{Check if I that file address is correct at Fortune city - should be the spectrum of various emotions ...}

More dialogue that continues to just 'pop' into my head -

"I'd much rather see genuine glumness than pretend happiness."

"I know just what you mean. But I suspect that human beings have been faking it for so long that I doubt if they'd recognise the real thing if they fell over it."

Yes, all the recent dialogue in this journal - I suppose one day I might actually get around to assimilating it into that piece I wrote ages ago called Fragments of a conversation ...

Plus ...

"Actually, the amazing thing is that it works at all. I mean all these billions of people making decisions and choices on a daily basis. What amazes me is that it's not complete & utter chaos. That's the strongest evidence there is that some larger unseen force and intelligence must be behind the everyday reality we can see and touch and barely comprehend in our normal states of consciousness."

"That's funny. I had the very same thought myself about three weeks ago, around 3 o'clock in the morning. I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me."

"I am the everlasting goodness of life."

"Well, I'm very pleased to meet you."

Another way of looking at this whole Chopra discussion - Ghandi was Ghandi. Theresa was Theresa. Chopra is Chopra. He's providing an opportunity for you to practice unconditional love. Which means you let go of all desire to change the other person or get upset when their life choices are not what you think they 'should' be ... where was that link to the definition of unconditional love at spiritweb ...

Here it is - Definition of Unconditional Love - I'd forgotten how many neat links are in that file - here - which originally was a list of mental health sites that explore the whole question of 'mental illness' in a non-conventional way ... :)

Having a look at all the stuff I've been writing lately - one point I seem to have overlooked is the observation that one could well argue that the whole agree/disagree dynamic is just as unsettling to our individual and collective peace-of-mind as the approval/disapproval nonsense ...

Having a bit of trouble with my 'still mind' meditation lately ... which is okay but I seem stuck for the moment in analysis mode and nobody knows more than me about the limitations and frustrations of all forms of analysis. I did a spot of meditating this morning after listening to some talkback radio. My mind went back to yesterday's musing on how radically different things would be if we all adopted a 'Buddhist' approach ... talkback would probably become defunct since at present it seems to consist largely of complaining and blaming which ultimately go 'nowhere' except to produce ill-will and ill-ness ...

... and yet that 'complaining & blaming' mentality is widespread and very pervasive and even recognising the problem is just the first step ... all of which took me back to that Jack Kornfield audio link (will look it up - email me if I dont :) ... and how painful it can be to watch others especially close family and to relaise they have to do it for themselves - you can't awaken for them, you can't let go for them ... that talk also has a great section on equanimity ... click here - it's called 'the ten perfections of the heart' - other audio files on this page too

... which is precisely why many Buddhists take the Bodhisattva vow - to seek a state of complete enlightenment not JUST for one's own benefit but so that you can be of genuine benefit to others - and the main benefit is to assist them to awaken to their true nature and thus liberate them ... and that blew me away the first time I read it, I think it was in Awakening the Buddha within

All of which sheds yet another light on the recent discussion of Deepak ... and to realise how utterly pointless and futile it is to criticise your fellow beings ---> if you have attained an enlightened state then you would at least wish somebody well on their path and if possible offer them something that may assist them rather than passing judgment on what they are doing 'wrong' [This needs work] ... and if you are indulging (and let's be honest here, it is always an indulgence) in criticism then you have the perfect indicator that you're a fair way from where you personally could be. And I know from personal experience that any time I criticise or judge then it merely reflects the level of frustration in that moment ...

An interesting question to ask if you ever do happen to find yourself criticising another soul - 'Do I really wish to spend (or expend) this mental & emotional energy on finding reasons to criticise or would that energy be better focused on exploring those aspects of my self that seek to criticise rather than to love ...

Yet, I can understand the objection to 'selling spirituality' but there is a VAST marketplace for such selling at the present ... I mean if human beings truly felt they had an inner wisdom they could rely on then none of these books would sell ... :)

Hey, Dumbo, it might be an idea to post some of this to the Forum ... it's conceivable somebody might benefit from reading it ... J 

Seems to be a time of relection lately. Walking around the shops, I found myself trying to 'catalog' the various sites/books I have read just over this past year or so ... stuff which I would have absolutely scofffed at a couple of years ago ... that fact alone proves that being a 'skeptic' or 'atheist' or whatever is not a permanent condition ... :)

Yet I found time to write a whimsical little poem sparked by recent discussions ...

There are moments in the gap that are completely indescribable
Now go quickly and pick up your closest copy of the Bible
You might like to open it randomly to absolutely any page
Your eyes may fall upon the words of some ancient sage

Gregory Stock? Book of Questions?

