manitou

I gnow that to be true, 3bob. There is a continuum that cares not whether it is in body or out of body. I see it as being a collective of individual strands intertwined as a mesh; it matters not whether we are here or there. As straw dogs, as it were...the only thing we are certain of is that we will shed this physical body. The only thing in question is the date and time. Does it matter? It knows because it resonates with Truth within, as a vibration on a guitar string. The vibration will stop but the melody continues; a melodic thought from out of the ethers, through the artist, and back into the ethers where it remains continuously. As Kahlil Gibran said above: "Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour. Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king? Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?" He trembles because he cannot see through the veil, and yet is about to be coronated by being unbound by the forces you mention. What a joy, what relief - when one realizes the continuum - and realizes that his trembling should be interpreted not as fear, but see it as trembling in anticipation of the hand that is about to be laid on him, metaphorically. We are gods, individually and collectively, and yet we know it not. So we tremble in fear. A happy son of a gun whose heart is at peace because of non-differentiation.

There is snow on the ground here in Ohio right now; not much, only about an inch. I love the idea that seeds lie beneath the snow, dreaming of the day they will get to sprout forth. But I wonder if this refers to Death dreaming of Life, or Life dreaming of Death? It could refer to either, I think - as the previous sentence is 'In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond'. This could refer to Life dreaming of Death, Death being a very friendly, cuddly, and warm place; particularly if our Awareness lies in the collective of all Awareness after death. I wonder if the sentence 'Only when you drink from the river of silence...' could be a reason that my desire to participate on TTB's seems to ebb and flow. I always love the personalities, but sometimes I feel that I have absolutely nothing to say. I'm sort of in that mode right now. Anyone else go through this?

Best case scenario is that unconditional love doesn't come and go at all, therefore no speed. I'd love to get to that point. Mine still takes the speed of light to get from point A to point B.

One hundred and eighty six thousand miles per second.

"For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? Does anyone else wonder about the Sun? It was the first object of man's worship - perhaps that is what we will be reverting to. A very wise man once told me that 'souls are in the sun' and I've never forgotten that. Does it not make sense that all suns are One, that we are all emanations of the sun, that all is stardust? And that one of the first things we are all told as children is not to stare into the sun? As though the veil is placed over our understanding from the very onset by being told not to look at it? A flame does not lose its mass to make another flame of equal size, like lighting one match off another. I look forward to standing naked in the wind and melting into the sun. If anyone has had the privilege of tantric sex experiences, does it not feel like you are within the sun? A place so golden and shining that it overwhelms the senses. I wonder.

Mysterie - just about to do a re-read on that one myself! I'm going through the whole series again. Owledge - very wise choices! Have you tried "Under the Bleachers" by Seymour Butts?

