manitou

Dawei - I so appreciate your post. And you're the second person in one day - CT being the other one - who told me to be more gentle on myself. It's coming, but it's taking a lifetime....my life has been a rather incredible one, truth be known. No, enlightenment is not a dog to chase. Pursuing philosophical knowledge, all philosophical knowledge is a love of my heart, I am impelled to study. The words never get old. The ineffable is an enigma, and I am a detective to my core. In that, I am following my destiny. Tying together little clues, seeing the commonality of the metaphysics of all fields of philosophical thought - this is the Big Case for me. It's just who I am. No doggy. Thank you again for your kindness.

LOL, oh Predictably Argumentative One - are we not part of the Mother? It's all stardust, as Marbles said earlier. But we go to the same place. Nothing to worry about. No beginning, no end. But the surety is within me, Something That Knows. that mankind follows the course of nature. Plants will go way out of their way to find the light. Perhaps returning to the origin means returning to the sun. I think about the sun often, as I think about space often. When mindful, I see all of this as a cosmic soup, made of the same identical material (regardless of the different combinations of molecules that produces the 10,000 things). But the atomic material is the same all over. The electron, protons, and neutrons are all bound to the atomic nucleus and are limited in their range due to the mutual attraction. However, these puppies circulate around the nucleus at the speed of light! My current thinking is that we are nothing more than light manifesting itself into conditions due to will and intent; that which underlies the One of the Dao. Wouldn't it make sense that our destiny is to return to the light? And in a metaphoric sense, this is extended to the person within; to duplicate the process of 'returning to the light' by our own intentional cleansing process. I knew an enlightened one named Herb some years ago. He too had recovered from an alcoholic life, and had to scour himself to do so. He spent the rest of his years studying comparative philosophy of every sort, looking for the commonality within them all. This is my focus as well. I ran into him at the Krotona library (of Krishnamurti fame) in Ojai, California one day. He had the most amazed look on his face as I walked up to him. He had just read something in a tome he was studying. He said....."Did you know there are souls in the sun??!!" Well, this was way over my head at the time. But for some reason this statement has been lurking in the back of my mind for over 30 years, mainly because it was so enigmatic, and yet something tells me there is something to it. Why would our dwelling place between incarnations not be the sun? We would have no sense of hot or cold in an unembodied state, and therefore it wouldn't be uncomfortably hot, lol. We wouldn't even need fans. This was further pointed out to me (and please forgive me for getting a little personal and giving out TMI....) but there was a period of several weeks a few years back when, every time Joe and I had a sexual encounter, it was tantric! It was not something he tried to do, like intentional semen retention - but the fact remains that for about a month he was unable to ejaculate. But what this did result in was the INCREDIBLE experience of a mutual trip to a very, very loud place. It sounded like a burning furnace. But even more glorious was the incredible brilliantly golden fire-like womb of a place we ended up. I just remember that it was so incredibly loud and dazzling in its brightness. Had we been looking with our physical vision, the eyes couldn't have stood the brightness. But the fact that it was a Mutual experience, that we even talked about it at the time we were there, as in "Omigod...are you seeing what I'm seeing??" - is sort of a verification that I'm not totally crazy. This place comes back to me often. I do wonder about souls in the sun. Maybe the sun is the One, and the intent behind the sun and its ramifications is the Dao.

