28 Aug

Posted at 00:59h in Observations

Atheists and pantheists are seemingly at opposite ends of the spectrum. Atheists believe God doesn't exist; that those who believe in God have been so taught and are unquestioning; that empirical independent thinkers don’t believe in God unless proven otherwise, which has never been done. The word atheist was born in The Age of Enlightenment. However, as pantheists believe God is everything, they are truly enlightened, living happy lives. For atheists, God is nothing; hence, beyond description or comprehension. For pantheists, everything is a manifestation of God. These beliefs are not inconsistent: from that which is beyond our comprehension comes everything, God. All other God related beliefs systems between atheism and pantheism are man-made. They describe God and God's actions and ritualized requirements of man. They view man as apart and separate from God, finite and not interdependent with all there is. Other God related beliefs were created for social identity and order and to provide calmness and confidence for their adherents in an unpredictable and hostile world....

25 Aug

Posted at 01:42h in Observations

Often there have been scenes of a Hokai, a master Zen priest, and female students involved a  consensual and mutually pleasurable sexual relationship. Due to socialization and karma, many members of the monastery perceive the relationship as sexually coercive and immoral. They perceive the female student as subordinate to the Hokai who is taking advantage of his position to gain sexual self satisfaction. They may feel angry or betrayed in that the sexual affair is inconsistent with how they learned to expect the Hokai to behave. They also may want to punish the Hokai by demanding his resignation. They are angry because they cannot perceive the mutually pleasurable sexual relationship is, simply, two people enjoying themselves. Seeing someone getting angry at others who are enjoying themselves is absurdly funny generally and especially in the context of Zen where one comes to see with one’s eyes, not one’s mind; that it is what it is whatever it is....

22 Aug

Posted at 15:37h in Observations

Things don’t need to make sense to make sense or cents; but they needs to make sense to make dollars. If we don’t understand something (make sense of it), it can still be possible (make sense) or viable (make cents). But we need to understand something to make a lot of cents (dollars)....

22 Aug

Posted at 02:37h in Observations

The past has two parts, the near-past and the past of which we cannot remember. The near-past begins with our birth until the present. The past before our birth we cannot remember. We don’t know whether this time was wonderful or not. But it probably wasn’t bad because no one complains about it. However, we always complain about something in the near-past. No one knows what it will be like for us after our death. But chances are that it will be like our past before we were born.  That doesn’t sound like anything to complain about. While it’s difficult to be sure, it seems like the time after birth and before death is infinitesimally small relative to the time before birth and after death. So why focus on this tiny period, take its matters so seriously and sometimes complain, when we have nothing to complain about in the virtual totality of our experience....

18 Aug

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

We are but actors on the stage of life, performing for the entertainment of the gods in the audience. When we exit the stage, we join the gods. Whatever our temporary roles in the play, all are wonderful as long as we don’t forget who we truly are....

17 Aug

Posted at 12:15h in Observations

Wisdom is having multifold perspectives which allow us to understand a situation and the ramifications of choices we make. Beyond our personal perspective, additional perspectives can be had when we truly connect with others and view the world as they see it. However, doing so is not easy. Easier may be taking the perspective from the end of our days, the death perspective. The death perspective allows us to consider how we would feel in light of the possible consequences from the choices we make today; thus, allowing us to make choices we will least regret at the end of our days, the choices that realize wonderful lives. The death perspective reveals how we will remember our lives and by extension how others will remember us when we are no longer in bodily form. It is wise to leave everyone with happy memories. Moreover, the death perspective awakens us. With little time remaining before bodily death and not distracted by mortal pain, everything is intensely beautiful. This informs our experience of the present. It awakens us to gratitude, a key element of happiness. As well, as we frequent the death perspective, the prospect of bodily death is not as fear-fraught as it would be otherwise. Once we avail ourselves of the death perspective, we can more easily access the perspective of others, wisdom....

16 Aug

Posted at 00:45h in Observations

We are asleep together in the winter in the clouds between heaven and Earth and awaken as snowflakes falling on mountains high up. In the spring we melt into water flowing into distant rivers. When the rivers meet in the ocean we are together again, one with the ocean which seems all there is. Which is it but for those who know we are one with everything before evaporating into the clouds....

14 Aug

Posted at 19:35h in Observations

A friend, Rodney (pronounced Rod-knee), is all about love, deep empathy, compassion and cosmic sex. Rodney's been in some very deep intense love relationships. Unfortunately, they all ended the same: The women he loved killed it all when they starting bring up thoughts about the future. He asked them why they did this. They all replied that while they and Rodney had a connection of heavenly bliss in the present, the bliss was unlikely to be eternal and the women wanted to secure a future for themselves and Rodney that would also be blissful. To which Rodney replied: "Can't we stay in present bliss just a bit longer before going into the future?" "No" they replied, because at that point the women were already sensing the present bliss starting to fade; that Rodney would soon realize who they were and their intentions. Metaphorically, Rodney wanted to enjoy the sensuous meal before him and the women want to prepare for the next meal which meant he needed to go out on the hunt soon again; not something he wanted to think about. However, when he did go out, he went out to hunt for another woman. Ultimately, it's only worthwhile talking about the future when the present isn't particularly blissful. This is optimism. As the future can effortlessly be painted as blissful as we wish, talk of the future can transform an unpleasant present into a beautiful state of mind, at least temporarily. While optimism is a key element of happiness, happiness is unattainable without gratitude for the present; difficult when the present is unpleasant. Hence, if we are in a romantic relationship that isn't joyous in the present, best not to waste time and effort trying to dream it away; better to find another mate....

14 Aug

Posted at 00:11h in Observations

Dis-ease leads to disease. Dis-ease is the catalyst for most deadly disease. Dis-ease comes in the form of stress, anger, sadness, envy, fear and infinite other selfish states of mind. Happiness precludes dis-ease as happiness and selfishness are mutually exclusive. Laughter also precludes dis-ease; laughing at our stupidity for taking something or ourselves seriously, for letting thoughts of time past or future distract us from the present. Experiencing the intense beauty of the present overwhelms selfishness....

11 Aug

Posted at 18:38h in Observations

At this moment, at the right here right now when our experience is solely via our senses and before our mind processes it in ways that make it unrecognizable from how we sense it, everything but that which puts us in harm's way is wonderful. It's all beautiful as well, absolutely beautiful; or, if not absolutely, then beautiful as it enhances the beauty of that which is absolutely beautiful. Moreover, while there is nothing new under the sun, everything is new as everything, us and what we are experiencing, is ever-changing. If we don't experience the ever-changingness of the moment, we are not experiencing the moment. When we experience the moment not via our senses but solely via our mind, our experiences are orderly and seem to make sense; but they are non-sense. This is one way we lose our way....