Reading over that 'Nature of reality' piece again ... yes, we do like to use the word 'reality' as if it is something fixed & solid & verifiable & external ... whereas in fact it is none of the above ... :)

{Heard interesting interview with Robina Courtin on ABC radio this morning - yes, buddhism is the antithesis of an evangelical, dogmatic religion. The teachers present their view of reality & it's up to each person who hears it to accept 1% of it or 50% or whatever percentage}

She's doing a weekend teaching in Melb this weekend ... the SBS doco was fabulous - so often you think 'That's it' but you try to explain or convey it to someone else and you find it's not the same ... like the art of good joke telling I suppose ...

Here's a link to Robina Courtin & her "Chasing Buddha" tour -
Chasing Buddha

I like the quote from Lama Zopa to a prison inmate:
"Your prison is nothing in comparison with the prison of ordinary people: the prison of ego-grasping, the prison of attachment, the prison of anger, depression and pride."

Robina Courtin

As if all the above isn't enough 'stuff' for one day ... I just checked my email and there was a thankyou for linking my site to the 'Pearls of wisdom' site ... I mean I have literally hundreds of links ... they also sent me a few more links to ckeckout -

Pearls of wisdom

The seeds of life

A voice of love

Bediuzzaman

www.theholybook.org

www.infinitelight.org

Actually, all of the above are on the links page at Pearls of Wisdom which is hardly surprising ... :)

The Three Christs of Ypsilanti

But wait ... I'm not finished with today's notes ... I pop into 'Buddhist quote of the moment' and it has that excerpt on karma from Nyanaponika Thera (click here and scroll down to that name) ... an idea similar to one i posted to the forum a while back ... so I plug that name into a search engine ... here's a couple of the 'hits' -

Contemplations of The Four Sublime States

{That site also has some audio files & a nice links page}

Abhidhamma - Buddhist explorations of time & consciousness

BuddhaNet File Library

J  December 15, 2000   [

Continuing yesterday's theme - followed a couple of links from www.vipassana.com to a place called Buddha Mind - worth a visit for the graphics alone ...

Added a link to the Calm Centre into the sleep tips ... I mean it's hard to sleep if you're not calm ... :)

A bit more cricket in the backyard - it's been a while since I played regular sport after doing it for many years. It's remarkable just in a week or so how the timing and reflexes and muscles 'learn' (or remember) and get honed. No wonder professional sportmen (with a fair bit more 'natural' ability then me) practising hours a day reach their levels of performance yet even then they also fluctuate and have days which are inexplicably sublime as well as those days where it almost looks like they have forgotten how to play ...

Speaking of which ...

Here's a few more of those ideas for comments to throw in whenever there's an 'awkward' pause:

"Bring me towards the lifetimes of Jesus."

"My doctor tells me that the world is like a diamond."

"You can talk to me while I'm walking towards the nightmare of life."

"In the beginning, the universe was quite hot and chaotic but things have improved a bit since then."

"I don't know that i agree with that but I respect your right to view reality in any way which you feel is best for your own individual personality."

{Note: the tone of voice can make all the difference in the world. It also relieves a lot of the tension because once people know you're crazy there's no need to worry about maintaining an 'image')

"Everyone thinks their parents are crazy."

"They're still evloving. If you look closely you can see their gills."

{Actually, those last two were from a sitcom. I'd hate to be known as a plagiarist. Then again, a wise man once said all thoughts are my thoughts - some thoughts are experienced more personally - I call them mine)

"You can reach a point where it is no longer a question of control. You're not controlling your anger because anger no longer arises since all the seeds of anger have been removed. It's really quite wondeful when that happens."

Some of those links at The Dharmacist are worth a look as well ...

Got an email from World Puja - seems like there's some 'event' on their site this weekend. Haven't visited there in a while ...

Also re-read that email from Starbuilders ... {Yes, sometimes you go ver something again and think, 'I don't remember that bit from the first time I read it - it must not have registered'} ...

There are those among you who do not believe in this power to move mountains. Mock them not in their ignorance. Wake them not from their sleep. Instead, bless them from the holy silence of your Heart.

Added a couple more sites to those Rumi links ... esp a review of A Gift of Love  CD

Here's a link from that Dharmacist site - here - a nice poem about the nature of love which is something I don't think enough of us are actively contemplating at this point in human history ... I mean who responds to a question about their goals and ambitions by declaring their main focus is to be as loving as they possibly can ... :) {ACIM says your main job on this level of existence is to identify the blocks that keep you from loving every soul you encounter - or words to that effect)

Reading through 4real.htm again ... yes, sometimes I surprise myself when I'm trying to express an idea or explain something and it just pops into my head. For example the section where I wrote, 'the seeds of that compassion is the simple recognition that anybody who directs any ill-feeling toward any other being for any reason at all is coming from a very unlit place just at that moment and having personally experienced how truly awful such unlit places are ... you can't help but feel at least compassion and wish them a speedy exit from such a place ...'