I see your point, Vmarco. But the romantic idea I was speaking of is, for example, taking the time to pick up a piece of trash in a parking lot and take it over to a trash bin. This is a powerful message to other people; it places them in awareness for perhaps the next time they decide to throw a Burger King bag onto the ground. Yes, I do think unheralded actions can produce real change, however subtle. I distinctly remember the day when I was in maybe the second grade and the words "Under God" were placed into the Pledge of Allegiance. It put my small self into a bit of a shock, and I remember feeling a little resentful at the time because they were changing the Pledge (which I sort of think is ridiculous now, a person pledging Allegiance to a particular piece of real estate). I agree with you completely about the fear aspect. People in Ferguson, MO, for example - people who probably never thought about demonstrating before, or getting tear gassed or shot - they're having to get over their fear of what the police may do to them, and stand up and make their point anyway. And yet hopefully the anger will turn into Hope at some time, particularly as changes come. In Ferguson's particular case, perhaps hope will follow fear; hope too is part of the reconstruction process, don't you think? All parties must be hopeful that they will be able to come to a meeting of the minds and change horrible conditions that have gone on for far too long....that is, once the fear is gone and they've stopped hollering at each other. Your statement about conditions never entering the Unconditional is certainly true of Unconditional Love. Other than unconditional love, can you give an example of an unconditional state of being that you are referring to? I'm just curious - at this moment, I'm not able to see an Unconditional Condition other than Love. Although there are some folks who probably walk around in unconditional hatred too....

And yet, here we are. We are a group of people who question. Sure, most people do go about their lives just doing what is in front of them (an enlightened action to be sure), but do not seek the Source. Their own character development doesn't figure into the equation. They are reactors, that's all. They have no clue that they are manifesting their own conditions from day to day; attracting to them what they 'need' for soul development and return to the nondual. I submit that those of us who participate here are being attracted here because the Thing Within keeps us coming back; that there is Truth on this website; occasionally profound truth. It is the unquestioning personalities (or strands of the Whole) who may spin around and around on the karma wheel. Those who question and seek and are not satisfied with just the worldly appearances are a special breed, we are. We have a chance of getting off the merry-go-round and not being controlled by our present, future, or ancestral karma. Whether it is this life, or the next, or the next - any attainment I speak of is merely Peace of Heart and conscious merging of our lives with the Oneness of life. And loving our brother as ourselves in a non-judgmental way. And caring for our environment. I don't think that just because someone walks around reacting to everything in predictable ways (getting angry, being resentful, etc) is an enlightened one because they have no practice and don't question their own motives. I think these are folks who robotically react. And if we can all recall the lack of control we had over the chatter in our minds, prior to becoming adept at meditation and vacating the mind, even while walking around town - this is not enlightenment either. Developing the ability to still the chatter and allow Truth to bubble up - this certainly is a component of enlightened thinking and being. Practice indeed is a choice. I do think every Bum here has an inner urge toward the Light, whether we're in awareness of it or not - just by the fact that we keep coming back. Even those who think they're just along for the ride, are consistently and predictably argumentative, or just spend their time joking around on the threads - there is an Urge within that is trying to bubble up through the blockages of personality. Why practice? Why develop discipline? Because it's necessary to still the heart and dwell within the Dao. I don't know why that is important to me, but it has developed, after doing life wrong for so many years, to be the focal point in my life.

It seems to be a Joy that dwells within. Maybe the highs aren't so high, or the lows so low - but the stableness of the Joy is well worth seeking. It's a well-being, as I see it, borne from the knowledge that all is Mind and we manifest our own conditions. When we become more balanced, the fluctuations in our living conditions straighten out, like a vibration that eventually stills. Your mention of one of your identities being a patriot sort of cracked me up. How very proud I am to be an American at this point in time, LOL. Actually, I'd love to see the day when there are no borders at all and we are all citizens of the world. Now, that would be Reversion, if you ask me.

