TheSongsofDistantEarth

A relationship is about relating. Lack of honesty in such a matter as this basically means you're using her. Same deal if she's trying to trap you into becoming pregnant. If you can't be honest, there is no trust, the "relationship" is built on a lie, and more lies are soon to follow. A spiritual being should tell her the truth and then move on if she wants to have children.

Bravo, Blasto.

Speaking of citations, can you supply citations for your statement that "The world's oceans naturally leek [sic] more oil than the BP well in the Gulf"? Also, characterizing the BP disaster as just and "accident" is totally wack-o. This accident is the result of criminal negligence. When the stakes of poor outcome are so high, there are safeguards (i.e., regulations) that exist for very good reason. Would you want a surgeon impaired on drugs or improperly trained doing your brain or heart surgery? What about an inexperienced or drunk pilot flying you over the ocean? According to your logic, "accidents happen." So therefore, we shouldn't look to see if there was negligence or a correctable cause involved. You seem to shrug it all off as though there's nothing more to be done. Also, your "so what?, a big yawn" approach to the end of mankind is kind of stupid. Yes, from an impersonal perspective separated by lots of time, sure, life will go on. But there will be immense pain and suffering for billions of Earth's beings being part of a massive die-off. You seem to shrug this off as if it doesn't concern you. Well, if this comes to pass, then everything in your life is just about over, including spiritual cultivation. It will then be time to reap what you have sown in your years of cultivation in having equanimity as immense suffering, trauma, disease and death wreaks ultimate annihilation on the flora and fauna of the earth.

Problematic people? More like problematic environment. I can relate. It's kind of like that movie "office Space'. How does a conscious person function in that kind of place? Perhaps the only thing would be to get out of there, but that might not be possible. How did you like the Maldives? I found it kind of a way-station out of place and time. Could walk around the entire island in 10 minutes, and had breakfast lunch and dinner with everyone including other honeymooners occupying the same table with the same waiter (our waiter's name was Hanif) at each meal. We were there for 4 days, and man, I couldn't wait to get out of there. Sort of a lethargic dreamy boring-ness. It looked terrific on the travel brochures, though.

Can we stow away 72 beautiful young virgins for the journey to help us stock the new planet??

I remember this guy when I was a kid. Is he now about to be right? Yes Mikaelz, after the events of the last several years, I can see that it would not be too hard for thios scenario to unfold. Compound that with some other environmental or terrorist catastrophe, and bingo, end of life as we know it. It blows my mind that there are people out there still making babies and rejoicing at the arrival of another life on this troubled earth. I sensed this shit coming when I was a teen-ager and back then I decided that I could never ingood conscience bring children into the world that is this fucked up. Spaceship? Sure!!

Well, even if you're ready for it, it will be tremendously difficult. The question comes down to this: will the spirit of humanity rise up in cooperation in the manifestation of the upper chakras of transcendence, or will it destroy itself by remaining in the lower chakras of survival at all costs? There may be a geographical variability, so where you live at the time of crisis may be the most important factor of all...

Energy Psychology (or "tapping") can be extremely effective for phobias. Check out 'Thought Field Therapy" or 'Emotional Freedom Technique."

Sorry, Mystery is that in the universe which cannot be known or explained. It is the opposite of this statement: "Given enough time, everything in the Universe can be known and understood through Reason (Science, Logic, etc.)." An example of Mystery in modern life is that of synchronicity and serendipitous co-incidental events.

Well, there will be massive die-off likely, and we each think we'll be among the 'lucky' ones. No, I don't have any solutions as long as humanity remains increasingly insane, no cooperation or solutions are possible. Organize a world-wide "Kumbaya' session? Naw, I think this is humanity's fate, and you might as well lay up some nice pills to take when it turns to shite here, and then ascend (or descend) into the next level. , for one. don't care to stick around if it's people preying upon each other for survival. Blasto might have some solutions for self-preservations, but for humanity? Ferget it. (Sorry to be so down about this, but I feel this approaching amnd it scares me to death.)

I don't know, in my opinion, it's still a naive notion that enclaves could survive for long under total societal breakdown. Would I want to still be alive in a Mad Max world? No, if it was a continuing existence where there was no real cooperation and sharing, but rather survival mentality. Kill any who come to get you or your stuff. I would also consider that there are many, many, many weak and unprotected and incapable embers of society who would not make it. It depends on how bad it really is. I can foresee an extreme economic meltdown globally where all may suffer, if so, there may be a spirit of cooperation rather than lawlessness. Reality in the last several years has really begun to wobble. It's really insane in the world right now, civilization is operating out of sheer momentum and force of habit, but the fatal cracks are already there. Every major institution in the world is in crisis and is breaking down. The measure of the enormous problems we face appear to insurmountable as the clock ticks while we polarize and can't even productively discuss options, and effective solutions are blocked--at least for now. Another big psychic shock like 9-11 might create a brief window of cooperation. But I really feel like it's already over, and nobody realizes it yet. If global warming/climate change is true, we sit on our hands as big business and money interests continue business-as-usual. If it's not true, we still are dealing with increasingly scarce resources with an exponential population growth and we will not be able to meaningfully feed our populations. I'm 48, and I can't imagine what the next 35 or so years will bring. IO have the heavy intuition that the planet is calling for a big purging. Sorry, Sloppy.Your grandparents would not be safe if things really hit the fan. Maybe for a few months, but not longer. If we have a softer landing, then maybe. But there's an awful lot of capable people out there who could easily take away what they have when they're found out.

