In order to have faith in what you believe it must be able to support the weight of your direct experience. If it cannot, then faith faulters, as it should, and new understanding and a new belief must be sought. But the very prospect of being without something to "believe" is so frightening to most that they choose instead to believe "blindly", which is to say that they completely ignore what direct personal experience might tell them, and their support their beliefs instead by elaborate systems of fantastic secondary experiences - in other words, fantasies. I call this "make believing".
(J.D. 11-30-13)
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Politics and Religion
History tells us that organized religion has always been about politics - i.e. a means of manipulating the consent and consensus of a group of people in order to consolidate power and control over them. But, since all history is written by those currently in power it is not so easy to read in it the fact that all political organizations - i.e. governments - are systems of religious belief, used as the means of manipulating the consent and consensus of a group of people in order to consolidate power and control over them. If one but only looks briefly however, this becomes apparent; which is why all governments spend so much time and effort distracting the people so they won't think about looking behind the curtain of politics, or a question what they have been systematically taught to believe.
(J.D. 11-30-13)
(J.D. 11-30-13)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Being In The Now
Being in the Now does not mean ignoring or otherwise disregarding the past and/or the future. It means incorporating and embracing the past and the future as part of the Now.
It makes no sense to ignore the lessons of the past, and even less sense to ignore the possibilities of the future. Some say that the future and the past do not exist, only the Now is real. But that is like saying China does not exist simply because you are not there and cannot see it. Of course we ultimately don't know if China exists unless we are actually there, and even then the reality of it is debatable. But, to assume that China does not exist simply because we can't see it is more foolish than assuming it does. And so assuming that the future or past does not exist only because we are not there now is more foolish than assuming they do exist. It is better to assume they do.
It is better still to assume nothing, not even that you exist. In this way we can focus on our experience "in the Now" without the confusion of pointless philosophical questions. The past and the future in this sense become as much a part of our experience in the Now as anything else. Our memories become our experience in the now of the past, and our imagination becomes our experience of the future. Is not memory and imagination just as real as what you see, touch, taste, smell, or feel? Of course it is, and science even confirms this to be so. Numerous studies show that what our mind "sees" is not the same as what our eyes "see". Everything we experience is filtered and interpreted before we ever become aware of it. So to assume that what you imagine the future to be is any less real than what you see the Now to be is just another way of deceiving yourself, and ultimately only deprives you of truly experiencing the Now at all!
We must embrace the future in the Now, and bring the past along too. That doesn't mean letting the past determine the Now, or even the future. It means only remembering the past in the Now, but not mistaking it for the Now. If we are not in China then we do not need to speak Chinese. But, if we know how to speak Chinese we do not pretend we do not. I hope I'm making my point - the past is the past, and is best left in the past, but not forgotten.
Likewise, the future is the future, and while it is good to prepare for what we imagine the future may bring, it is not good to try to force the future (i.e. via the present) to be something it is not. In other words, if the future does not bring what we expect or what we hoped, then we must accept what it does bring, learn and adapt. That is all part of being in the Now.
(J.D. 12-2-13)
It makes no sense to ignore the lessons of the past, and even less sense to ignore the possibilities of the future. Some say that the future and the past do not exist, only the Now is real. But that is like saying China does not exist simply because you are not there and cannot see it. Of course we ultimately don't know if China exists unless we are actually there, and even then the reality of it is debatable. But, to assume that China does not exist simply because we can't see it is more foolish than assuming it does. And so assuming that the future or past does not exist only because we are not there now is more foolish than assuming they do exist. It is better to assume they do.
It is better still to assume nothing, not even that you exist. In this way we can focus on our experience "in the Now" without the confusion of pointless philosophical questions. The past and the future in this sense become as much a part of our experience in the Now as anything else. Our memories become our experience in the now of the past, and our imagination becomes our experience of the future. Is not memory and imagination just as real as what you see, touch, taste, smell, or feel? Of course it is, and science even confirms this to be so. Numerous studies show that what our mind "sees" is not the same as what our eyes "see". Everything we experience is filtered and interpreted before we ever become aware of it. So to assume that what you imagine the future to be is any less real than what you see the Now to be is just another way of deceiving yourself, and ultimately only deprives you of truly experiencing the Now at all!
We must embrace the future in the Now, and bring the past along too. That doesn't mean letting the past determine the Now, or even the future. It means only remembering the past in the Now, but not mistaking it for the Now. If we are not in China then we do not need to speak Chinese. But, if we know how to speak Chinese we do not pretend we do not. I hope I'm making my point - the past is the past, and is best left in the past, but not forgotten.
Likewise, the future is the future, and while it is good to prepare for what we imagine the future may bring, it is not good to try to force the future (i.e. via the present) to be something it is not. In other words, if the future does not bring what we expect or what we hoped, then we must accept what it does bring, learn and adapt. That is all part of being in the Now.
(J.D. 12-2-13)
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Welcome To Your Eternal Life
To suppose, as many do,that this life is some sort of precursor to another eternal life of idealized perfection (e.g. heaven) is not just ignorant, it is contrary to the reality of perfection, and the reality of eternal life; it is contrary to heaven itself.
This life is your eternal life, and it is already perfect. If it wasn't perfect (in the absolute sense) then you simply would not exist. Think about it. In order for you to exist, circumstances going all the way back to the Big Bang had to be exactly what they were, i.e. perfect. You are the product of perfection! If one single atom had spun up instead of down ten billion years ago, our solar system wouldn't exist today, and of course neither would you.
But, that atom did spin down, and in combination with trillions upon trillions upon trillions of other profound events, equally significant, we came into being. If just one of those events of the tiniest impact had been any different, any less perfect, then the universe, our world, and you, would simply not be.
This is not some mystical idea that requires blind faith to believe. It is a fundamental and self-evident truth that takes only a little honest introspection, and courage to challenge your established beliefs, for you to see it, and comprehend it for yourself. You needn't take my word or anyone's word for it. The universe was created perfect, for all with eyes to see and bear witness too. And it will remain perfect throughout all of eternity.
James T. Kirk once said (in a Star Trek book that I don't remember the title of off hand), "The doors to truth are guarded by paradox and confusion. If we turn our back to these, they will remain closed behind us." So, if we are to know truth, we must accept confusion and paradox, but only because we look at eternity through mortal eyes; we see infinity through the finite, and it makes no sense.
This life is your eternal life, and it is already perfect. If it wasn't perfect (in the absolute sense) then you simply would not exist. Think about it. In order for you to exist, circumstances going all the way back to the Big Bang had to be exactly what they were, i.e. perfect. You are the product of perfection! If one single atom had spun up instead of down ten billion years ago, our solar system wouldn't exist today, and of course neither would you.
But, that atom did spin down, and in combination with trillions upon trillions upon trillions of other profound events, equally significant, we came into being. If just one of those events of the tiniest impact had been any different, any less perfect, then the universe, our world, and you, would simply not be.
This is not some mystical idea that requires blind faith to believe. It is a fundamental and self-evident truth that takes only a little honest introspection, and courage to challenge your established beliefs, for you to see it, and comprehend it for yourself. You needn't take my word or anyone's word for it. The universe was created perfect, for all with eyes to see and bear witness too. And it will remain perfect throughout all of eternity.
James T. Kirk once said (in a Star Trek book that I don't remember the title of off hand), "The doors to truth are guarded by paradox and confusion. If we turn our back to these, they will remain closed behind us." So, if we are to know truth, we must accept confusion and paradox, but only because we look at eternity through mortal eyes; we see infinity through the finite, and it makes no sense.
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