But what will change if you rely on willy-nilly? Your patterns and reactions will continue. It takes much devotion and the will for enlightenment to be willing to unmask ourselves. This doesn't happen on its own because it's uncomfortable and it's much easier to not do it - although that means that we will still keep running up against the same walls and dynamics that we've been conditioned with since birth. I'll bet the Dalai Lama put some work into it. It would surely be interesting to know. Wouldn't the eightfold path necessitate introspection? Those who are capable of witnessing their own thoughts and behaviors have the opportunity to change their reactions, such as Steve's comments above about seeking out his own identities. Personally, I think this is crucial to enlightenment, but I may be biased because I was such a mess of an alcoholic 33 years ago and had to do some serious inner scraping to get well. Or...weller, at least... I can remember when I was a teenager I was lost at sea in a metaphoric sense - I was whatever identity you wanted me to be. I would read fiction books and walk around as a particular fictional character for a while, in my mind. then, when I would read something else, I would change characters. I was a mess with no sense of self at all. I guess that's why I was interested in what Steve had to say about his I-dentity (I like that phrase!). It hit me so very close to home. If one doesn't have the will for enlightenment, why worry about it? I think the choice is ours. And I'd guess most of the Bums have the will for enlightenment, or we wouldn't spend so much time trying to pin down the ineffable. Dawei - my take on your WTF...PRACTICE? question is that there is a surprise waiting for us when we become capable of removing our conditionings and specific personality reactions. It's a wonderful surprise, and it's finding out Who we really are. In my understanding from my own experience and reading Masters of every religious and spiritual tradition that I can get my hands on - that the I Am dwells at the bottom of the personality. I just don't think it will ever pop up arbitrarily without our willingness and our inner work. I think yes, we have enlightenment in us from the moment of conception; but it does not remain in that form; it becomes hidden behind false teachings, feelings of inferiority or superiority, selfishness, and overly well developed egos. If we are serious about the ascension process, then this jewel must be intentionally mined by shattering the contortions that keep it hidden. But I could be all wet. Maybe people are struck by enlightenment all the time without having to delve into the self. Do you think this has been your experience, by chance? But the fact that you refer to a path does indicate to me that you must be a self-cultivator. Otherwise, if we're destined to return without having to put effort into it, why follow a path at all?

Aah, Steve. How I love your brain. Even your signature paragraph by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj seems to say it all: When I look inside and see that I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I look outside and see that I am everything, that is love. And between these two, my life turns. Would you be willing to expand just a bit on your last paragraph? I'm wondering at the method you're using - is it during meditation, or within your witness state during the day? (Which there is no doubt in my mind that you have!)

LOL. sometimes I wonder the same thing. Seems like my dogs sure have the unconditional love thing down a whole lot better than I do...

I think there are a lot of ways of looking at it. My favorite translation of the TTC uses 'The action of the Dao is Reversion'. If we look at it from the Dao's point of view: Reversion to what? To the One? And then what? How can we possibly know what it means from this point of view? If there is actually no Origin or Original Creation, if things continue in non-origination, then there is no beginning at all. We know that because we think we know what 'eternity' means. No beginning, no end. But what does happen when the conditions of the world as we know it 'revert' back to something? The Dao is like a bellows, some translations say. In, out, in, out. Perhaps it doesn't mean to revert to 'the beginning', but our linear minds cannot stretch their way around the time warp. I sometimes wonder if the bellows effect refers to a big bang phenomena; but perhaps prior to the big bang (or the current theory) there was something on the "other side" of that. Maybe this explains black holes and white dwarfs, where when one world has tried and perhaps not succeeded in reverting to the purity and innocence that the Dao seems to be aiming for (in linear time). the bellows continues in and out, in and out, through worlds and conditions. In non-linear time, I sometimes wonder if there are other worlds here with us Here and Now. Perhaps even on this same planet. Maybe we walk through other beings every day not knowing it, because our senses are only limited to the few that we possess. I went to a zoo once and you could look through a device that showed you 'how a bat sees the world' - and it was all in neon green. That's their world, they could care less about ours, other than the eaves they're hanging upside down on. Getting to the microcosm / macrocosm way of looking at it - as above, so below. As within us, so outside of ourselves. Our body is a model for the universe; the universe is a model for our body. The reversion within us, as others have said, is to return to the pure innocence of how we are born. In my estimation, this infers that when success is achieved, we have virtually no individual personalities, one from the other. We have reverted to the original human being, the one that hasn't been contorted by karma from the past and karma from the future (this is a mind bender, but if we remember that all is Here and Now it's easier to see). This has all played out already, only for some reason we have to experience it within the constraints of linear time - Newtonian time. Not quantum time, although my understanding is that quantum time which includes the warp of yesterday and tomorrow is the perspective in which things are more accurately viewed. So, if we return to what we were as newborns, where there is no differentiation of the 10,000 things; where there is no judgment of right and wrong, where all the baby knows is love and its only function at that point in time is to eat and poop to sustain life; this is a metaphor for returning to the innocent origination of our particular personality. Our personality is made up of contortions, both seemingly good and seemingly bad. To remove the contortions is essentially to remove the personality, the things that make us seemingly different from each other. And yet we're not different from each other. That spark of light and spirit that originated out of Desire of our parents is the very same spark within all of us; within the wombs of all of our mothers. And that spark of Intent created from Desire attracted to itself the cells. The thing that amazes me is that all the cells of our body, whether throat cells, hair cells, fingernail cells, eyeball cells - when we were being formed these cells are all the same; only it's the Alignment - how they lay down together to create form - that dictates whether that cell will be part of a fingernail or a belly button. Just the alignment! We can't possibly know (unless perhaps through vision or meditation) the purpose of the Reversion; but it certainly must be a perfection process, a forging process of some sort. And when we are gone, the dynamic continues through other wombs. Perhaps this is the template for the macrocosm as well, only I think the jury is out as to whether our limited senses actually see, feel, touch, smell, or taste all that really is here. I suspect they do not. I think our senses are limited, just as a worm thinks that the world is one big green jungle with tall blades, or a bat thinks he lives in a neon world. What a subject. Thanks, Hagar!

