(Warning: This post is very political and I have found myself using generalities more often than I should. Read this at your discretion.)
Insofar as we are still worshipping the God of fear created by our superegos, our atheist friends are right to keep their distance.
--John J. McNeill
Last month, I began my new job which was utterly fantastic. While I could say much on this blessing, that is not the point of my mentioning that. You see: My new job involves me caring for the elderly several days per week, one resident at a time.
But as a good friend repeatedly tells me: People are funny and they do funny things. There is no escaping that. Boy, was I in for one of those.
Now, anyone whom has ever read this blog or conversed with me personally will know that I am a very spiritual person; so you can imagine my inner tension when I was assigned to care for a violently atheistic man for two entire days. It's not pretty.
I will not state too much here on this man. (That would be unprofessional.) However, he was quite vehement on the ideas that all religions are businesses out to scam the common people, all clergy are either con artists and/or pedophiles, people who profess faith in divinity are brainwashed individuals and they are delusional if they claim to have had spiritual experiences, and worst of all: The idea of God is nonsensical.
And while I detest his statements; on a worldly level of consciousness, I have to admit that he is touching on temporal truths that exist in our world. Sadly, my suggestion that not all men of god are lacking intelligence nor morality was lost on deaf ears. And thankfully, there are those out there whom try to understand both sides of the debate.
After all: "He that hath ears, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15)
Let's face it. If we look at mainstream Christianity (as it is the dominant faith of our world), most secular people do not see an establishment of illumination dedicated to uplifting mankind towards God Realization. We see the complete opposite most of the time.
We see charismatic leaders with powerful holds over masses of people programming their congregations with prejudices such as sexism (such as the political plays to ban female contraceptives), homophobia (obviously) and hatred against the parishioners of other faiths; as well as mortal terror into ideas of sin, Hell, Satan, divine wrath and Man's "inferiority" in comparison with God.
The establishment fights tooth and nail to combat the advancement of the sciences (such as the teaching of Darwinian Evolution in public school). It indoctrinates young children long before they even have a chance to question the faith of their parents. It misinterprets choice verses of the Bible and uses them as tools to oppress the masses.
The Roman Catholic Church has been enduring years of scandal due to the actions of a small percentage of it's priesthood. Other churches are sued continually for embezzlement of the congregations funds.
The Westboro Baptist Church made a name for itself with the mobs of people protesting at military funerals and GLAAD events with their "God Hates Fags" signs.
And let us not forget all the bloodshed that occurs from the hands of the mentally unstable whom base their reasoning off of their faith. Wars. Hate Crimes. Political Actions of Oppression. Terrorism. Suicides. Riots. Violence the world over.
All of this is coupled with the physical realities of terminal illnesses, amputations, autism, alzheimer's disease, and down's syndrome, rapes, murders, poverty, homelessness and other apparent evils amongst Church teachings of an Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omni-Benevolent Father God whom is supposed to forgive sins, make miracles and bring salvation.
That's quite a list of problems. There is no denying it. Atheists with a vengeance certainly have a lot of gunfire to use against men of faith. The worst part is that this is all true of our material lives. A man is born crying, suffers through life, grows old and then dies.
And through it all, billions of people hold onto an ideal of a perfect divine creator and sustainer. Truly Karl Marx was correct when he stated that "Religion is the opiate of the masses". Many secular people are apt to look at all of this and are unable to see sense in this; and instead of trying to understand this phenomenon, they reject the notion altogether and claim religion entirely as the fantasy of the weak minded.
But amidst the train wreck I have detailed, there still some goodness to be found. For beyond the seeming contradictions of a world in peril and the machinations of mankind compared to an alleged perfection of deity; there are the seekers, the mystics, the metaphysicians, the magicians, the seers, the priests and the miracle workers that do not seek to be saved from the world by a big daddy God.
Far from it. Many people go into religion, not because it is a way of coping with life's worries, because of the lofty view of life that a spirituality can bring. This lofty view is none other than an experience of the transcendent amidst daily life. It is holding a consciousness of the sacred amidst a falling, mundane life. And guess what? From such a consciousness as that is not only new found joy and comfort. It is true deliverance from the "sins" of one's life. From this level of life, there is no need to fear the fate of one's soul, for the illumined seeker knows his/her soul was never in danger and is now even more glorified.
But this lofty view does not come from having Faith in the Divine. Far from it. If religion is ever to last in an ever increasingly atheistic world, we will have to Know God from personal experience.
