TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Following eye surgery, clear focusing has not returned and eye strain results from anything other than a brief exposure to a computer screen; moreover, two follow up procedures must be arranged to "fine tune" the effects of the surgery; hence, the postings will be brief for awhile.
2. [See the offer following this post for details on how you can watch a retreat on video which includes a detailed discussion of all seven of the steps on the path as used by Maharaj]
3. Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. See the end of the post for the full meaning and implications of that.
4. A new video ("Number Ten: Awakening Together Satsang, March 2018") has now been added in the far right column of this page, offering the opportunity to view a recent 2018 satsang session with Floyd being interviewed by Regina and Jacqueline of "The Awakening Together Group."
Many among "the religious" speak of Seven Deadly Sins, as in "these will kill you"?
Or as in "These are unforgivable by our forgiving god," added to "the other unforgivable sin of using His name in vain"?
Their seven sins considered to be "deadly" are:
lust
anger
greed
pride
envy
gluttony
and
sloth.
Yet were there not some degree of lust, would not the human species come to an end when the last person presently alive expired? Some lust is required in order for persons to engage in the sex act which perpetuates the continuation of the human species.
[Additionally, the irony involved with that deadly sin is that the church leaders who are criticizing lust have a very long history of engaging in lustful acts with both adults and child-age parishioners. When a man asked me, "How can these religious people tolerate and even support a man for president who is an admitted sex predator?" I chuckled and said, "You've either kidding me or showing how unaware you are. Those are the same people who have been tolerating and even supporting their religious leaders who are also known sex predators and are the same people who continue to fund their institutions, right up to yesterday when reports were published that the sexual conduct continues to happen. Ha."]
Were there not some degree of anger being felt, and if persons throughout history had to deny or suppress their anger and refuse to feel it when things are done which normally evoke anger, then persons would be like doormats, allowing themselves to be walked on and abused.
If there were not some degree of greed, then persons might never be inspired to work in order to meet their basic needs. The same applies to some degree of gluttony.
If there were not some degree of pride, then no job would be well done.
If there were not some degree of envy, then persons might never be inspired to take any action to excel or exert themselves.
If there were not some degree of sloth, then persons would never relax and allow their physical and mental and emotional batteries to be recharged.
The point is not to succumb to the influences of the "Goldilocks Syndrome" and expect that nothing should ever be too hot or too cold or too hard or too soft but to see, nevertheless, that balance is the key to peace; that balance alone can set the stage for feeling contentment; and seeing that . . .
rather than extremes of mania and depression, or
rather than extremes of feeling eagle high sometimes but whale caca low at other times, or
rather than experiencing the effects of the Borderline Personality Disorder and loving someone sometimes but hating him or her at other times
actually seeing that balance is the only sane way to go.
For decades I have provided financial counseling to individuals, couples and businesses, either (a) setting them up on a budget which is sane and sensible or (b) formulating a strategy for them to be able to live within their means in a manner which is based in financial sanity rather than in the more commonplace financial insanity which drives most persons' spending habits.
The goal, therefore, is to have "a balanced budget," meaning one in which total revenues equal or exceed total expenses.
The same applies to . . . everything.
One report suggests that at least 13% of all humans presently suffer from full-blown alcoholism and that 12-13% can be classified as "hard drinkers" who abuse alcohol the same way that alcoholics do. There are also surveys which report that 30% of all humans do not consume alcoholic beverages at all.
That suggests that about 50% of all humans drink alcohol but drink moderately. Their consumption is "balanced" so they drink alcoholic beverages but they do not do not suffer the mental and emotional and physical problems which are alcohol-related and which non-moderate drinkers suffer.
See? Balanced (although in the case of alcoholics, balanced drinking is not an option because of the combination of a physical, pancreas-related, sugar -related allergy and an obsessive mind).
Yesterday, one of the traits displayed by fanatics was "immoderation."
One dictionary defines "moderation" as "the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's thoughts and words and behaviors or in one's political opinions or religious beliefs."
The deer in this neighborhood display the essence of the natural, Nisargan mode of living which Maharaj endorsed:
They are not concerned with dogma or the state of a dreamed-up "soul." They display balanced and moderate degrees of lust, anger, greed, pride, envy, gluttony and sloth.
They have sex and procreate; they can become angry and greedy and prideful and envious and gluttonous, especially during mating season.
They can be slothful and - as Maharaj endorsed - willing to lie about and "rest in the cool, blue shade" and do . . . nothing.
By any stretch of the imagination, could one accurately conclude that those traits - manifesting to the moderate degree to which they are manifesting in the deer - be considered "deadly" for them?
To see a manner of abidance which is natural and sane and balanced and moderate, one best not look for that among the human masses.
To see what abidance looks like when it is natural and sane and balanced and moderate, one best look to nature. Look long enough and eventually one will be able to find a model there.
To be continued.
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Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns.
THE EXPLANATION
If looked at as nouns, they point to illusions and are, therefore, a total waste of time to even discuss; if looked at as verbs which are resulting in certain sane but rare behaviors among humanity, then they are worthy of some attention during the relative existence.
Meaning? There are members of certain groups who say things such as "My concept of God in the past was of a weak God, an absentee God, A Santa Claus-type God, a mean, punishing, vindictive God, etc. Today, I am in close contact with a loving and caring God whom I worship and praise and glorify and give thanks to."
The reply to that usually goes like this: "If you are in contact with a God that wants to be worshipped and praised and glorified, then you're dealing with someone like yourself - a narcissist - and hanging out with narcissists will never bring an end to your narcissism (that narcissism evidenced by the fact that you think you are "godly").
Next, in the phrase 'loving and caring God,' any supposed God that truly had her or his act together would tell you that the totally irrelevant part of that phrase is 'God' and that the only part that is relevant is the "loving and caring" part.
"That is, a non-narcissistic god / goddess would say, "I care not an iota about being worshipped and praised and glorified by you or anyone else. How arrogant and insecure and needy would I have to be to want that? Forget the man-made, dreamed up noun 'God' and focus on the 'God as a verb' understanding and then go forth and let loving and caring be verbs - not adjectives - and let them generate the act of love and the act of caring and let those actions manifest through you."
Yeshu'a (Jesus) and Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis were spot on:
"No one shall ever see 'the kingdom of heaven.' It is within"
and
"Heaven and earth shall fade away."
--Yeshu'a (Jesus)
and
"Heaven and hell are not geographic places but are states of mind, nothing more than concepts dreamed up by men."
--Pope John Paul II
"There is no hell."
--Pope Francis, the current pope
[in an interview with journalist Eugenio Scalfari,
a writer used by the Pope to issue off the record
teachings
which become a part of the Papal Magisterium]
Here's
the direct link to the VIDEO VERSION
of the "Awakening Together" satsang session with Regina and Jacqueline referenced earlier, 18 MARCH 2018
If preferred, here's
the direct link to the AUDIO VERSION
of that session.
