rene

Someone that loves with all their heart doesn't sound like a loser to me.

Your thunder isn't so silent this morning, sweet friend. Gratitude, yes, for knowing and loving and remembering. And for Gratitude itself; that which shines through. On our knees, in our hearts, with every breath; the joyous thanksgiving for Life and Love - in this moment. Warmest regards (-:

manitou, friend, Thank you for your words and open heart. It's no small thing, to me, that what we need comes. Sometimes quickly, sometimes eventually; but always. May I share with you how your words are exactly what I need in this moment? My beloved husband died four years ago come May. We were inseparable, joined at the heart. Just as it takes a high-speed train a long time to slow down and stop - my emptiness lasted years. Until last November, actually. Then I met Tom and suddenly I was alive again. Love pierced my heart, mended it with a thunderbolt. (-: But now, over these last two months, I'm realizing that part of me wants Tom to fill another's shoes, in the same way I had it before; in the same inseparable ways. And that's not right. We cant make people be the way we want them to be; we can only make ourselves the way we want to be. As you reminded me - I am responsible for my own happiness. What you said about being Alone is very true. Tom sparked me alive, yes, but if he and I dont last (or if I am never in another relationship again) the Alone thing for me has changed. It's not possible for me to be Alone again; my heart is joined with Love itself, and it comes in many ways, in many forms. Right now I'm enjoying Tom (i.e. love the one you're with) just the way he is (i.e. love the one you're with) but mostly I'm enjoying being alive again. It's been a long time since the breathing was easy, and sometimes I stumble especially in these early days. Your words, from open heart and love, helped me self-right - just when I needed them most. Thank you. warm greetings rene

Hi DreamBliss, My perspective is that when we're dead, we're dead. Full stop, end of. warm regards

Hi Daeluin Thanks for your post! Taoists will have to speak to what Taoists views and paths are - as I am neither Taoist nor am I looking for something that was never lost in the first place. (-: warm regards

Satya, hello Thank you for your post; it outlines well the pitfalls for those still dwelling in 'either/or' mindset. warm regards

From one of the posts above, and also expressed by several in this thread: Every action, and non-action, every choice within each moment and motion of change, is one of equal creation and destruction. It's not possible to cause no benefit. It's not possible to cause no harm. Such is the way. warm regards (Please excuse the slightly off-topic point, even though it very much applies here, as well.)

GIH, hi, nice to see you again. Outstanding post. Deities, by definition or historical assignment, are supposed to know what is 'better' for us or others. I'm not smart enough to know what is 'better' for someone else... so, like you, the free and easy, away from meaningless and petty hassle is enjoyed and experienced fully, only for me without the diety aspect. I'll leave it to you to re-arrange the universe as you see fit; I kinda like it the way it is. (-: The release you feel is palpable and I wish you well on your path. warm regards

silent thunder - yes! With a perpetual 'clean slate' we give ourselves the opportunity for different choices, and we give others the opportunity for fresh start, different choices. By not expecting the person who was mean to me yesterday to be mean to me today, my heartfelt greetings to them sometimes brings nice things. Not always, but that's okay. (-: Another clean slate comes in the next moment; or as Chuang Tzu suggested, Every moment a springtime. warm regards

Nungali - What If, you did that all the time? What's the worst thing that could happen?

Hi DreamBliss, I think your understandings of the two systems are pretty spot-on. The "We are all one with everything" belief systems, and the "We are separate from Creator" belief systems, are opposite sides of the same coin... that spins in the "either/or" spiral. Christianity and other diety based systems play on the 'separate' side, with all kinds of ideas and instructions to find/embrace Creator, etc, with the goal to 'let Him in' (meaning, you are separate until you do). The 'everything is interconnected' (Source) systems fall apart when it's held that 'everything is only interconnected'; some traditions go as far as saying separatness/reality/you is (are) an illusion. Either of those two are kind of hard to swallow as stand-alone systems: The first falls on their outer surface levels (only separate), and the second fails at a bit deeper level, because it, too, is exclusionary (only not-separate). "Either/or" thinking is very hard to overcome; it's easier to choose one side of the coin or the other. To me, you and I are both separate and not-separate at the same time. You are a real person living wherever doing your thing - and I am a real person living somewhere other than where you are, doing my own separate thing. AND You and I are interconnected not only because we share the same ____ , but also through the sharing of hearts, energy and space; your thoughts and words affect me; mine, you. I perceive and dwell in the unboundaried connection we share as fully as I perceive and enjoy the uniqueness of our separate selves. This idea is not everyone's cup of tea, but for me it's natural and as simple as breathing. I like simple. Even my 'after death' idea is simple, but this post is already too long. (-: warm regards