Religions make most of their recognition and money from being a cultural phenomenon that consoles the people during the difficult times of life. Various prayers and rituals are all designed to mark various passages of life and death; as well as to bring the community together during those passages. It provides assurances to the weary congregation when the negative becomes manifest and for the difficult questions that even genius level scientists are unable to answer.
This is all wholly good.
Sadly, this form of religion has a tendency to become political. Many churches are wanting to expand their congregations beyond what is necessary, wanting to spread their particular message to as many "lost souls" as can be. Many people in fear of their lives and afterlives become drawn into this play, attracted to a charismatic but psychologically fractured religious leader who preaches from well meaning but misinformed spiritual ideas. Soon enough, we see large masses of people in opposition to the progression of humanity due to the words of a denomination.
But religion can progress beyond societal norms and community work and not fall into the traps of politics.
I have long maintained my position that spirituality and religion doesn't have to be a psychological drug; that it can, instead, be a very useful tool in one's life. That it can be, if used properly, a tool for self actualization. That through a knowledge of god, rigorous practice of teachings and rituals and meditations, and good old common sense; a practitioner can not only see the world in holiness, but live a powerful and holy life.
This usefulness does not revolve around taking anything literally or having blind faith. It revolves around making the needed changes in one's life, learning all one can about his/her path, applying that knowledge and true spiritual discernment. When all applied with a consistent practice of one's faith, one comes to know God instead of just believe in God.
And with such a Knowledge as that, comes the ability to be of true service to those around us. By grounding one's path in daily life and applying it correctly, a religious person need no longer be feared nor mocked, but can be in a position of respect once more.
We can have a time of inner Godliness that extends to all in our world. We just need to make the adjustments so there will be room for it.
LVX Amor!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
On Television Characters and Divine Identities
One of my favorite television procedurals would have to be TNT's Rizzoli and Isles. It's so much fun to see the two protagonists love, lose, chat it up, and make hilarious jokes about each other all while shooting homicide suspects, examining cadavers and solving murders. It's definitely a winning combination for me. But this post isn't about my love for certain programs, far from it. Instead, I saw a wonderful idea to contemplate from last week's episode of the show (as well as in many other of my favorites.
To make a long story short: At the end of the episode, Jane Rizzoli's mother (played by Lorraine Bracco) faces a mini identity crisis. Mrs. Rizzoli cries that her marriage ended in divorce, that she works a dead end job, and that she lives in the guest house of her daughter's best friend's home. Her material prospects seem hopeless and she cannot find her true worth amidst the apparent shambles of her life. Naturally, the other characters quickly reassure her that she does in fact have worth. They say she was a wonderful mother to them as well as a beautiful person, amongst other things. Then the episode ends.
This tends to be a common theme for many television characters. Blanche Deveraux of "The Golden Girls" repeatedly finds obstacles to her identity as a woman irresistible to men when facing the prospects of growing old, being called a grandmother, going through menopause, and even meeting women more attractive than herself. Lisa Simpson must be the only intellectual in Springfield, lest she lose that one thing that makes her whom she is. Countless superhero characters face such a crisis when they temporarily lose their powers. Hell, even Spongebob Squarepants forgets himself when circumstance requires him to wear round pants instead of square.
But what is all of this telling us? It is showing a significant flaw in our human condition. So many of us (myself included) go through life building our identity based off of material conditions and characteristics of our egos than on the fundamental truth of who we really are: the Children of God; "and if children, then Heirs: Heirs of God and Co-Heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).
Ultimately, Mrs. Rizzoli's children are correct in reassuring her that she is so much more than a broke divorcee working at a police station cafe. She was (and is) the rock that held her family together, the source of love overflowing for those near her and a good friend when the times were tough. They pointed out what is true and unchanging about her, what proves her true mettle and makes her great.
We should all be reminded the same. Whether or not you take your temporal identity from your family, your career, your beauty, your wealth, your marriage, your sexual orientation, your race, your religious affiliation, your power, or even from the fact that you wear square pants over any other kind out there, the point is that all of us are truly blessed, even when times truly are the worse for wear.
The fact that material or ego based conditions that build up our sense of self change, only proves that there is far more to each of us than what meets the eye. We can be as big and bright and beautiful as we want to be. Let us shine like suns and not worry about illusions.
We are made in the image and likeness of God. Let us celebrate that instead.
LVX Amor!
