worth taking a look at:.
http://www.martycrouch.com/spiritualassessment.html.
spiritual self-assessment.
Terry:
Before I was born: WHERE WAS I? Who was I?
Now we're getting somewhere.
What is this "I" that does or does not do "spiritual" things? Right here, right now, who/what am I?
Is there to be found an "I", beyond the mind's definitions? Is what is aware of the mind's imagery and characterizations really and truly any of these things?
What the hell am I, really?
j
i have many hopes for this post.
ideally, it will be an eloquent explanation of my actions, more for myself than anyone else.
also, i hope that there are tons of others out there who have, or have had similar feelings and experiences who can contribute insight to the discussion.. as a witness, my mind was relatively closed.
Purps:
I am always amazed that you are 19.
Purps, I used to feel this way to.
No matter what temporality may say, I stopped labeling our dear Richie to an age. He exudes an ageless quality of intelligence and charm.
j
i have many hopes for this post.
ideally, it will be an eloquent explanation of my actions, more for myself than anyone else.
also, i hope that there are tons of others out there who have, or have had similar feelings and experiences who can contribute insight to the discussion.. as a witness, my mind was relatively closed.
You already knew it.
i have many hopes for this post.
ideally, it will be an eloquent explanation of my actions, more for myself than anyone else.
also, i hope that there are tons of others out there who have, or have had similar feelings and experiences who can contribute insight to the discussion.. as a witness, my mind was relatively closed.
As usual Richie, your post is eloquent.
I can only suggest that you continue to watch the mind -- in an open and nonjudgmental way -- as it labels and categorizes people. Just as labels and stories that people construct about you, Richie, are not you, neither are your stories and labels about others what they genuinely are. If we sincerely desire to live a life of integrity and honesty, then we need to step beyond this way of falsely isolating and categorizing people and things.
Not labeling and constructing mental stories about people allows us to simply be openly present with them and experience a deeper undefinable sense of what they truly are. Try it, you'll like it. This does not mean we necessarily enjoy the company of all people; certainly for some people it is healthier not to be around them...and most always these "toxic" people we can see are drowning in some outrageous story about themselves and others. Seeing this, rather than hate them, there is understanding and compassion...as you bid them sainara.
Not labeling and telling stories about people and life, opens the way to experience the genuine richness of life. It's a simple fact that many people never come to know. This glorious moment of conscious existence is always open and waiting for us to know.
j
in the garden of eden, god supposedly didn't want adam and eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.
he preferred they remain innocent and incapable of deciding for themselves what is right or wrong.. along comes satan who wants them to eat of this tree and says they will become like god, knowing good and bad for themselves.
he says they will be like god.. as we all know, they chose to eat and find out what they were missing.
What if we look at the trees within the garden of Eden metaphorically; by bringing the story into our own life here and now? Is there a pertinent lesson here?
It can be said that when we awaken to Reality, there is realised a boundless oneness and wholeness of life in-which our fragmented and broken sense of isolated "self" is seen as illusory. This awakening could be symbolised as eating from the Tree of Life. So then eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil could then symbolize the unquestioning acceptance of -- and so identification with -- the ever-changing duality. Most of us eat from the good and evil Tree every moment of every day. Blind to our true nature we live the chaotic rhythms of good and bad, up and down, sick and well, etc. We see "self" as a mere object being tumbled about within a hostile and unforgiving universe.
Nature does manifest in rhythmic ways, but what is aware of the dual "good and evil" nature of things? Does IT change? What/who is the foundational Self, really?
As far as the two angels and spinning sword back into Eden that we may eat from the Tree of Life, as far as my own journey I would say this implies that we must die of all we believe our-self and existence to be. Everything false must be let go, that what is True be lived and breathed.
j
a friend of mine is returning to the meetings.
his reason is "there's nothing else out there" (meaning out in the world).
if i had a dollar for every time i've heard a jw say this.
My dad used to ask me: "Jimmy, what day was it you planted your head three feet up your ass which places where it is now?"
I never could recalled exactly what day.
j
a friend of mine is returning to the meetings.
his reason is "there's nothing else out there" (meaning out in the world).
if i had a dollar for every time i've heard a jw say this.
What's "out there" is an INFINITE expression of life and universe that does not give witness to a nonsensical tribal deity as its Source. An overwhelmingly threatening atmosphere for nonsensical deity worshippers, who probably have not a genuine clue as to why they race to plant there head back into the sand.
j
i watched chris hitchens last night on a show with tim russert.
while i disagree strongly with most of what hitchens says, he did say.
one thing that struck me as profound.
My sense is that religion is not so much about "good" and "evil", as it is about simple self-preservation.
In religion we are programmed to identify the health and longevity of "self" to be contingent upon appeasing or staying within the good graces of our chosen little deity. According to whatever god or religious dogma we prescribe to, this may require less than desirable acts be performed upon others.
Not knowing who/what we truly are, we place our definition of a "self" in the hands of religion. Perhaps not the wisest of moves.
j
you all know how it works...you post a few topics, comment a few times and pretty soon people get to know your name, then they p.m. you and you start talking, then suddenly you find out through their posts and comments that they were lying to you.
has this happened to you?
did it make ya mad?
Cog,
So are you saying that is a common, normal occupation of heterosexual men to polish one another's nutsacks?
OK, lets get this straight once and for all. I don't polish nut sacks; Gumby does. He be the polisher, I be the polishee.....that's if it had happened as promised...but it never did. It never did.
Honest.
I didn't even get a shave.
There should be a law. There should be a broken-promise-to-polish-prison.
j
you all know how it works...you post a few topics, comment a few times and pretty soon people get to know your name, then they p.m. you and you start talking, then suddenly you find out through their posts and comments that they were lying to you.
has this happened to you?
did it make ya mad?
Not to worry. I'm probably even less gay than LittleToe, cause I don't wear a skirt.
A sack shine is a humorous, strange, but good natured term of endearment that good old Gumster started that even us pathetic womanizers can use as it has nothin to do with ones sexual orientation.......
at least I never thought it did
j