Kate, are you joking? On what planet are you envisioning this, Earth? Are you going to swap and barter with the electric company? Or pay the mortgage/rent each and every month? Or the hospital and cardiologist that's doing your father's heart valve replacement and triple bypass? I find this vision of swapping goods and services naive in the extreme...as if we all live in Mayberry and can swap a haircut with Floyd the barber for grooming his dog. If money collapses, there will be a long period of extreme chaos before some other system is implemented.

Consider for a moment: what if the leak can't be stopped? It seems that we enter into a post-industrial era, the daily reminder and emblem of toxic black sludge/goo staining poisoning the water, wetlands, beaches and fishing of an entire region forever, which would undoubtedly severely affect the entire country. I always thought that the 2012 prediction was not of a "pole shift" or tidal waves destroying the Himalayas, but rather a series of economic disasters that throws the entire world into a dis-integrative cycle. We are coming to realize that the world economic structure is a shaky house of cards being run by people who are feeding at the trough. Our government is polarizing to the extreme, paralyzed and unable to solve worsening problems and crises. I see civilization disintegrating, and 2012 seems to me to be a reasonable time-frame.

Popular, and definitely enlightened. An amazing performance, gives me chills and opens my heart. Where are the real musicians of our present day? Take that look of worry I'm an ordinary man They don't tell me nothing So I find out what I can There's a fire that's been burning Right outside my door I can't see but I feel it And it helps to keep me warm So I, I don't mind No I, I don't mind Seems so long I've been waiting Still don't know what for There's no point escaping I don't worry anymore I can't come out to find you I don't like to go outside They can't turn off my feelings Like they're turning off a light But I, I don't mind No I, I don't mind Oh I, I don't mind No I, I don't mind So take, take me home Cos I don't remember Take, take me home Cos I don't remember Take, take me home Cos I don't remember Take, take me home, oh lord Cos I've been a prisoner all my life And I can say to you Take that look of worry, mine's an ordinary life Working when it's daylight And sleeping when it's night I've got no far horizons I don't wish upon a star They don't think that I listen Oh but I know who they are And I, I don't mind No I, I don't mind Oh I, I don't mind No I, I don't mind So take, take me home Cos I don't remember Take, take me home Cos I don't remember Take, take me home Cos I don't remember Take, take me home, oh lord Well I've been a prisoner all my life And I can say to you But I don't remember Take, take me home...

I don't hate, either. Vaj has a slippery way of 'debating' where he somehow is always right and superior, and I really don't recall when he backs away from a point or takes the another's point of view. He's Teflon and airtight, and when stymied, falls back on whatever he's saying is true because he has "perceived the Truth" in his meditative experiences. He's very aggressive, and when called on his style he turns all soft and innocent. When he previously was one of the top, if not the top posters in this forum, his obnoxious and grandiose-yes, grandiose- ramblings took over much of the forum for a while. I see this happening again because he seems to hold a view of himself as a perfect, nearly enlightened spiritual practitioner who is here to enlighten the heathens. He basically is not in balance and his grandiose verbiage and self-image, as well as his ubiquity definitely seem to actually offend some, including me. He's very quick to say "you're wrong" and to tell people who they are and what level of spiritual development they lack and to tell them they're imbalanced or are 'ad hominem'. But for a realized being he cannot ever resist the arguments clothed in his zeal for Buddhism. He is impossible to debate, because he does not think or write clearly, even though he is completely defensive in the face of those who tell him this. Some people can grasp what he is arguing, but to many others, it is just a vomiting of Buddhist words in post after post. And I oppose him based on his behavior here. He was divisive before, and his energizer bunny posting (I guess he can type really fast) just about guarantees that he always gets the last word. He is a divisive force, and seemingly cannot reign himself in or have any insight as to how he comes across. So Mal, I think this call for civility will be futile. I feel it is up to those who care to resist his take-over of a good forum. If you look back, he has gotten crosswise with quite a few members here, including Stigweard and Wayfarer64. None of us gets into it with anyone else, really, including ralis.

I'm too lazy to go back through to disprove your denial of your 'fire breathing' exhibits, but you have done so numerous times. I don't pick up that you're here reluctantly except that you no longer put up 40-50 long rambling times per day. And be specific...a"a number of people"? Come on...How many exactly? 2 or 3? I don't see why they should not step forward in support of your preaching. Admit it or deny it, you remain a very divisive force here, Vaj. You stir up trouble and then step back innocently saying "What, me?? I'm just here to discuss the Buddha's teaching, that's all."

Crimes against Nature, crimes against Humanity...That's Capitalism Free Enterprise for ya...

Oh, it worked last year for 2,000 plus posts, dat dude swats away any and all who challenge his preaching. Don't you remember all this kind of stuff??: 'Should a Taoist Forum focus primarily on Taoism? Can the Buddhist banter be streamlined?' It went on and on and on...and lots and lots of evangelical Buddhism sprawled over many threads from the member who remained resolute in Buddhist Agenda, preaching the superiority of Buddhism to all other ways and continued posting the Buddha's Gospel. And it did work here, because this member seemed to be on a crusade... but was oblivious to that charge...until his new wife probably made him take a break 6 months ago when he got married...

Gee, that's too clear. Could you be a little more obtuse and vague about it?

Any of those three would be a welcome miracle.

You guys are both awesome!!! Best two posts in the forum for a long long time!!!

Well, first of all, I'm not suffering. And it is you.

Others? I only react this way with you. And yes, my buttons get pushed by your posts. I probably wouldn't mind you in person.

Ooh, sarcastic again? By the way, when I changed your post,I said so and made the changes in bold.You sure you want to set this precedent? Kinda dangerous to manufacture fake quotes... works both ways, ya know...