To make a long story short: At the end of the episode, Jane Rizzoli's mother (played by Lorraine Bracco) faces a mini identity crisis. Mrs. Rizzoli cries that her marriage ended in divorce, that she works a dead end job, and that she lives in the guest house of her daughter's best friend's home. Her material prospects seem hopeless and she cannot find her true worth amidst the apparent shambles of her life. Naturally, the other characters quickly reassure her that she does in fact have worth. They say she was a wonderful mother to them as well as a beautiful person, amongst other things. Then the episode ends.
This tends to be a common theme for many television characters. Blanche Deveraux of "The Golden Girls" repeatedly finds obstacles to her identity as a woman irresistible to men when facing the prospects of growing old, being called a grandmother, going through menopause, and even meeting women more attractive than herself. Lisa Simpson must be the only intellectual in Springfield, lest she lose that one thing that makes her whom she is. Countless superhero characters face such a crisis when they temporarily lose their powers. Hell, even Spongebob Squarepants forgets himself when circumstance requires him to wear round pants instead of square.
But what is all of this telling us? It is showing a significant flaw in our human condition. So many of us (myself included) go through life building our identity based off of material conditions and characteristics of our egos than on the fundamental truth of who we really are: the Children of God; "and if children, then Heirs: Heirs of God and Co-Heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).
Ultimately, Mrs. Rizzoli's children are correct in reassuring her that she is so much more than a broke divorcee working at a police station cafe. She was (and is) the rock that held her family together, the source of love overflowing for those near her and a good friend when the times were tough. They pointed out what is true and unchanging about her, what proves her true mettle and makes her great.
We should all be reminded the same. Whether or not you take your temporal identity from your family, your career, your beauty, your wealth, your marriage, your sexual orientation, your race, your religious affiliation, your power, or even from the fact that you wear square pants over any other kind out there, the point is that all of us are truly blessed, even when times truly are the worse for wear.
The fact that material or ego based conditions that build up our sense of self change, only proves that there is far more to each of us than what meets the eye. We can be as big and bright and beautiful as we want to be. Let us shine like suns and not worry about illusions.
We are made in the image and likeness of God. Let us celebrate that instead.
LVX Amor!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
On Being Gay and the Challenge of the Spiritual Path
Can Homosexuals Be Religious? That has been a question for the ages, it seems. Looking at most religious movements these days and their attacks against the LGBT community, their refusal to support Marriage Equality, as well as the many protests that this has created from both the "men of faith" and the LGBT community, it would seem that a compromise cannot be made.
It is a sad fact that 'queer' people are turned away from all forms of spiritual expression as a result of the bigotry that can be found in many parts of the world. Many religionists whom are already in fear or hatred of the Gay Community and then take misinterpreted verses from books in the Bible such as Leviticus and Paul's Epistle to the Romans and immediately jump to the conclusion that homosexuals are hated by God and, as such, have no place in their churches or places of worship. From this has caused widespread atheism for so many gay people that it would make one think that all religions hate a large minority group within the country. Unfortunate.
While I could very well place an argument against Bible-invoked bigotry, stating things such as: The Biblical Jesus never said anything against gay people; King David in the book of Samuel had a same-sex coupling with Jonathan, the first born son of Saul; and that the few biblical verses that attack same sex coupling had nothing to do with God's disapproval, but instead reflect the plights of the early Jews and Christians trying to separate themselves from the pagan religions of the time (whom did practice same sex bonding)... That is not the intent of this post. (However, I encourage everyone to do their research on these matters before jumping to rash conclusions.)
I once told a man I was interested in dating that I was a very religious person and I could not believe the reaction I received from him. This man called me foolish because religion (and I think he meant Fundamentalist Christianity) specifically forbade homosexual activities and that I shouldn't waste my time pursuing a divinely inspired life when I would only be hated for doing so.
I asked him: "Which religion are you referring to? As far as I can tell: Unity Church, the Episcopal Church, Wicca, Hindu Tantra, MCC Congregations, Native American Spirituality and certain forms of Judaism are all VERY accepting towards homosexuals and there might be many more faiths that I have not thought of. "
In the end, it did not go well for my seduction of this man, but hopefully, I had given him some food for thought. There are many religious movements that are openly accepting of homosexuals. Just because we see lots of press from powerful congregations spewing hatred towards the gay population does not mean that all religion is dead to them.