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Deepak reports similar experiences when writing his stuff. Namely, "where did that come from" ... and then there are times when you know what you want to say or convey but the words don't quite capture it ...

Much of my poetry has had that sense of "Wow! where did that come from?" ...

I post the puja link to forum & it is # 56666 ... :)

The level of output continues ... generally as I'm walking to and from the shops - a spot of Christmas shopping - Leunig CD & Chinese health calendar & a couple of Yowies & a great book on the 'best walks in Oz' ... Sven Klinge

You could say I'm dwelling a bit ... :) ... on the recent criticism of Chopra ... 'The real challenge is to find a loving response to those you totally disagree with.' Yes, condemning is never a loving response. I should know! I spent over a decade condemning all & sundry. For different reasons than those given against Chopra but condemning is condemning. It is second only to hatred in the damage it does (what is that CWG quote? about the damge done by hatred TO the person doing the hating and it being virtually irreparable?) ... So it's a lifestyle I wouldn't recommend.

And even if you truly believe Chopra ( and his 'followers') is on the 'wrong' tram ... then a more enlightened response, a more compassionate response would be to say a prayer for him (& his brethren) that they will find the right guidance ...

Yes, what it that CWG quote about 'that which you condemn'?? ... here and scroll down but I was also thinking of another quote - maybe it's not in CWG but it's along the lines that according to karma, if you persist in condemning someone/something then that's what you'll become in a subsequent incarnation because the best way to learn compassion is to expperience it directly ... so that's a powerful incentive in itself NOT to condemn anyone ... :)

Then while walking around the shops ... I mused on the current world (emotional) climate and most of us are operating from the position of "I'll do it when I see others doing it" ... "I'll let go of the past when I see everyone else doing it" ... "I'll love you IF you love me" (replace 'love' with 'accept' or 'forgive' or whatever) ... and okay, there are countless examples of individuals choosing to love/accept/forgive/let go regardless of what the other person does ... but to change it on a global scale ... hmmm ... prayer ...

... and in the meantime ... we all walk on eggshells ... :)

I'm thinking of going along to MLC tomorrow just for the atomsphere ... J

Testing ...

Plus a few more thoughts on the analogy of 'pushing your buttons' ... you can either block access to the buttons or defuse the warheads ... :)

"Reality is pretty astonishing when you look at it but it would be a bit pointless creating an astonishing reality unless you are going to create beings who are capable of astonishment ...

"It's all part of accepting people precisely where they are and not focusing on all the things you'd like to change about them." { ... and to move from 'accepting' to loving at some stage ... }

Found a few Oz walk guides - in walks.htm ... if I upload ...

From the forum - Global Renaisance Alliance - people like Marianne Williamson, Neale Donald Walsch, Deepak Chopra, Gerald Jampolsky, Caroline Myss, James Redfield to mention just a few ... and a new book called Imagine

Plus this little gem which I kinda like (around # 56686) - very busy lately but this stood out ...

We are all viewing what is posted here through our filters. Everyone including you and me. That's just part of being human. I must say that I'm enjoying your posts more lately. I feel this has more to do with a change in me than a change in you (though I'm sure you have changed too). You are who you are and do what you do. Then the world interprets, judges and evaluates based on a billion past prejudices, past hurts, happy memories, associations, whatever. You can't stop the judgment of others. It's just going to happen. It's all stuff from the past and as I tried to establish a week ago, the past doesn't exist. As soon as I feel an opinion come up into my awareness, I say, "hey, I have an opinion about XYZ." I may express it or I may not express it. Either way, it's just my opinion and really doesn't mean anything when we really get right down to it. The real question is how am I being, not what are my opinions. At least for me, that's what is important. Of course that too is an opinion so I'm not going to cling too tightly to that either. The way we are being doesn't need defense. It just is. Are you being the way you really want to be. If so, then enjoy! If not, then make distinctions about what is for you and then make the choices needed to change.

Testing ...