Many might remember the Stephen Stills song with this title: Love the One You're With. I woke up this morning with this song running through my mind. (The particular lyrics of that song aren't pertinent to this discussion, only the title). I've been in a relationship, an on and off relationship, for 30 years. I've tried countless times to end this relationship, but have never been able to. We've been married and divorced from each other twice, and we're still together. Unmarried, but together. My whole life, the grass was always greener on the other side of the fence. This was just my make-up, and it was a recurring theme throughout my life. I always had one eye on the current relationship and the other eye wandering (not in an actual physical way, I wasn't actually BORN in West Virginia or anything!) I was always looking for something Better. But I was never without a relationship. I was capable of going to the lowest depths to find one; anything but being Alone. So I guess this falls under the category of 'be careful of what you pray for' (at least, back when I used to pray to 'something') For the first 25 years of this co-dependent, torturous relationship with Joe (due to our mutual alcoholic personalities), we made each other miserable. And he would go out and get drunk - skid row drunk - every time we had an argument for the first 10 years we were together. But a funny thing has happened; maybe because our co-dependency was stronger than our desire to leave. A few years back, I was listening to my car radio and that song came on. Love the One you're With. And it hit me like a thunderbolt, although I had heard that song countless time before. Why not try actually loving this man? Why not stop looking for something better, or smarter, or someone of greater social stature? Just make the darn decision: love him! And so began the process of acceptance. First of all, acceptance of myself, because I saw the tendency that had haunted me my whole life; never being satisfied with what I had. The second part was accepting Joe total for what he is, and not wishing he were different in some ways. What a huge difference this decision - merely a decision! - has made in our lives. I actually go out of my way to do nice things for him now. I count the blessings we have together, as opposed to focusing on the differences. Well, relating this to my own spiritual growth, I must say that this has probably been one of the biggest components of it. It opened my eyes just a bit to unconditional love, to forgiveness, to remaining in one place and focused - and not 'waiting for the next one'. To be Here Now. And most of all, to come to the realization that I Am responsible for my own happiness - not someone else. Someone else can never give it to me, I must give it to myself. What an incredible awareness this has been. And the funny thing is, we have a wonderful life together now; as I have changed, he seems to have followed suit. Or maybe I am just seeing it with different eyes. I am very thankful today for this loyal friend of 30 years that has been part of me - and who has been the mirror for me to see the changes that I need to make within myself. And today, when we do have a bit of a dust-up, which is not real often any more, they blow over quickly. In fact, we now have a plan for any little spats we get into - we have a big trailer sitting up at the top of the property that he can stay in. But it happens hardly at all any more. It seems that there are two dynamics within all of us. One dynamic is 'that which we want', and the other is 'that which we need'. I realize today that Joe has been the very 'lapidary' that I needed to smooth out my rough edges, and I have been that for him. I'm happy to say that today, we fit like a hand in a glove. But I would never have imagined, in my earlier life, that a fellow like Joe was what I needed. What a surprise. Love the one you're with.

I've always been thrilled to see Andrei show up on a thread. Andrei, you have much clarity of mind and you are a beautiful presence here. I was totally surprised to hear you say that you are a loser in any way. You always remind me of fresh air at the top of a mountain; maybe it's your avatar - but either way, it suits you. My own Joe has never done anything but labor jobs in his life - and couldn't ever hold one for more than a week or two, and that was when he wasn't behind bars. And yet today he is a metaphysical master and shaman of sorts. Your input on this forum may be your highest destiny, and that which our particular configurations may be intended for. After all, who knows how many people around the world our words affect? There are so many who read these threads but do not participate.

CT - I am bawling as I write this. Thank you, thank you, thank you for one of the most beautiful moments I have ever seen. And not only was the reaction of the people beautiful and astonishing, the freedom of soul that man had to stand there and sing among total strangers was a thing of real beauty. I don't think he cared about the money in the hat one bit. I think he merely used it as a device to show people that he was about to perform, to set the stage for that marvelous message of beauty and love. You raise me up, my friend.

I'm currently reading the Avatamsaka Sutra as translated by Thomas Cleary. I just came across the most wonderful description of the 10th Stage of Enlightenment on page 804 of this 1600 page opus....and I just wanted to share this with those on the path - it sure gives a nice idea of a destination of sorts, a compass point worthy of setting our instruments. "Listen to the excellent practices of enlightening beings, Who practice calmness and self-control, are tranquil and peaceful in mind. Who are like the sky, similar to space, Who have shed all defilement and abide in knowledge of the Way. Having cultivated good for countless eons And served hundreds of thousands of buddhas And honored many self-conquerors and saints, The will for enlightenment is born for the good of the world. Born is the will for enlightenment, equal to the Enlightened, In those refined by discipline and austerity, who have reached ultimate patience, Who act with modesty and dignity, born of virtue and knowledge, Who are broad-minded and intent on enlightened knowledge. To honor all the buddhas of past, present, and future, Purify all lands throughout space, Truly comprehend all truths and liberate beings, The will for enlightenment is born. To do good for all is the will for enlightenment born In the joyful and benevolent who practice giving, Who are always determined to benefit all beings, Who apply the virtues of buddhas and pledge to protect the living. Born is the will for enlightenment, for the weal of all beings, In those divorced from evil, whose conduct is pure, Who practice self-control, whose senses are calm and cool, Who have taken refuge in Buddha, intent on enlightening practice. Born is the will for enlightenment, for the benefit of all, In those who practice good, vessels of patience and coolness, Who know the flavor of virtue, have abandoned arrogance and insolence, With minds detached and pure, calm and cool. Initiating pure action, enduring with firmness and vigor, Human lions striving for the welfare of all people, Having conquered afflictions by persistence in virtue, In this state of mind the will for enlightenment is born. With well-concentrated minds, the darkness of delusion dissolved, Arrogance gone, they have abandoned defiled paths; Enjoying the bliss of peace, they have given up attachments to routine life, In this state of mind the will for enlightenment is born. With minds clear as the sky, with knowledge, abstract and applied, Having killed the demons, dropped afflictions and conceit, Abiding in the refuge of Buddha, finding the truth, their desire, In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born. Firm in means and intelligence to achieve liberation from the realms of being, Endowed with technique, science, and spiritual power to escape the force of evil, Seeking the qualities of buddhas, desirous of virtue, In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born. Wishing all beings well, having fulfilled the provisions for enlightenment, With determined minds, they do even what may be difficult, Enlightening beings never giving up their intent to do good; In this state of mind their will for enlightenment is born. Thus they should carry out enlightenment practices of multifold virtues; Vowing to follow Buddha's footsteps, they should attain truth and spiritual power; Having purified the three realms of being, they should attain the will for enlightenment; Having purified the three refuges, they should become enlightening beings. This will be reiterated in sum, so listen; When the will for enlightenment is attained, those who practice giving Then, having reached Extreme Joy, will become lords of the land." (Quite a template, if you ask me...)