But it goes further than this, for if a gay person decides just to affiliate solely with a pro-gay religious movement (let's say Wicca for this example), it creates other problems in that person's life. Given the above scenario, yes, the homosexual finds satisfaction with his path, but at the same time, he is still exposed to the paths that despise his minority group. All that creates is a spiritual duality of "My God is better than your God." I find that we can go much further than this.
It is all well to find a niche of faith in which a gay person can be comfortable with his personal expression of divinity, but we can ascend beyond this point even more so.
In the Gospels, Jesus gave two commandments which he claimed contained the fulfillment of the old laws of the Pentateuch. He said to "Love God with all your heart and all your soul" and to "Love thy neighbor as thyself". And what does that mean? It means that Love is the fulfillment of our duties in this world and with our highest selves. And while it is regrettable that this train of thought is not more widely accepted in our world, it does give us an ideal as how to proceed within our lives.
Eventually, we must come to the ideal that God (in whatever way you view Hir) loves us despite how different we are from each other. And from that omni-benevolent love, we can pour forth that kind of love back to our higher natures as well as to all others.
Then religion does not become a moral creed for daily life, a cultural phenomenon amongst a wide mass of people, nor a group of institutions that control the masses. Instead it becomes a calling to our own self actualization, faith becomes a pathway to our highest selves.
And from that, gay people can look at God and feel security and hope that they are not forsaken by the divine source. They can know that they have as much purpose as heterosexual people in the knowledge that they are showered with divine love without limit, despite how difficult life may seem at times.
As far as I view myself and my fellow gays, I go by the Native American viewpoint that homosexuals are in fact Two Spirited. That we have a male and female spirit within us by virtue of our design. The Native Americans not only considered their gays to be a third gender with a unique place in their society, but also considered them spiritually advanced because of their spiritual members. For the most part, Two Spirited people, given their nature, were better candidates for shamanism and spiritual counseling. We were important within the tribe.
Sadly, many gay people are left without such ideas. Most lean towards atheism in the thought that religions are out to get them. The idea that God is Love sounds like rehashed nonsense that is never practiced, while other ideas confirming a gay identity in a spiritual context are left unheard. This must stop.
I have met several gay people that have had spiritual lives even more active than my own. Gay men who serve active roles within churches as either employees with earned reputations and even as clergy of their groups. I have even met a few gay men who have even enjoyed lives as spiritual counselors. These men are pioneers in their own right and I heartily celebrate them.
In my own life, I have seen countless prayers (and spells) of mine answered, I have enjoyed mystical experiences which have led me to rise higher on my journey, and I have even enjoyed many talks with my own Highest Self, leading me into greater and greater illumination.
I know for a fact that homosexuals are more than competent at developing their spiritual faculties and having amazing godward lives. Their orientation does not make them to be some downtrodden souls. It shows them just how far they can rise.
And I wish this on all.
LVX Amor!
It is a sad fact that 'queer' people are turned away from all forms of spiritual expression as a result of the bigotry that can be found in many parts of the world. Many religionists whom are already in fear or hatred of the Gay Community and then take misinterpreted verses from books in the Bible such as Leviticus and Paul's Epistle to the Romans and immediately jump to the conclusion that homosexuals are hated by God and, as such, have no place in their churches or places of worship. From this has caused widespread atheism for so many gay people that it would make one think that all religions hate a large minority group within the country. Unfortunate.
While I could very well place an argument against Bible-invoked bigotry, stating things such as: The Biblical Jesus never said anything against gay people; King David in the book of Samuel had a same-sex coupling with Jonathan, the first born son of Saul; and that the few biblical verses that attack same sex coupling had nothing to do with God's disapproval, but instead reflect the plights of the early Jews and Christians trying to separate themselves from the pagan religions of the time (whom did practice same sex bonding)... That is not the intent of this post. (However, I encourage everyone to do their research on these matters before jumping to rash conclusions.)
I once told a man I was interested in dating that I was a very religious person and I could not believe the reaction I received from him. This man called me foolish because religion (and I think he meant Fundamentalist Christianity) specifically forbade homosexual activities and that I shouldn't waste my time pursuing a divinely inspired life when I would only be hated for doing so.
I asked him: "Which religion are you referring to? As far as I can tell: Unity Church, the Episcopal Church, Wicca, Hindu Tantra, MCC Congregations, Native American Spirituality and certain forms of Judaism are all VERY accepting towards homosexuals and there might be many more faiths that I have not thought of. "
In the end, it did not go well for my seduction of this man, but hopefully, I had given him some food for thought. There are many religious movements that are openly accepting of homosexuals. Just because we see lots of press from powerful congregations spewing hatred towards the gay population does not mean that all religion is dead to them.
