religious right of the day, a priest and later one of his helpers, and they examine the man's condition like Nazi physicians and decide not to help him based on their religious beliefs. But then, a Samaritan, whom the people that ran the religious scam of Jesus' day considered unclean, came by and had compassion on the man. He tended to his needs, took him to a place to recover and regain his health and saw to it that the man who cared for the injured was compensated. There is no record of the Samaritan being repaid. The two illustrations, the one from the Motor City Muckraker and the one from the lips of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, illustrate how the Spirits of this age and the Spirit of Christ are incompatible. Which side are you on? I stand with Christ against the inhumanity of this age. I intend to pass on into the next age. My prayer is that I may be faithful to my neighbor and to the earth. As you can see the values of Christ Jesus have nothing in common with Donald Trump's values. We're in for a rough ride, keep the faith baby.
Prologue The revolution was not only not televised, but only those involved knew it was taking place until it was complete. And then there it was, the sunrise of a new day with real possibilities.
The first shots of the revolution were fired by the banking institutions which succeeded in making the economic decimation of American families as complete a tool of terror as the physical war on Iraq had been on the civilians there. The bankster-made financial collapse had left tens of thousands homeless, jobless, helpless, and without hope in this world being completely abandoned by the ruling oligarchical class which has cornered the market on the ability to survive in this world. As reality was taking form they began looking around themselves from the depths of their angst and realized they were not alone. It wasn't only those who supported Trump who were hurting, it was those who supported Clinton as well. The two sides which had been turned into rabid enemies by the political and race baiting tactics of the Republican and Democrat controlled media outlets now saw they had been left behind like roadkill.
Postscript
The effect was like that of a spiritual awakening.
Despair turned into compassion as those around them realized that not only had they been abandoned but the ones they had been lead to hate were also suffering at the hands of the same people who had destroyed their future. Such was the nature of the revolution. Instead of a battle there was a change of mind. If there is a strength, a bond, greater than the compassion which lies dormant in the human heart binding us together in our need it is the requirement for justice. The present human experience of suffering can now be understood as the result of societies worship of the economy aided and abetted bymalefactor lawmakers and their benefactorswhich have obviously abandoned compassion as the rule of human relationships. (interview with Matt Taibbi on Democracy Now at the link). The recognition of having been played one against the other by choosing party loyalties and in the end had hurt themselves and families by doing so produced a common vision resulting from a universal revulsion at the current situation the world leaders had produced. Forsaking the carefully contrived differences made of political babelthey decided to come outand separate from the Beast in order to survive. All social progress begins with new ideas. The old ideas of capital and government being the appropriate situation for human life to take place in are now in bloom. Like a skunk flower society may appear beautiful. But you change your mind when you sniff it's blossom. If a form of humanity retaining compassion, mercy and love is to survive we have to abandon old ideas about capital and find a way to make capital serve human needs. Otherwise as can be seen by the day to day life in the U.S. and the world at large we will end up killing each other off while the elite class waits and watches from their gold towers. The plight which humanity has found itself in at the present is the very same kind of injustice which resulted in the appearance of the Messiah. Throughout time it has always been the haves which have walked on the backs of the have nots. This is what we see today in the crumbling infrastructure of the U.S. Flint Michigan residents get poisoned water and Michigan gets to save a few dollars. It's difficult to find a more dramatic representation of the character of immoral governments serving the interests of the economy than what the State did to the people in Flint.
So it should be obvious if we are to help ourselves we need to find a different way for society (you and me and all the rest) to relate to and control capital so that the result in society resembles compassion and mercy and a better life for all rather than the way it is now.
Peace, compassion, mercy and cooperation are attributes of the Spirit of Christ who was introduced to the world with the words "GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN." These ideals and values can readily be seen to have no place in the values of Donald Trump or the present form of society. Because Christ is the LOGOS, each of who exists can understand that the Universe is a friendly place. When you are attached to Christ, the road goes on forever.
Welcome to the Fellowship of the Mystery. We are spiritual beings having a material experience. It is easy to fall into the mistake of thinking this is all there is. That is why wealth is the God of this age. The purpose of this life and experience is to allow us to make choices which will lead us to learn and practice love, peace, mercy and compassion wherever we are and to bring a transformed mind to work on our next lifetime with. I had to throw out religion and go directly to Christ to learn this and I'm not turning back.
Values are comprised of the ideas and desires that motivate individuals and societies driven by the impulse of ideologies. (discussion by Col. Wilkerson is appropriate to support my premise) It is difficult if not impossible for these ideas to mesh. More often than not the values of societies and the values of individuals collide. This happens because individual human beings are inherently moral entities knowing right from wrong when they see it. People in possession of both knowledge and compassion have the best chance of initiating a corrective influence on the amoral nature of society. Cornel West is one such voice. However governments and societies are inherently amoral or in some cases immoral making moral allegiances between government and the humans in that society virtually impossible and because morality is negated life in that society becomes like you see it when you look around the world today. Some men turn out to be the exception to the rule. Col. Wilkerson is one of them. There are societies values and there are human values. They are not the same. I will explain by way of example. In Flint Michigan according to this NPR report. the government made a decision which resulted in poisoning a community in order to lower their operating costs. The consequences resulting from the governments activities are still ongoing and the extent of the harm done to the citizens has not yet been revealed.
