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Richard & Hadi, thanks for your points-of-view. Much to think about. I may write more when I next log on. Interesting that this discussion should turn to solitude-hermits-recluses as I have just been listening to an interview with a Tibetan nun who spent 12 years in a cave and there is a book about her experiences called Cave in the Snow.

You can read some excerpts of this book here

I agree, we don't all need to go off and become hermits to awaken. Some of us have awoken in the most unusual of settings. Like a psychiatric ward for example. :)

Will write more on this next time.

Namaste all. And no sleeping on the job.

...a simple question,was Deepak in Stevens Point, Wisconsin on Saturday June 10th?

i HAVE READ SOME OF YOUR QOUTES I HAVE READ SOME OF THE BOOK I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED AND REALIZED A FEW THINGS IN MY LIFE THAT I COULD UNDERSTAND BEFORE BUT DO IT THE RIGHT WAY AND IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE IT THANKS A GIRLFRIEND OF MINE HAD SENT A HOME PAGE OF YOUR BOOK AND I DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY KNOW . PEACE

Richard: Isolation. Hmmm. I don't know. Spending time alone and being isolated are probably distinctions in my mind. I do agree that there is value to it, but the Spiritual Motive would help a great deal. As you have witnessed, it is often lacking.
I think that the Mystics in a sense did us a disservice, because their language caused not only paradoxical problems for the listener or reader, but also slighted Ego as if to tell it that The Mystic knows something Ego cannot know. You tell someone face to face that their problem is that they are "asleep", they will probably tell you that you are a "crap spewing turd". Their own experience of reality will tell them that such a statement is crap. It is in fact "patronising". So, perhaps we should look at a new defenition for the state of consciousness that humanity experiences at present on the wider scale which has previously been referred to as "sleep", and create also its counterpart which has been known as "wakefullness", "Christ consciousness", "The Fourth Way" "Self Actualised" and so on. For me, I like to think that it's not so much that humanity is "ordinary", more that humanity has not realised its grander potential yet. That a greater Kingdom awaits it. Thank you "masked one", I needed that pointed out to me.

Let him who would lash the offender look onto the spirit of the offended. Kahlil Gibran.

Ordinary, sorry you have such low self-esteem that you consider yourself a "crap spewing turd." Just remember, as one of God's children, we are all special.

Peace, love, and fuzzy bunnies to you.

©

where's the forum for us ordinary folk?

crap spewing turd

Hadi, in reference to your comment about psychology being linked to mental illness and reactivity...Here on the US West coast, the definition (accepted by mental health authorities) of mental health, is "staying out of the Hospital (psychiatric)"...our standards appear to be base at best...isolation may be a spiritual step up (unfortunately).

Favourite colour = blue or turquoise.

The trouble with that article, Geoff, is that it seems to imply some kind of conscious volition or conscious "choice" in the matter of the way we "deny" our Self. The Mystics, on the other hand, tend to think of humanity as "asleep". Therefore what they are doing is unconscious and mechanical. From the point of view of the Mystic this is a sensible interpretation because he sees humanity as if it is in a trance. Sleepwalking in an environment where the "pattern" is created by the designs of society and culture, while the "behaviour" and activity within those patterns is motivated by the simple mechanisms of "action & reaction". The principle mechanism of the human machine, the "driver" appears to be the Ego. The Ego keeps going on and on, chattering to itself, distracting its many fragmented personalities (the Ivans and Nicholas’s of the mystic Gurdjieff) one minute thinking about sex, the next about cars, the next money, back to sex again, then work, onto food, then fantasy and finally chocolate. ; ) A chain of thought that continually entertains the Ego-Mind and supplies a regimen of "pleasures". There are plenty of recluses and hermits in the world, but most of these are neither "happier" or more Spiritually fulfilled. If you take all the noise and distractions away from people they will often find baser ways to fill it. Their Egos will create greater separation and they will become anti-social, or bomb makers, join other similar people forming new groups or turn to savage lower chakra instincts.

That is not to say I don’t think there is any benefit in solitude. Far from it. I wish people would go on "retreats" more often. However, what needs to be encouraged most is the "Spiritual Motive". If we do not have this motive in the first place we cannot expand our spiritual consciousness. Some people go away to get away. Some people find in solitude only the fulfilment of Ivan’s hobbies, or Babylon’s pleasures. The spiritual motive must be present in the first place.

In addition to the Spiritual motive there must exist a unified philosophy or discipline which educates one about such things as the Ego. For the true noise of our world is not so much out there as "in here". But alas, such unity does not exist. True Spiritual thoughts and even Psychology are outside of our common educational systems. Most ordinary folk link spirituality with religion and psychology with mental illness and disfunction. They turn to a fragmented church for Spiritual guidance. That would be like someone turning to mediaeval science to make sense of the modern world they live in. For any spiritual progress to take place, it is not so much the noise of the t.v and stereo, or of traffic and barking dogs that needs to be addressed. The real distraction, surely, is the noise and false beliefs of the mind.

good article, Geoff, thanks for posting it.