But it goes further than this, for if a gay person decides just to affiliate solely with a pro-gay religious movement (let's say Wicca for this example), it creates other problems in that person's life. Given the above scenario, yes, the homosexual finds satisfaction with his path, but at the same time, he is still exposed to the paths that despise his minority group. All that creates is a spiritual duality of "My God is better than your God." I find that we can go much further than this.
It is all well to find a niche of faith in which a gay person can be comfortable with his personal expression of divinity, but we can ascend beyond this point even more so.
In the Gospels, Jesus gave two commandments which he claimed contained the fulfillment of the old laws of the Pentateuch. He said to "Love God with all your heart and all your soul" and to "Love thy neighbor as thyself". And what does that mean? It means that Love is the fulfillment of our duties in this world and with our highest selves. And while it is regrettable that this train of thought is not more widely accepted in our world, it does give us an ideal as how to proceed within our lives.
Eventually, we must come to the ideal that God (in whatever way you view Hir) loves us despite how different we are from each other. And from that omni-benevolent love, we can pour forth that kind of love back to our higher natures as well as to all others.
Then religion does not become a moral creed for daily life, a cultural phenomenon amongst a wide mass of people, nor a group of institutions that control the masses. Instead it becomes a calling to our own self actualization, faith becomes a pathway to our highest selves.
And from that, gay people can look at God and feel security and hope that they are not forsaken by the divine source. They can know that they have as much purpose as heterosexual people in the knowledge that they are showered with divine love without limit, despite how difficult life may seem at times.
As far as I view myself and my fellow gays, I go by the Native American viewpoint that homosexuals are in fact Two Spirited. That we have a male and female spirit within us by virtue of our design. The Native Americans not only considered their gays to be a third gender with a unique place in their society, but also considered them spiritually advanced because of their spiritual members. For the most part, Two Spirited people, given their nature, were better candidates for shamanism and spiritual counseling. We were important within the tribe.
Sadly, many gay people are left without such ideas. Most lean towards atheism in the thought that religions are out to get them. The idea that God is Love sounds like rehashed nonsense that is never practiced, while other ideas confirming a gay identity in a spiritual context are left unheard. This must stop.
I have met several gay people that have had spiritual lives even more active than my own. Gay men who serve active roles within churches as either employees with earned reputations and even as clergy of their groups. I have even met a few gay men who have even enjoyed lives as spiritual counselors. These men are pioneers in their own right and I heartily celebrate them.
In my own life, I have seen countless prayers (and spells) of mine answered, I have enjoyed mystical experiences which have led me to rise higher on my journey, and I have even enjoyed many talks with my own Highest Self, leading me into greater and greater illumination.
I know for a fact that homosexuals are more than competent at developing their spiritual faculties and having amazing godward lives. Their orientation does not make them to be some downtrodden souls. It shows them just how far they can rise.
And I wish this on all.
LVX Amor!
Friday, July 27, 2012
On the Divine Powers and the Problem of Evil
Yes. It has been a very long while since I have posted on this blog. Many things have been happening in my life. Some that have not been for the best and many more experiences that have shaped me into a much better person. Regardless, I have grown and gained and now I wish to share some of what I have learned in hopes that a reader may be inspired just as much. So here goes.
In most of my past entries on this blog, I have written about Man's Divine Potential and similar topics and that is not about to change with this post. But now, there is further work (at least for me) than simply contemplating a higher ideal. Much more. For many, there is knowledge of a life that can be lived in power, liberty and grace; and yet this often clashes with what most see in the world around us. Many people will say that how can humanity be godly with so much discord, strife and just plain evil in the world? How can there possibly be a divine man amidst the ignorance, hatred and fallibility of so many societies in our world? How could I possibly know that I am an heir of God Herself, and yet fall so short of such a lofty ambition? And so on and so forth.
While I hate to make generalizations, there is so much "evidence" claiming a world such as ours to be wicked, base and all around false. We see corrupt governments, wars taking masses of lives, religious movements (such as the Westboro Baptist Church) claiming God's hatred and judgment of humanity, terrorism, institutions fighting to rob minorities of their civil rights, mass pollution of our planet and even such a horror as the shootings in Aurora, Colorado. Given such calamities, it is easy to see how so many people lose sight of the holy (the whole) in such a broken and fragmented world.