I think this is the crux of it. The reversion to the One, just as the function of the Dao. As Steve said, 'wisdom is the recognition of truth, of our fundamental human nature.' That's where it lies. How do we get down to our fundamental human nature, the natural human being we are intended to be? How do we undo all the false teachings by well-intended people, our parents and teachers included? By going through self. As we get well along on the enlightenment path, we reach a witness state, wherein we are capable of witnessing our own actions, listening to our own thoughts with intentional awareness. We become capable of deciding what mindset is most beneficial to our lives. Inevitably it is the mindset of kindness, of non-judgment, of compassion. When we become our own witnesses we see where we have fallen short of that criteria, and we take steps to correct it. Inadequately at first perhaps, but with practice (which IMO is "the true Practice") we can catch ourselves before the hurtful words come out; before the unwise reaction is taken, before the negative thought is thought. This takes many years to develop, at least in my estimation. This is something I take very seriously within my own self; I try daily to live within the boundaries of my higher self. Sometimes I fall short. But day after day, month after month, year after year, it gets easier. It becomes more natural. I can speak only with the authority of my own experience, but my karma has changed dramatically in the recent years. Life is so very easy now because I'm not interfering or instigating nearly as much as I used to. I'm not trying to change anyone. I am at peace with change, whereas before I wanted assurances, to know that things were nailed down to my specifications. I find myself breathing deeply, looking at the sky, smelling the trees every day. Even the pace I walk at has slowed considerably. I often remember to regard everyone as a Buddha or a Christ, because I use the little trick of mindfully looking in the eyes of people or animals, and knowing that the black spot of Awareness in the center of their eyes is the same black spot of Awareness in everyone. The I Am. The We Are. I think that the things that consistently happen around us are a clue as to how our character is doing. If life is consistently bumpy, if we are consistently agitated or simmering at something, if all we care about is obtaining for ourselves....then life is not smooth at all. Every action has an equal and opposing reaction, and in this way we can measure our own karma. When contortions are removed (and I'm one that believes that this takes concerted effort - although I know that there are some on this forum that think that it happens naturally and without effort) it is then that the grace and good will can manifest. If we are still tied up in knots, have resentments against people, feel paranoid or not good enough - these are all conditions that prevent the true voice within from being heard. I think that Te is at the very heart of the matter, and that the Sage also had to go through life's lessons to become the Sage. Some might argue that he was born that way and never had a bad day in his life, but I don't think that's the case. He developed the 3 treasures of Sageness by an intentional and continual effort on his part, IMO.

