The Way's Way !

 

In some instances, I believe we could learn a lot of the Eastern philosophies on how to live. Especially since the West has never been too keen on Humility, which is a trait we could all do good to follow. I borrowed the Tao te ching by Lao Tzu from my friend, and I have to say, I have been enjoying it a lot. Sometimes it seems too mystical to become practical, but then again, maybe that's my western influence seeping in again. It takes the art of simplicity to a new level. I think I am so intrigued by it because it's so easy to default into a controlling mode.

We are so bombarded by the idea that we must take control of our lives and manipulate situations and each other to get what we want, that we don't realize we are causing more chaos then peace. Much of what I read, I loved, but one in particular stood out. Chapter 11 of the Tao struck me as very important and powerful. It says this:

We join spokes together in a wheel,

but it is the center hole that makes the wagon move.

We shape clay into a pot,

but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.

We hammer wood for a house,

but it is the inner space that makes it livable.

We work with being,

but the non-being is what we use.

This, I thought, was very insightful. The essence of life is not what we see and use with our hands before us, but rather what we don't see that has the potential to unify us. Love, faith, selflessness, these things are pure in and of themselves. When we choose to occupy our hearts with such things, we find a sense of peace and harmony with the world. I think what I found most comforting about the Tao was it's desire to point out the importance of "non-action". In other words, allowing things to be as they are and choosing to work with nature rather than against it. This doesn't mean laziness. It merely means trusting that in all decisions you make, everything will fall into place, even if it wasn't your original plan.

My one concern with the Tao is it's desire to be universal over individualistic. Not to say that it is completely impersonal, just that it focuses on the masses. When you follow the Tao, your life will effect the masses, which will in turn, effect you. So, the masses come first. Personally, I desire something more personal, something that is true because I have experienced it, not something that is hinged upon a universal idea.

Unfortunately, as I am saying this, I forget what passage gave me this impression, and please if you've read the Tao and disagree, let me know. Anyway, I still found it enlightening and comforting. I hope that I can practice many of it's truths in living. Selflessness, contentment, humility, and others are qualities that I know could make living this crazy life a little better.

The Supreme Being

God has a living Breath,
And the name of that Breath is man.
Man has a living Goal,
And the name of that Goal is God.

Have you ever wondered if man needs God or if God needs man?

I have come to realize that Man and God feed off each other and need each other, in other words 

Man and God are one another’s supreme necessity. Man needs God for his highest transcendental realization and God needs man for His absolute earthly manifestation. Man needs God to realize his highest truth, his highest existence. God needs man to manifest Him here on earth totally, divinely and supremely.

Does God need man more or does man need God more?  God needs us equally, if not more.
Here's why I believe so...
God knows our potential and possibilities infinitely better than we do.
We think of ourselves as useless, hopeless, helpless, but in God’s Eye we are really His divine instruments. He wants to use us in infinite ways. This is His Vision for man that He wants to transform into Reality. God wants us to be not only infinite but also eternal and immortal. He knows we have that capacity because He has given us the capacity. Now He wants us to utilize our capacity.

 Everyone talks about God, but  do we have any concept at all of who God is?   Who is God?

God is all Love.

God is all Light.

God is all Beauty.

God is everything: Truth, Peace, Light, Bliss in infinite measure.

He is with form; He is without form.

Whoever experiences God as Peace, will say God is Peace.  Whoever experiences God as Light will say God is Light. If one experiences God as Love, then that person will say God is Love.

Since we are human beings, according to our limited understanding we have given God many forms and names.

But God is really everything. If one wants to experience Him as an infinite expanse without any form, one can do so. Again, if we want to experience Him intimately as the most illumined being right in front of us, then He becomes that.

When one touches the God-Tree, one may experience Peace, while another experience Bliss. So one will say that God is all Peace and the other will say that God is all Bliss. But it is the same God, the same Goal. In the process of reaching the Goal we may see it in different ways, but once we really reach it, we can see that it is everything. Then, if we have to describe it, give a definition, we will describe the God-Tree in whichever aspect we like best. We can experience everything, but in our expression, our revelation, we will reveal the aspect we like best.

If God is what you want,
Then He can never come second.
He will always come first.
He will come
As your Confidant.
He will come
As your Advisor supreme.
He will come
As your only Friend.

Is there only one God?