Ohhhhh...that's priceless. Well met. (Still laughing) :D

Only for clarity, I dont use ____ to symbolize 'God'. I use ____ to represent that which palpably resonates within; that we weave and sing into ideas like 'God', 'Source' 'Separate', 'Not-Separate' and 'Tao'. Yes, even 'Tao' is just an idea.... or so it seems to me. (-: warmest regards

(-: He who knows he has enough, is already rich. LZ33

The 'what if' cycle of fear can sometimes be shifted into a light-hearted 'what's the worst thing that could happen if I do?? and what's the worst thing after that if it does?? and then after that??' exploration... which sometimes ends with a laughing 'well, I guess I'm dead then.' Then again... maybe this works only for those who don't fear death. warm regards

Hi Green Tiger, yes! those who see easily recognize the ____ within everyone. I leave it to others to explore and debate the delightful manifested differences between people and their ideas; I play down in the roots. (-: warm regards p.s..RV - nice to see you too!

Is there a difference? Maybe life is our practice. Stirred. Still. Both, same time. Cheers!

Hi DreamBliss I think all humans experience a singular ____, and try to express what they sense, that which resonates in their hearts, in their own way - with the tools and nomenclature their culture provides. Some may perceive ____ to a greater degree than others, and some may be better at expressing what they understand than others. That said, All ideas or concepts about ____ wil be limited not only by the tools at hand, but also the reality that ____ cannot be fully described, even when understood. Because of this, any idea professed to be complete will, naturally, have the holes in it you describe; the more complex the idea, the more fish-netty it becomes. The idea closest to expressing my understanding is found within the 'simultaneous both'. We are both separate and not-separate, from each other and ____, at the same time. Both. Standing alone and unchanging, Ever present and in motion. Perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things. I do not know its name ( ___ ) Call it Tao. LZ:25 warm regards

ex-trap-o-late 1. to infer (an unknown) from something that is known; conjecture ********************** The below was posted in a thread, and is the first time I've seen the direct path, the thought process, from something found in the Tao Te Ching to the end point of a cultivation goal:. "The practices are based on interpretations and understanding of the "philosophy". People who came to a certain understanding applied that to a practice. Semen retention is a good example. It's not written in TTC, but what is written here and there throughout the text is to remain unasserted(ive), and to bail out before climax, not to strive towards a climax etc, there is more and it goes on but one could also translate those to mean that semen should be retained or that those principles also apply to sex." The subject matter of the above is not relevant; semen retention may or may not have merits. The question is: How do we know if what we read into a text is valid? Using the above example, semen retention is undoubtedly talked about in other writings and practices - but reaching back to "find" it in the TTC seems, to me, beyond incredible. ("Sorry, honey, LaoTzu said I'm not supposed to climax.") This is a small example of reaching back, and no disrespect is meant toward the original poster of those words. I'm sure he/she was taught this. Larger examples of invalid extrapolation are found across the board, in established traditions, seeking a tie-back to a core source for validation reasons. I think it is an honest debate as to what words in the TTC mean (in this case whether or not 'remaining unassertive' is what was meant by LaoTzu) - but to then extrapolate that 'remaining unassertive' specifically supports a specific practice... just boggles the mind. All thoughts welcome.

Obama just said, "I have approved military action" then he said "This decision is better if approved by the American people, through their representatives in Congress, so I'll seek authorization before launching." For those here who may not be familiar with US gov/pol maneuverings - this is a first. That aside, this is all so convoluted and crazy now - I don't know wtf is going to happen next, and I would really like to hear all of your thoughts. Mine so far are this. 1. Obama blinked. He drew a red-line with no idea what to do if it were crossed. 2. If both houses of Congress (one held by Obama's party, the other by his opposition) fail to give authorization, does he launch the strike anyway? Or does he not launch, only to try to give (his party) political cover for 2014 elections? 3. If the US launches - what is the outcome of a tiny slap on the wrist? (Which is what it would be to Assad, all the deaths notwithstanding) 4. What happens post-launch? Syria attacks Israel, Israel launches, Iran jumps in...how long does Russia sit on the sidelines? Those are just a few of everyone's many questions so far... Any thoughts from anyone here would be more than appreciated. Thanks.

www youtube com/watch?v=3Rd6VWLbv9w

There never were, and yes it is that simple.

There might be a blending of the bi-modal process where neither the impersonal/intuitive or the dividing/conceptual need dominate or subordinate but rather whichever is useful in the moment would naturally surface with the other still there (non-separate) in full support.

over "weapons of mass destruction" that never existed. They existed. In the week before the telegraphed attack they were trucked en mass to Syria. Bush knew theyd been moved but launched anyway. Intel later took it up the ass - with W's promise to make it up for it later. Seen their increases? Seen the new place yet? Syrias worlds largest stockpile is mostly the old iraqi shit. Thats how we know its the worlds largest.

apparent matter slides across my lips, tasting incredibly right