In all of this obsession I and probably millions of others have with the traumatic events of the Middle East, we should always remember- that they are relative events in an endless universe. They matter, but in perspective- there is so much more to life and existance.
Also, we can pray that this 'Always' becomes the values of that region, our most turbulant one, whoever you blame for this and that the Earth is more like the Paradise it was based on. We can pray and meditate to bring this into being. We should not get sucked into the maelstrom of emotions that are excited by all of this, but stay in tune with what is good and right and beautiful. Truth ios beautiful, truth is something that brings happiness. Anything else is some species of untruth, if not worse.
Eternity is like a flower that never dies. We need to stay aware that reality is based around such a flower. We need to stay true to love, whatever the distraction. Thus we stay true to our source and Father.
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Why Loving Words and Prayers are the Answer
Right now, we see the leaders in the Middle East playing politics with the lives of their people. We have to see beyond the loves and avoid getting caught up in the emotions they inspire. We have to see truly, honestly and fairly. This is the path of justice, the path of decency, which leads to quite a different destination to the ruinous path of vengeance.
As humans, words, sincere ones, are part of our scope for action. If the peoples of the Middle-East would only resolve their differences through talking to each other, we would all be in a much better position.
One has to be even-handed and understand the situation. Israeli politicians are seeking to establish themselves as the 'best protector' of their community- a strong attack, even risking the terrible human tragedy in Gaza is being cynically used at this time. There is also a desire to weaken the Iranian-linked Hamas regime just before Obama is sworn in, with his promise to listen more to the Arab side of the equation making action after this implausible. Right now, Israel is able to protect itself on the whole from the weapons being smuggled there, but not without life becoming very hard for their citizens in bombarded towns. From their point of view, why should they just wait and hope for the best, when the world around them appears to be actively helping their enemies? A regime like Hamas, that executes their own opponents is unlikely to show any mercy to Israel if their power does grow.
It is worth remembering that whilst both sides have built underground networks with their extensive aid budgets, Israel has civilian bomb shelters, whereas Hamas invested in a tunnel network for it's fighters and actually seems to hope it's civilians become victims. This is, of course, par for the course with insurgent movement and movements that see themselves as 'anti-colonial' (still an attractive, if somewhat fanatical epithet in the post-colonial, developing world).
All of this means that Israel is once again blundering into a costly experience of warfare. I cannot for the life of me excuse some of their excesses here. Frustration at an inability to hit sneaky, shadowy forces is no excuse for attacking civilian areas. The fact others do worse has no bearing on this- state terrorism deserves just as much approbation as 'underground' movements. There is no room for hypocrisy. The danger of disproportionate use of force is that it ends up being counter-productive. As such, no true friend of Israel would recommend it and the world as a whole won't accept it. A decent leadership in the US is needed to reign in a fanaticism on the part of the State. Love is curbing excess, not just understanding it. Hopefully, God willing, Obama will be just the right person to do this.
What is ultimately needed is a real United Nations. Not just the present one, one that promotes the likes of authoritarian Syria to their human-rights council, but one that is deeply committed to human rights for everyone. One that can see deeply below the surface and beyond media trends. In short, we need something that we don't have, and the nearest we have is the USA, hopefully back with us after the disastrous Bush years. Also imperfect, the US is at least able to be fair-handed, partly due to the mixture of multi-ethnicity and a culture valuing personal freedom for as many as possibly can receive it- hence the Camp David accords, the best chance yet for the conflict, or the Daytown ones in the case of the Balkans. The US is the peacemaker, she just needs an effective UN to go with this.
With all that said, progress is apparently being made. Wars are more limited and the weapons used comparatively accurate- a new concern similar to the ones for appliances being more energy-efficient. Things are actually getting better, despite appearances to the contrary and the tendency of the media to spread bad news. People care more and once the sense of sharing a common humanity spreads further, their bias will be a bias for everyone, not just their own chosen preferences. This undercurrent, to my mind, makes a hugely destructive World War III close to an impossibility. Progress in it's many forms will continue, though it will remain a moral roller-coaster in terms of what is right or wrong at each juncture.
It all comes down to love. Love is deeds, love is words, love is prayer, whatever makes the most sense. To my mind it is prayer that helps the most, the contacting of the highest part of us to send a message to eternity, inviting the purest of responses. The lack of love in that region, creating a void in which hatred manifests itself seems to be the biggest problem. It does concern me that so many think that stigmatising the (imperfectly) democratic and pluralist Israel is going to bring any sort of real peace. Making them more secure would be the best way to help- they certainly have the institutions in place to be a real benefit to the region.
In the longer term, a more enlightened perspective in which everyone feels secure is what that region needs. Violence is a symptom of a deeper problem- the same one Europe once, quite recently in the grand scale of things, suffered from.