There is one absolute God. But each human being is a portion of God. The Supreme God is like the ocean. Each drop has a little of the consciousness of the ocean; therefore, we can say each drop is a tiny god, a portion of God. If each one is a portion of the Infinite, then that person can say he or she embodies the essence of the Infinite.

According to Indian philosophy, there are as many gods as there are human beings. Each human being has God inside him. Most of the time the God inside us is fast asleep. But when we pray and meditate, the God inside wakes up. The soul, which is God’s representative within us, has a complete and inseparable connection with the Absolute God.

God is the divine Gardener.
Inside each flower-soul
He sees His own new and unique Beauty.

God is each ones own highest, most illumined, most perfect part. Each of us have two beings: one is higher, one is lower. Most of the time one stays as a lower being. When one becomes fully aware of ones higher being ones lower being is totally transformed and unified with the Highest, at that time that individual is none other than God. Although it is not yet recognized or revealed, your own highest, most developed, most perfect and illumined being is God. But what you are now is not perfect; it is far from perfection.

Man’s eternal question is:
Who is God?
God’s immediate answer is:
“My child, who else is God, if not you?”

Irrespective of the way we acknowledge the truth or the way in which we choose to identify ourselves with the truth, we identify ourselves one way or the other with Divinity; and this Divinity we call either God or Spirit or Being. If one chooses not to call it God, he or she has the liberty to do so. But you have to call it happiness. Happiness itself is God. You can appreciate the beauty of nature and if you are happy, then the happiness that you are experiencing is God. In one word, if God has to be defined, then I wish to say God is happiness.

The real reality
Is a simple simplicity
And not a complexity.
Complexity has never been related to reality.

God is not only equivalent to energy, God Himself is energy. But we have to know what aspect of God appeals to us. If God in the form of energy appeals to us, then God will come to us in the form of infinite energy. But if God in the form of a human being appeals to our mind and heart, He will show up right in front of us as a human being in the most luminous form.

When I speak of ‘the Supreme’, I am referring to God

Instead of the word ‘God’, most of the time I use the word ‘Supreme’, simple because I feel it gives me a more intimate connection with Him. Although God and the Supreme are one, there is a subtle distinction between the two. When we speak of God-realization, ‘God’ is synonymous with the Supreme. But usually when we say ‘God’, most of us feel that He embodies a height which is static, like a mountain that is high, but flat. When we use the term ‘God’, we feel that He has reached His Height and stopped. He does not have a constantly evolving consciousness; He is something finished, a finished product.

But when we say ‘Supreme’, we know that we are speaking of the Supreme Lord who not only reaches the absolute Highest, but all the time that goes beyond beyond and transcends the Beyond. There is a constant upward movement. He is eternal and immortal.

He is within this world and beyond it.
He is the Creator,
Both universal and transcendental.

Is it possible to have a philosophical proof of God, or do you have to depend on faith?

You have to depend on your sincerity. If you see something, you can acknowledge it for what it is, or you can call it a mental hallucination. When a spiritual Master is meditating in his highest consciousness, he is offering peace, light and bliss in abundant measure. If you are watching him, immediately you will see the reflection of God-consciousness in him. His consciousness will be changed to such an extent that you are bound to see that he is somewhere else. His face will radiate and you will see something inside him.

Philosophy is in the mind; spirituality is in the heart. If you want to define God with your mind, you will never be able to do it. You have to see God with your heart. The best proof of God is your own consciousness. If you come to a spiritual Master and meditate for a few minutes, you will see the difference in your consciousness. Then let your sincerity be the judge.

God does not have to convince you
Of His Existence.
You just convince yourself
That you came into the world
To do something great
And be something good.

Take it Back!

Some of us have been taught to blame and make others responsible for our pain.

Sometimes this may be true, but... IT'S NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX what they may have broken. Sucks, doesn't it?

When that finally hit home for me, I hated life. I hated life because that just was not fair. I hated life because, no matter what, it was a waste of my precious time to sit and wait for the people I was blaming to change my circumstances. Waiting had me feeling powerless which made me furious.

I had to take my power back from the people and circumstances that had more power over me than my own will. The gift of our power is to make something useful, great and fulfilling from the pain we endure. And I swear, the day will come when you take pleasure in your gift of transforming inevitable disappointment, betrayal and loss into...a life with much meaning and beauty.

Do it once and you will NEVER, EVER give the responsibility of your happiness...to another soul... again.

TAKE IT BACK! It's yours!