In my own seeking, I have come across a similar issue. As my own spiritual experiences grace me with further power over my own life, it causes me to wonder just how far I can go towards goodness while still manifesting my selfish dreams for myself in the world around me.
The simple answer to this problem is very simple however (and I have experienced it personally). The higher up the seeker travels towards God Realization, the less the machinations of human greed, hatred, fear and "evil" affect her. After a certain while, the seeker realizes that she truly is one with the four great powers of the Godhead: Omnipotence (All Power), Omniscience (All Intelligence), Omnipresence (All Life), and Omni-benevolence (All Goodness).
In other words, as the seeker becomes one in her divine potential, it no longer becomes mere potential, it becomes the basis of her identity. She is one in Deification. She is so intune with her highest self that she has the power to create anything in her life, access to all the knowledge she could possibly desire, life eternal and a consciousness that transcends the very earth, and most importantly she has a heart overflowing with love, mercy, joy and peace, and cannot possibly consider doing anything that would cause harm to anyone or anything. She lives solely in Bliss and from such a height, the world literally bends over backwards for her. She is no longer affected by the world and she is no longer attached to what the world may bring her.
But what does this have to do with dealing with a hopeless world? Everything!
As one becomes God Realized, they realize just how much of the world around them is vanity and illusion. The problems we face on a daily basis mean absolutely nothing. Our feuds with our neighbors, our grudges with murderers, our hurts and jealousies, our selfish desires for riches and fame, and even our need to prove our point in the face of bigotry and injustice all mean nothing. It was all illusion. This world truly is the matrix blinding us from reality (just like that strange science fiction trilogy).
But does this mean that our skyscrapers and cities, our forests and lakes and mountains, and even the love we have for our spouses, our children and our companions are illusions too? Does this mean we become contempt towards our world and hate all within it because they do not see the light we see from our lofty seats of consciousness? Absolutely not either.
The planet we live on is real. The people you meet in your life are real. The connections we make in the world are real. The wisdom we gain is real. Our growth towards our divine potential. That is all real. What is not real is everything in between. Our projected hopes, fears, attachments, desires and hatreds are not real. They are machinations of our rational natures (or Egos, if you enjoy that term) trying to make sense of everything we experience in the world. And yes, that can have the negative consequence of categorizing many things foreign to us as creations of a Satanic force.
In a moment of prayer once, I asked to the heavens: How can an omnipotent and omni-benevolent god allow so many injustices and perceived evils to exist? The answer was very blunt but also very true.
My answer was: Because People Are Stupid. Or a less demeaning way of saying the same thing: Because people can be fallible. And looking it over: It is so true.
Every minute of every day, we have choices. Do we choose to live in the joy that is our birthright? Do we choose to live a life in which we love those who do us wrong? Do we choose to hate the things we fear or do not understand? Do we choose to grow in knowledge and understanding? Do we choose to seek revenge for wrongs against us? Do we advocate justice? The list goes on and on.
The point is that we can choose to live in a world where we see miracles or we can choose to see despair at every corner. We can choose to grow godward and become a saint to others or we can descend further into our mortality and look for ways to prove just how right we are and how wrong someone else is.
We can live as God Realized beings and create a world of pure goodness. We don't have to live in the consciousness of seeking an anti-christ.
And guess what? Even though most do not condone the shootings in Colorado nor the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church does not mean that we must live in a frame of mind in which we seek revenge nor does that mean we just ignore it either. The young man responsible for the Aurora massacre was never going to find his heart's desire in performing that act nor will petitioning for the death of that young man heal the hearts of those who lost their loved ones that fateful morning.
Part of rising up against evil is not to debase yourself against a wrong doer. It is to rise above such actions and realize that the so called evils we see are just as illusory as our own feelings of revenge for those who commit those errors.
LVX Amor!
In most of my past entries on this blog, I have written about Man's Divine Potential and similar topics and that is not about to change with this post. But now, there is further work (at least for me) than simply contemplating a higher ideal. Much more. For many, there is knowledge of a life that can be lived in power, liberty and grace; and yet this often clashes with what most see in the world around us. Many people will say that how can humanity be godly with so much discord, strife and just plain evil in the world? How can there possibly be a divine man amidst the ignorance, hatred and fallibility of so many societies in our world? How could I possibly know that I am an heir of God Herself, and yet fall so short of such a lofty ambition? And so on and so forth.