As humans, words, sincere ones, are part of our scope for action. If the peoples of the Middle-East would only resolve their differences through talking to each other, we would all be in a much better position.
One has to be even-handed and understand the situation. Israeli politicians are seeking to establish themselves as the 'best protector' of their community- a strong attack, even risking the terrible human tragedy in Gaza is being cynically used at this time. There is also a desire to weaken the Iranian-linked Hamas regime just before Obama is sworn in, with his promise to listen more to the Arab side of the equation making action after this implausible. Right now, Israel is able to protect itself on the whole from the weapons being smuggled there, but not without life becoming very hard for their citizens in bombarded towns. From their point of view, why should they just wait and hope for the best, when the world around them appears to be actively helping their enemies? A regime like Hamas, that executes their own opponents is unlikely to show any mercy to Israel if their power does grow.
It is worth remembering that whilst both sides have built underground networks with their extensive aid budgets, Israel has civilian bomb shelters, whereas Hamas invested in a tunnel network for it's fighters and actually seems to hope it's civilians become victims. This is, of course, par for the course with insurgent movement and movements that see themselves as 'anti-colonial' (still an attractive, if somewhat fanatical epithet in the post-colonial, developing world).
All of this means that Israel is once again blundering into a costly experience of warfare. I cannot for the life of me excuse some of their excesses here. Frustration at an inability to hit sneaky, shadowy forces is no excuse for attacking civilian areas. The fact others do worse has no bearing on this- state terrorism deserves just as much approbation as 'underground' movements. There is no room for hypocrisy. The danger of disproportionate use of force is that it ends up being counter-productive. As such, no true friend of Israel would recommend it and the world as a whole won't accept it. A decent leadership in the US is needed to reign in a fanaticism on the part of the State. Love is curbing excess, not just understanding it. Hopefully, God willing, Obama will be just the right person to do this.
What is ultimately needed is a real United Nations. Not just the present one, one that promotes the likes of authoritarian Syria to their human-rights council, but one that is deeply committed to human rights for everyone. One that can see deeply below the surface and beyond media trends. In short, we need something that we don't have, and the nearest we have is the USA, hopefully back with us after the disastrous Bush years. Also imperfect, the US is at least able to be fair-handed, partly due to the mixture of multi-ethnicity and a culture valuing personal freedom for as many as possibly can receive it- hence the Camp David accords, the best chance yet for the conflict, or the Daytown ones in the case of the Balkans. The US is the peacemaker, she just needs an effective UN to go with this.
With all that said, progress is apparently being made. Wars are more limited and the weapons used comparatively accurate- a new concern similar to the ones for appliances being more energy-efficient. Things are actually getting better, despite appearances to the contrary and the tendency of the media to spread bad news. People care more and once the sense of sharing a common humanity spreads further, their bias will be a bias for everyone, not just their own chosen preferences. This undercurrent, to my mind, makes a hugely destructive World War III close to an impossibility. Progress in it's many forms will continue, though it will remain a moral roller-coaster in terms of what is right or wrong at each juncture.
It all comes down to love. Love is deeds, love is words, love is prayer, whatever makes the most sense. To my mind it is prayer that helps the most, the contacting of the highest part of us to send a message to eternity, inviting the purest of responses. The lack of love in that region, creating a void in which hatred manifests itself seems to be the biggest problem. It does concern me that so many think that stigmatising the (imperfectly) democratic and pluralist Israel is going to bring any sort of real peace. Making them more secure would be the best way to help- they certainly have the institutions in place to be a real benefit to the region.
In the longer term, a more enlightened perspective in which everyone feels secure is what that region needs. Violence is a symptom of a deeper problem- the same one Europe once, quite recently in the grand scale of things, suffered from.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
How can I take my best ever photograph?
How can I take my best ever photograph?
I've been wondering how to make my photography better and realised that simply making a conscious effort isn't enough. the other side of my brain- my intuition, my emotional understanding- can contribute a lot, aligned with better techniques. As with so many other things, these days, I find that consulting Tarot helps to find my inner truth.
Just follow the link to the post in it's entirety.
I've been wondering how to make my photography better and realised that simply making a conscious effort isn't enough. the other side of my brain- my intuition, my emotional understanding- can contribute a lot, aligned with better techniques. As with so many other things, these days, I find that consulting Tarot helps to find my inner truth.