Hello all! please note my new address!!
beautiful name gerimessina. i hope you'll answer geoff's question.
melanie, please contact me at the address above for links on what you are seeking!
namaste'

Also, Hi Geoff, Carol, to, Richard, and everyone else!!! J

Hi Hadi!!

Hi Carol:

Here's a section of that article I mentioned -

Happiness, as John Stuart Mill said, is not something you can patent or buy. There are no chemical shortcuts. We seem to have lost the art of drawing from that deep well within us ... "We in the West have everything, except what we need to survive. That's why there is such a reliance on chemicals and on filling up each moment of our spare time with chatter, loud music and television. We don't want to confront the quiet truth that we do not really know how to survive."

The great monk, Thomas Merton, who was concerned with the spiritual yearning of every human heart, thought that drug, alcohol and sex addictions arose form the fear of living with emptiness. He said we could distract ourselves forever and never really understand our true self. Merton called for more solitude - solitude that could lead to touching an inner part of the soul separate from all except the Creator.

Poet Carl Sandburg said "I go out and walk and look at the birds and trees and sky. I listen. I sit on a rock and say to myself 'Who are you, Sandburg? Where have you been and where are you going?'"

The process can be difficult because some of the answers you hear in solitude's self-evaluation can be confronting. But it can also be the place for encouraging the "soft voice of inspiration" Thomas Merton reported sometimes hearing.

"The depths of God and ourselves meet in the abyss of solitude"

Gerimessina

Carol may be right. Deepak sure gets around -

Click here for the Community section of howtoknowgod.com

There is a section called Deepak's Board where he answers questions. I just went there and liked his answer about "Living without structure". I've been doing that for years! :)

hello gerimessina - the site you wish to go to is howtoknowgod.com. maybe Geoff will set a link here for you. Namasté

Geoff: Boy you read into everything! AsI said, I think it's "my" old p.c. that's the real problem. The graphics are up the spout or something. Actually I had the "computer guy" come and take a look because I've also been having printer problems, and he seems to think my computer is a confused wreck. I guess it would be with me at the helm ;) So he advises I save EVERYTHING and wipe the hard drive clean. Start over. I need a new CD ROM and hopefully I won't need a new Motherboard.

Actually that font color is GOLD and yes it is a bit hard to read at times. Gold can be hard to see even when it's right in front of you. :)

What's your favourite colour? I get a bit tired of black on white after a while. As we all know things are never as black-and-white as some would have you believe.

Namaste

Hi Gerimessina,

I think if you Click Here you will be taken to Deepaks Question of the Day. Hope this is what you're looking for.

You have an unusual name, do you mind if I ask what its origin is?

"Although there is nothing that is beyond forgiveness," said the scorpion, "I cannot risk being thrown into the fire again. Nevertheless, forgive me for stinging you as you struck the match."

I am very new at this . Last night I found a sight where questions could be answered by Dr. Deepak chopra or organization . It was on "ten most populare sights ". And getting questions answered was listed as a feature . I never made it int to the site and I can't find it now . Can anyone help ? Hopefull

I am very new at this . Last night I found a sight where questions could be answered by Dr. Deepak chopra or organization . It was on "ten most populare sights ". And getting questions answered was listed as a feature . I never made it int to the site and I can't find it now . Can anyone help ? Hopefull

Me hace muy feliz encontrar esta página, ya que después de haber leído Las 7 Leyes espirituales del éxito, sentí necesidad de conectarme con la asociación a nivel mundial por lo que les solicito me envíen toda la información que tengan de esa Asociación.Un fuerte abrazo. Verónica

Hi Kitty!!

Geoff: I really have trouble reading the "yellow" on my old p.c. You post some great stuff, so would you mind making it a little easier to read in future. Thanks. :)

Well sorry Melanie, I messed up the link, but it's at http://www.chopra.com/calendar.htm

Hi melanie!!

Deepak's schedule is at http://www.chopra.com/calendar.htm

{{{Terry}}}, good to "see" you.

Kereyra,: Welcome back! Glad you are giving it one more go.

Melanie: Just not my subject, but I'm always willing to learn. ;) As someone who has lived in London for twenty years, my perspective of Ireland tends to be a bit political and therefore a bit negative and dull. For a positive perspective you should ask Kate and Peggy who have a great deal of enthusiasm for the place. Although they haven't posted here much lately the subject matter may entice them.

It is when your spirit goes wandering upon the wind,
That you, alone and unguarded, commit a wrong unto others and therefore unto yourself.
And for that wrong committed must you knock
and wait a while unheeded at the gate of the blessed.

Kahlil Gibran

Beautiful Hadi. Thank you, and all who have expressed such loving thoughts.

dear all, I am currently engaging on publishing a magazine on holistic and enviromental ireland. I wish to create a collective consciousness that we all become aware of ourselves and our enviroment through love and light thats my goal, and i'm hear to ask for guidance. I would be really grateful to everyone who shares their light with me. if you have an article for contribution I would love that to. love and light always melanie please note I plan to name it SOLAS which is the irish word for light

Welcome Ely! Sounds like you've come to the right place.

Crown/Harmony Books

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