I've experienced a strange gravitational quality as well with two men I barely knew. Really strange. The first was a few years back when a man with a purple beard, wearing dolphin-print drawstring pants, invited me to meet him at a street fair in Santa Barbara, CA. I had nothing else to do, I agreed to meet him. He seemed to have a great mind. When we saw each other at the agreed meeting place, we smiled and just sort of placed our arms loosely around each other's waist, appropriate for the occasion. Then this gravitational pull absolutely drew us together, as though in a hug, full body to body. We both gave each other a strange look and drew away once the magnetism let go. The same thing happened a couple months ago here at the house, with Joe here too. We had seen a friend we hadn't seen in a while, and I placed my arm around his waist to say hi. Zoom. The same thing happened. It was so strong! Believe me, it wasn't a conscious sexual attraction thing - he's many years younger and a bible-thumper extraordinaire. Usually, I can't wait to get away from him after about a half hour. Maybe it's a Kundalini thing, I don't know. But in both occurrences, there was no 'time' to fend off the pull. It just zoomed in there like a magnet to a safety pin. Funny stuff.

Same here, GMP. We're pretty isolated out here too and are also together 24/7.

Your words bring me quite a bit of comfort. And Joe is truly a spiritual ally, and nobody in their right mind would call him a loser today.

Unless the woman, like myself, has a savior-complex and goes out of her way to find the ones she can fix. Also because she hadn't enough self-esteem, like myself, who ever felt that a winner was a good fit. I've rejected many really good men in my young life, particularly when I was working - good lawyers, doctors, cops, judges, a chief of police (who was the 'the one that got away' and whom I tended to measure others up to) - and yet my 30 year partner turned out to be a recovering skid row wino and ex-con. How strange this all works. He turned out to be the right fit after all. How odd.

Chi Dragon - Thank you, darling. I think you may be on to something there as to the acceptance / enlightenment connection.

Rene - 'Like', times 10. I don't think the Alone thing is with me any more - nor is it with Joe. If one of us died today, the other one would be just fine. Through working through all the so-called negative dynamics and bouncing off each other continuously, we have both become a more whole entity, individually, than we were before we met. And I also know this. That if one of us died and the survivor did choose to enter another relationship, that it would be for the right reasons. Healthy reasons. I look at myself as being half a jigsaw puzzle when I met Joe - and so was he. Our pieces seemed to fit each other just perfectly, hooking into each other (and looking for each other) to complete that which needed completion. And we found it, sure enough - but it was a horrendous task for both of us for so many years. Many over the years have called our relationship co-dependent - and I have been encouraged by many to just move on to another. But what would that result in? Just finding someone else that fit my particular configuration of the incomplete jigsaw puzzle at that given time. Joe Blast - How I used to identify with that song, 50 Ways to Leave your Lover. That seemed to be my mantra, Always looking for The One who would fix me. Never found it. What a surprise. I had to find it in myself.