Just follow the link to the post in it's entirety.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Holding to the Sacred
I have a very bad habit of experiencing a great, blissful experience, one which shines with eternal love, relayed through the universe- only to let my resident fears and insecurities rupture the bubble of reality and let in 'the world' of limitations, of sufferings. Put short, especially when sensitised by great experiences, I am liable to feel something, some small irregularity so troubling it is as if it is poised to shatter the calm- which, then, over-reacting with a sudden burst of what looks like bad-temper, but is in reality a flowering of insecurity, an attempt to preserve security anew.
This is what I wish to conquer- my temper, my insecurity, my backwards- rushing perceptions that pull me back just when I am making the most progress. I want to extend my trust and keep the good feeling flowing, somehow let those destructive, unstable energies and my cynicism find a new channel, so as not to impinge in the purity of heavenly perceptions. I do really mean heavenly perceptions- I regularly experience satori-like bliss, a gift from a loving God, but then hours later my own feeling is ruptured when some small thing goes wrong.
I don't see this as just my problem- I see it as humanity's problem, yet as a human, it is as much mine as anyones, the 'cross I have to bear'. Good, trustful communication and a stronger faith could well help. To some extent, techniques like deep breathing, counting to ten could help, but what I am looking for is something beyond repression, rather to let it out in a healthy and positive way. Sometimes this can mean sharing what I am thinking with someone, however crazy it sounds, but then I need to be careful not to let it be done in a damaging way- either of their feelings or of my reputation for being sane! (Something that this blog, in the wrong hands, could well do- but the love of freedom of speech and the relative anonymity of the internet make this expression possible, in line with the 'avoid repression' policy above).
It is almost as if God gives me these great glimpses of eternity, or eternal love, that great ocean of kindness, of mercy and beauty, only to test my faith by allowing reality to nip me like a biting mosquito, to see if my faith is strong enough to maintain heavenly perceptions despite these provocations- many of which are no doubt merely imagined by a restless mind. Of course, another possibility s that my mind has been long-conditioned to define 'reality' as a negative to be faced, one which is escaped from in 'fantasy' realms. Knowing more, from the study of Reality (with a capital R) and religion, I now know that it is reality that is good and our psychology that is full of pitfalls and mental potholes.
The ancient problem remains- how to be truly religious and in the world at once? The ancient answer comes back- by conquering our own self and thereby the world, no longer feeling bothered or 'messed around' by it. A heavenly calm, a divine passion, accompanying heavenly perception. The only anger is righteous anger, to write wrongs, not an exaggerated sense of our own misfortunes or pressures. Psychology makes true religion possible, the feminine balanced with the masculine in a universe that is, essentially, feminine, inhabited by masculine minds.
This is what I wish to conquer- my temper, my insecurity, my backwards- rushing perceptions that pull me back just when I am making the most progress. I want to extend my trust and keep the good feeling flowing, somehow let those destructive, unstable energies and my cynicism find a new channel, so as not to impinge in the purity of heavenly perceptions. I do really mean heavenly perceptions- I regularly experience satori-like bliss, a gift from a loving God, but then hours later my own feeling is ruptured when some small thing goes wrong.
I don't see this as just my problem- I see it as humanity's problem, yet as a human, it is as much mine as anyones, the 'cross I have to bear'. Good, trustful communication and a stronger faith could well help. To some extent, techniques like deep breathing, counting to ten could help, but what I am looking for is something beyond repression, rather to let it out in a healthy and positive way. Sometimes this can mean sharing what I am thinking with someone, however crazy it sounds, but then I need to be careful not to let it be done in a damaging way- either of their feelings or of my reputation for being sane! (Something that this blog, in the wrong hands, could well do- but the love of freedom of speech and the relative anonymity of the internet make this expression possible, in line with the 'avoid repression' policy above).
It is almost as if God gives me these great glimpses of eternity, or eternal love, that great ocean of kindness, of mercy and beauty, only to test my faith by allowing reality to nip me like a biting mosquito, to see if my faith is strong enough to maintain heavenly perceptions despite these provocations- many of which are no doubt merely imagined by a restless mind. Of course, another possibility s that my mind has been long-conditioned to define 'reality' as a negative to be faced, one which is escaped from in 'fantasy' realms. Knowing more, from the study of Reality (with a capital R) and religion, I now know that it is reality that is good and our psychology that is full of pitfalls and mental potholes.
The ancient problem remains- how to be truly religious and in the world at once? The ancient answer comes back- by conquering our own self and thereby the world, no longer feeling bothered or 'messed around' by it. A heavenly calm, a divine passion, accompanying heavenly perception. The only anger is righteous anger, to write wrongs, not an exaggerated sense of our own misfortunes or pressures. Psychology makes true religion possible, the feminine balanced with the masculine in a universe that is, essentially, feminine, inhabited by masculine minds.