While I hate to make generalizations, there is so much "evidence" claiming a world such as ours to be wicked, base and all around false. We see corrupt governments, wars taking masses of lives, religious movements (such as the Westboro Baptist Church) claiming God's hatred and judgment of humanity, terrorism, institutions fighting to rob minorities of their civil rights, mass pollution of our planet and even such a horror as the shootings in Aurora, Colorado. Given such calamities, it is easy to see how so many people lose sight of the holy (the whole) in such a broken and fragmented world.
In my own seeking, I have come across a similar issue. As my own spiritual experiences grace me with further power over my own life, it causes me to wonder just how far I can go towards goodness while still manifesting my selfish dreams for myself in the world around me.
The simple answer to this problem is very simple however (and I have experienced it personally). The higher up the seeker travels towards God Realization, the less the machinations of human greed, hatred, fear and "evil" affect her. After a certain while, the seeker realizes that she truly is one with the four great powers of the Godhead: Omnipotence (All Power), Omniscience (All Intelligence), Omnipresence (All Life), and Omni-benevolence (All Goodness).
In other words, as the seeker becomes one in her divine potential, it no longer becomes mere potential, it becomes the basis of her identity. She is one in Deification. She is so intune with her highest self that she has the power to create anything in her life, access to all the knowledge she could possibly desire, life eternal and a consciousness that transcends the very earth, and most importantly she has a heart overflowing with love, mercy, joy and peace, and cannot possibly consider doing anything that would cause harm to anyone or anything. She lives solely in Bliss and from such a height, the world literally bends over backwards for her. She is no longer affected by the world and she is no longer attached to what the world may bring her.
But what does this have to do with dealing with a hopeless world? Everything!
As one becomes God Realized, they realize just how much of the world around them is vanity and illusion. The problems we face on a daily basis mean absolutely nothing. Our feuds with our neighbors, our grudges with murderers, our hurts and jealousies, our selfish desires for riches and fame, and even our need to prove our point in the face of bigotry and injustice all mean nothing. It was all illusion. This world truly is the matrix blinding us from reality (just like that strange science fiction trilogy).
But does this mean that our skyscrapers and cities, our forests and lakes and mountains, and even the love we have for our spouses, our children and our companions are illusions too? Does this mean we become contempt towards our world and hate all within it because they do not see the light we see from our lofty seats of consciousness? Absolutely not either.
The planet we live on is real. The people you meet in your life are real. The connections we make in the world are real. The wisdom we gain is real. Our growth towards our divine potential. That is all real. What is not real is everything in between. Our projected hopes, fears, attachments, desires and hatreds are not real. They are machinations of our rational natures (or Egos, if you enjoy that term) trying to make sense of everything we experience in the world. And yes, that can have the negative consequence of categorizing many things foreign to us as creations of a Satanic force.
In a moment of prayer once, I asked to the heavens: How can an omnipotent and omni-benevolent god allow so many injustices and perceived evils to exist? The answer was very blunt but also very true.
My answer was: Because People Are Stupid. Or a less demeaning way of saying the same thing: Because people can be fallible. And looking it over: It is so true.
Every minute of every day, we have choices. Do we choose to live in the joy that is our birthright? Do we choose to live a life in which we love those who do us wrong? Do we choose to hate the things we fear or do not understand? Do we choose to grow in knowledge and understanding? Do we choose to seek revenge for wrongs against us? Do we advocate justice? The list goes on and on.
The point is that we can choose to live in a world where we see miracles or we can choose to see despair at every corner. We can choose to grow godward and become a saint to others or we can descend further into our mortality and look for ways to prove just how right we are and how wrong someone else is.
We can live as God Realized beings and create a world of pure goodness. We don't have to live in the consciousness of seeking an anti-christ.
And guess what? Even though most do not condone the shootings in Colorado nor the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church does not mean that we must live in a frame of mind in which we seek revenge nor does that mean we just ignore it either. The young man responsible for the Aurora massacre was never going to find his heart's desire in performing that act nor will petitioning for the death of that young man heal the hearts of those who lost their loved ones that fateful morning.
Part of rising up against evil is not to debase yourself against a wrong doer. It is to rise above such actions and realize that the so called evils we see are just as illusory as our own feelings of revenge for those who commit those errors.
LVX Amor!
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