I offer the example of Flint Michigan as a means of showing the dichotomy between the values of society and human values. The Young Turks have addressed this problem head on. Check out their reporting here. What are human values? Human values begin with the premise that you do not do to someone else what you do not want done to you. If that sentiment sounds familiar it may be because it is a value that Jesus of Nazareth, Buddha and other spiritual teachers championed. Human values begin with that proposition and from that proposition can be extended into the entire spectrum of human relationships to a beneficial effect. Subordinating the welfare of human beings to the 'bottom line' is a hallmark of the value system of many societies and governments. I offer Flint Michigan as an example, but not as an anomaly. This emphasis on the bottom line over the needs of human beings is a characteristic of societies and governments. The situation the human being finds him or herself in is referred to spiritually as the 'world'. It is not a reference to the physical side of life primarily, but of revealing the disparity between the value system of society and the value system which is inherent in the human being. It's our ideas and dreams and hopes which give life its spiritual essence. If this is true, and I believe it is, it indicates there are good spirits at work andevil spirits at work.
Which one are you?
After finishing this little blog post I read the following article on the topic of the food allergy epidemic currently taking place. The article by Robyn O'brien "A Growing Epidemic: food allergies in America"reveals the same clash of moral imperatives that divide individual human morality from the anti-human socially imposed morality of the state.
We find ourselves here, NOW. We realize those who have assumed control of NOW do not have our best interests at heart. They serve Capital, you are a necessary inconvenience to them. That's why they poison your air, your water and offer people like Donald Trump to lead you into the future. Your servant the government could care less if you live or die as long as you live to buy buy buy.
So let's dance. Here's a good concert(J.J. Cale - 1993 High Sierra Music Festival) to get your mind off of the seeming hopeless condition your leaders have produced for your future.
As it turns out both Jesus and Buddha were right when warning about forming allegiances with the material world. And since Jesus and Buddha were both right there is no reason to fear and every reason to dance.
Dancing for joy in the Spirit is a delightful way to revolt against the revolting situation which has been prepared for you by the world leaders. Come out of her, my people. If you're not a criminal you have nothing to worry about, just live as if 'THEY' did not exist. Pay your taxes be a good neighbor and don't believe a word they, the government, says. Why? They are Goddamned liars according to the bible.
Your leaders are intent on making things worse despite protestations to the contrary. That is what has happened since the end of WW2 in any case. The prospects of world peace look dimmer every day and it is due to governments making decisions. It's not likely the priorities of Capital have changed for the better. But if it did it could benefit all of us on the planet.
The quote below taken from a book titled "The Great Controversy Between Christ And Satan" is attributed to Ellen G. White who was said to be a prophet but there is suspicion of plagiarism in her writings. I was a member of this denomination but gave it up a long time ago. But these things that were drummed into my mind from my earliest years keep returning when I read the news. The book provides a scenario on par with Star Wars and would make a great movie. Is it an accurate portrayal of the future?
"Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world's Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: "Christ has come! Christ has come!" The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion."
According to The New Yorker in a December 12, 2016 article by John Cassidy the current President elect did something he should not have done. He spoke poorly of the talents of the CIA.
I've regarded the past election as a pure 'Farce'. Something which, if you have taken seriously, might be causing you great apprehension about your future hopes. Understanding the Trump phenomenon as a farce one can poke holes in its pretenses with weapons of wit and jest aimed at the future President's attempts to dim the lights of an already dim and almost damped American experience. He has promised to help. Past experience has shown us that every time a new politician has promised to help...things get worse. The reason is the Military Industrial Complex. This Bozo Trump is no different. He will be as much help to the same people WHO ARE NOT Joe and Jane Public as all those before him. The irony of the spectacle of Trump is that the American people were able to be persuaded to elect a man whose billions have included one failed business after another to solve the nations problems. The word "Hoodwinked" comes to mind.
Have a nice day and be sure to comment on the Emperor's Wardrobe every chance you get.
Today President Elect Rump informed the American people that he had created a new cabinet post to oversee Extra Terrestrial affairs. The President Elect known for picking the worst of possible people to guide his administration has chosen an individual no one has ever heard of named Qkjea. No other name was available at presstime and the only other information available was that Qkjea is himself or herself an Extra Terrestrial and a long time confidant of President Elect Rump.
President elect Rump, who is well known for claims to have been taken aboard Alien space craft on multiple occasions, has promised the American people a full disclosure of everything he and the government know on the topic of Extra Terrestrials. President Elect Rump and his transition team spoke to a gaggle of reporters from the news outlets that supported his candidacy. "My dear very great American people. I have very good, very wonderful news. I been in contact with my friends, my very good, very great, very smart, very very smart friends from outer space, Extra Terrestrial friends, who have promised to help me lead you to a better future. I have named one of them to guide us through this very very difficult period. Qkjea is a great, mega great, confidant that I have trusted for years and it is only fair that he help you as much as I have been helped. You will do well to heed his advice." As usual President Elect Rump made no sense at all and as usual no one noticed and some even claimed the gibberish was the language of angels. He closed his remarks saying: "Qkjea will lead us into the glorious future and we will follow in lockstep." Almost all of the assembled crowd cheered and some shed tears of joy. Many onlookers and all the reporters allowed at the news conference remarked that President Elect Rumps face glowed a luminescent white as he spoke of Qkjea. I did not see it.