J  December 16, 2000   [

Interesting changes being planned for the welfare system - click - yes, the old 'me' might have said something sarcastic like 'The idea of coercing emotionally & psychologically fragile or volatile individuals to do smething they don't have their heart set on doing is probly not the greatest idea in human history. (I'm particularly thinking of the Disability Pension for people diagnosed with a mental illness) ... and the old 'me' might not have stopped there :) ... there might have been a comment along the lines that not everybody is prepared to be an automaton (no pun intended) and that it's nice to see mankind's long tradition of punitive solutions is alive and kicking (heads) ... how times have changed ... nowadays I'd endeavour to feel compassion for the tough job of running a complex system as well as compassion for those who do not 'fit the mould' whether by 'choice' or by circumstance ... :)

That Sleep doco was better than i expected - details of some experiments in dream telepathy & oobe - mentioned Stanley Krippner ... so I found a book he co-authored here ... I'm looking forward to see what territory they cover in the next 5 shows ...

And here's an interview with him ... here

"You know you'll always be the only one for me." J
{I'm glad I decided to pop back into the forum ... as 'me' and as various alter-egos ... }

I am absolutely flying at the moment ... but I have been 'here' before and learned that it aint necessarily permanent though there's no reason to assume the pattern will continue as it has in the 'past' ...

Found yet another photgraphy site ... here

The output continues unababted ... reflecting particularly on the forum (for a man who said he was taking a breather from that place ... ) ... yes, why DO people visit it and post at it. I have to admit at various times I have assumed and judged and interpreted people's motives and whatever ... I'm sure some are there to learn, some to teach, some to do both, some are there out of curiosity, some are there for reasons that have yet to be revealed to themselves ... and what does it matter - if people are happy to participate or contribute in whatever way they feel moved to ... I'm in such an amazing place just now nothing could 'upset' me and all i'd wish is that everyone gets out of it something of benefit or the seeds of some future benefit ... I'm starting to sound like a real Buddhist ... not that there's anything wrong with that ... J

Actually one recent post reminded me of an old Monty Python sketch. "I mean who can honestly say that at one satge or another he hasn't set fire to some great public building ... I know I have ... " ... later in that sketch (called Mice & Men?) the speaker (a psychitrist) asks 'Who can honestly say at one time or another he hasn't felt sexually attracted to mice ... I know I have' ...

I couldn't help myself - I tuned into that soap again - it's so sad if that is where you are 'at' - to wish actual misfortune on a fellow being for whatever reason ... you can't be in a much darker place ... and I have definitely been there ... which again is the seed of compassion ...

Yes, the whole revenge thing ... and it's diametric opposite which is forgiveness ... it's amazingly obvious once you really wake up that revenge harms YOU - okay, it may inflict some damage on others if they allow it to but the main sufferer is yourself ... likewise forgiveness is done mainly for YOURSELF and may be of some incidental or considerable benefit to others along the way ... forgiveness liberates the one who forgives which is a concept I would have totally scoffed at not so very long ago ...

... if we all chose to embrace forgiveness the tension level in the world would subside beyond belief if not evaporate completely ... and maybe one day we will ...

BTW, in case anyone is reading this and is wondering what the 'forum' is ... click here

For some reason my mind flashed back to one of our early 'consumer participation meetings' ... and the little 'embellishments' I added to the minutes ... oh, what was it ... something about 'reality folded in on itself as we were transported to a dimension beyond the realm of space and time our hearts and our minds were spontaneously expanded beyond their normal confinement ... and then the xperience was over and we were back to our everyday consciousness' ... something like that anyway ... it received a mixed reception needles to say ...

Today's mantra is ... 'People give me the yummies of life'. This is recommended by nine out of ten Dalai Lamas and is a very good hanover cure (or hangup cure)

From the world puja site - something dave (not the dave at the forum) would find interesting - voices of compassion & a CD recording ... mentions Thomas Merton & the Gethsemani abbey. Small world ...

www.voicesofcompassion.com

There also seems to be movement at the Emissary of Light site ...
www.emissaryoflight.com

A little trip to Kew ... felt quite sublime on the train - some spontaneous 'harmonic' chanting ... there was a video shop selling dicounted videos of ex-rental films, so I grabbed The Green Mile & Bicentennial Man ... also popped into the Awakenings bookshop and they had a nice CD of chants of Om Mani Padme Hung ... but I decided I probly didn't need another cd ... J

More interesting stuff at forum - message # 56789 will be posted within the next day or so ... probly not by me but you never know ... nonviolence & Tibet & the Lamas becoming known to the West ... and the complete absence of hostility or resentment from the refugees ...

A few more thoughts popping in and out of my mind ... 'If you allow yourself to dislike someone because of soemthing as unimportant as a disagreement or a difference of opinion ... you're going to have one tough life ... with almost no genuine peace of mind ...

November 2000      Journal Menu      December 17 to 31

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J

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