What a strange thread. Didn't it start out to be something else, or am I going crazy?

The funny thing about all this metaphysical / spiritual stuff, is that Everybody is sure they have the answer! Doesn't matter whether you're born in Australia, Japan, China, U.S., India - everyone is just sure that their path is the true path and I guess it's just natural to want to have everyone else 'see' that their position is the correct one and that everyone would benefit from it. What I've finally decided is that we All have the right answer. It's just a question of getting down to it, to get to the point where we can transcend (perhaps not the right word) any given path. I always equate it to a wagon wheel where the hub in the middle is the joinder of any particular spoke that gets you there. Personally, I think that's what TTB's is all about. A big, huge human lapidary that sooner or later smoothes off our rough edges so that we can become, as it says in the TTC, as uncarved wood. As to your clever scientist, Skydog - recall that the Dao does advise us to lose the cleverness, depending on which translation. Cleverness is knowledge with a big twist of ego.

That just plain makes me blush, SC. But thank you!

If there are any Bums that are serious collectors of WWII memorabilia, please PM me and let me know. I have something that I would really like to send you for Free. Gratis. Zilch. Nada. Squat. This little thing really needs to go to a collector; I'm not looking to give it to someone who will resell it on eBay. The first one that convinces me that they are truly a collector gets it, if you want it...

Taomeow - if you don't want to claim it, I will give it to that collector in town. and what an odd study that was, about living among antiques. Who in the world would have thought to put those two things together - longevity and antiques. (Well, Duh! I just answered my own question!). LOL - perhaps it is a manifestation that equates with As Above, So Below. A funny piece of synchronicity today on the postcard thing. I had two antique Christmas cards left in my hand as I was leaving the supermarket. I'd just given out a few. While walking out, I saw that a stray cart was heading at a pretty good clip down to the parking lot and would have dinged somebody's car. So I started running to catch the thing before it did any damage. Coincidentally, another old lady and another old man also saw the cart at the same time - we all reached it at the exact same moment and laughed about it. So guess who got the two remaining postcards?? A wonderful moment.

I can imagine the contortions your life must have taken, from growing up in a strange household, as you say, to becoming what you are today. You shine, Mr. S. Crane!

Taomeow - I would love to give this to you because it is so feminine in nature and yet so incongruous in context. (I'm not saying you're incongruous in context, lol!) But please let me know if it would be of interest to you; if not, there is a collector here in town who is the son of a waitress I know. I collect antique postcards, not to keep, but to give away to folks - like nice waitresses, or people who are having a lousy day. I try to limit myself to those postmarked after 1900 and around the Victorian era. The messages on the back can be riotous, sometimes - and people really love the little glimpse they get into a message 100 years old about kids getting the whooping cough, or pigs escaping, or getting the corn in by May, etc. I found this lovely postcard (can't quite make out the year), but it was made in Germany, as the good ones seem to be. On the front is this grouping of pretty little posies - really pretty - and on the back is written in sweet little old lady's handwriting a note from Viola to her friend Marguerite. It merely said 'Better late than never'. I assume it was a birthday card. As I was putting it in a plastic sleeve, something else caught my eye. There is a border around the sweet posies, and on each corner of the card is a gilded swastika that I hadn't noticed before. The incongruity of the beauty of the card with that symbol sent an actual shock through my system! I think this thing is pretty collectible and if this is something you think might remind you of your missing Stalin piece, it's yours, lol. Otherwise I'll give it to the collector (who doesn't sell his stuff on Ebay either). (Actually, the offer isn't all that generous after all. I think the card cost me maybe 50 cents in a dusty old antique shop in town) So if you think you want it, PM me a mailing address! Actually, it would be a constant reminder that all of us, even Hitler, are One....(if we can actually accept that, everything from then on is a cakewalk, lol)

Yes, that bedrock of the universe Uncertainty Principle sounds just like it's down my street and up my alley...

Anything a Bum would read five times must be one of those that has something different for you every time you read it. I followed your link, Ralis, and I just ordered it used for one cent, lol. It sounds really powerful - although I don't usually go for the stuff that's set way ahead in the future. But this one sounds worth it - very worth it.