A New Understanding
Recently, there have been times when I feel washed over by some great stream of love, whether lying in bed or walking in beautiful nature. I thought it was coming from someone in particular, but now I think it's source is God. Love for humans seems to be channeled through people, as God loves us through us loving one another- nothing more profound has ever been found. I just started to realise that it is so strong that it can only be considered sacred, a great healing stream of Love, personalised especially for me. My thought now is that it is coming from God, it is of the same essence as Jesus, it is the love of God and of Jesus.
That Jesus is more than a historical teacher is a new understanding for me. I intellectually accepted such a possibility before, but now it seems to be to some extent a truth in my reality- a very different proposition. The first time this happened in living memory was when I was going to move apartments and he appeared out of no-where, lying next to me. Yet, really, it was as if he had always been there, not just in himself, but in the great network of loving people who have sustained and helped me throughout my time on this planet.
I have to accept the possibility that he really did come to Earth to teach us, show us how to live and then suffer on a cross, to awake in a spiritual body later. Doctrinal issues such as whether or not he actually died on the cross are not my concern- the point being that he cared and made sacrifices to set us free- sacrifices we no longer need to make. This new freedom to experience great love is coming more into my awareness and it is a healing presence, to the extent that I let it in and remove my distrustful barriers.
One thing that taking LSD really did teach me is that there are who universes of reality that we habitually block out, and that when our blocks are removed, it seems to flood in- but at the same time it is as if we knew that it was always there. In the case of this love- God's love- I seem to be ever-blocking it with my distrust, my paranoia, my clinging to everyday consciousness and an insecurity in my surroundings that seems to always be with me. Of course, I am not alone in this and to some extent this is the problem with just about everyone- blocking God's ever-present love with their thoughts, wayward feelings and self-centered ways of life.
Now, it is almost a battle to see which will win. I have to be somewhat socially aware to do my job well. Yet this social awareness brings with it the danger of politics, of feeling I have to defend my position from possible attacks. Granted, this is a paranoid way to see work, and a more positive, expansive view would be better. Of course, I hope this positive view succeeds. Yet, it is ever-hard to integrate a higher awareness with daily activities, especially when one's surroundings do not exactly encourage such awareness. Yet, I will find a way.
It is possible to have love and daily reality, the first enlightening the other. It is possible to trust those around you and forgive their trespasses when they mistakenly injure our sense of well-being, in however small a way. With that gift of forgiveness, the path of love is laid free. God showed us a way to live in the world and simultaneously be filled with His love- a love channeled by his people. This is why so many love songs mix the human love with it's divine source. It is as it was prophesied- love and daily reality, the first enlightening the other.
That Jesus is more than a historical teacher is a new understanding for me. I intellectually accepted such a possibility before, but now it seems to be to some extent a truth in my reality- a very different proposition. The first time this happened in living memory was when I was going to move apartments and he appeared out of no-where, lying next to me. Yet, really, it was as if he had always been there, not just in himself, but in the great network of loving people who have sustained and helped me throughout my time on this planet.
I have to accept the possibility that he really did come to Earth to teach us, show us how to live and then suffer on a cross, to awake in a spiritual body later. Doctrinal issues such as whether or not he actually died on the cross are not my concern- the point being that he cared and made sacrifices to set us free- sacrifices we no longer need to make. This new freedom to experience great love is coming more into my awareness and it is a healing presence, to the extent that I let it in and remove my distrustful barriers.
One thing that taking LSD really did teach me is that there are who universes of reality that we habitually block out, and that when our blocks are removed, it seems to flood in- but at the same time it is as if we knew that it was always there. In the case of this love- God's love- I seem to be ever-blocking it with my distrust, my paranoia, my clinging to everyday consciousness and an insecurity in my surroundings that seems to always be with me. Of course, I am not alone in this and to some extent this is the problem with just about everyone- blocking God's ever-present love with their thoughts, wayward feelings and self-centered ways of life.
Now, it is almost a battle to see which will win. I have to be somewhat socially aware to do my job well. Yet this social awareness brings with it the danger of politics, of feeling I have to defend my position from possible attacks. Granted, this is a paranoid way to see work, and a more positive, expansive view would be better. Of course, I hope this positive view succeeds. Yet, it is ever-hard to integrate a higher awareness with daily activities, especially when one's surroundings do not exactly encourage such awareness. Yet, I will find a way.
It is possible to have love and daily reality, the first enlightening the other. It is possible to trust those around you and forgive their trespasses when they mistakenly injure our sense of well-being, in however small a way. With that gift of forgiveness, the path of love is laid free. God showed us a way to live in the world and simultaneously be filled with His love- a love channeled by his people. This is why so many love songs mix the human love with it's divine source. It is as it was prophesied- love and daily reality, the first enlightening the other.
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