I can see why you take words with a grain of salt, that glorious and purifying music being the alternative. Your choice of music shows the beautiful refinement of your soul. Thank you for that moment of beauty, Aetherous.

Thank you for posting that. What an incredible video. Actually, I thought the lady who was hollering at the litterer at the beginning of the video would have shown more grace if she had just picked up the bottle herself and put it in the trash bin. We're never going to change anyone by hollering at them, but teaching by quiet and unheralded action is far more powerful. The animal scenes were heart rending. They did exhibit so much more 'humanity' than the humans. What incredible innate intuition, the dog protecting the dead dog, and the dog trying to get water to the fish. It was as though they had an innate appreciation for the value of life, whereas the humans did not. What a find. Thank you again, Eye of the Storm.

LOL - SimpleJack - I think the 1600 page translation is just fine. 3000 pages of descriptions of jeweled budda-lands is more than I care to delve into. Much of the Sutra, as translated by Cleary, does describe incredible visions of reflected light, reflections of Buddhas and enlightened ones appearing in past, present, and future - and how an enlightening one (as he translates it) will have his mind so clear that it encompasses all three of these tenses. As I mentioned previously in this thread, it is mind-numbing to read this - however the payoff is that the next chapter will be words of such incredible wisdom that it resonates down to the bottom of your soul. It is truly a discipline to stick with this book - and yet, strangely enough, I feel that a template of sorts is being formed within my brain - in particular, maybe because of the repetition and description. But the payoff is huge, or at least in my case. If you feel that a longer translation will be more accurate, I'm not sure that more words are necessarily going to get to the heart of the matter any better than the 1600 pages. I'm guessing that maybe you haven't read this Sutra translated by Cleary? My guess is that if you did, you too would experience a transformation of sorts, if you have the patience and will to stick with it. I've never read a Buddhist text before. As far as I can see, as to my own experience, any path will ultimately get up into the metaphysics when the boundaries of the religion are shed. This wonderful Sutra is no different; it delves completely into the metaphysics of the Logos, the way things work. The dynamics of a Buddha's understanding are shown in this Sutra - and the interesting thing is that because it goes so much into the inner mind of a Buddha, we can see our own progress or lack thereof.That, to me, is the essence of this Sutra - and if one has cultivated and prepared ones' self sufficiently and done one's best to remove inner distortions, this Sutra will graduate you to a higher level of enlightenment. Personally, I'm not real concerned about the manner in which Cleary assembled this Sutra. All I know is that I've read hundreds of metaphysical books by Masters of all traditions, and this one goes to the same place - only in a tremendously different way. It is melodic, it is beautiful, and when the inner soul of the Buddha is exposed you will see yourself there to some degree. We will all see ourselves there to some degree. It is encouraging! You will recognize yourself! And you will see how far you have yet to go (not speaking to you specifically - but everyone). We are enlightened when we SELF REALIZE that we are enlightened. There is no enlightenment that a master can give you - at the terminal end, it is a journey of self discovery to find the Jewel that sits at the bottom of our psyche. When I first started reading the Sutra, I was looking at the Buddha descriptions and the Buddha-land descriptions as something outside of myself. Midway through the Sutra, the quantum shift occurred and I realized that it was Me...ME!...that it was talking about. There are Buddhas everywhere; it is within all of us. It's just that 99.9999% of the citizens of the world are not in awareness of it. This, to me, is the same as the I Am consciousness, which I often talk about. All I know is that the Sutra drove it home inside my heart in a more personal way than any other tome or book I have read. I'm a little more than half way through it now, and I'm hoping my head doesn't explode in the second half. I can't wait, each day, to have an hour or two to sit and read this magical Sutra. Why don't you do the 3,000 page one and see if there isn't a shift inside you upon reading it? Then come back to this thread and let us know! Perhaps twice as many words will be two times better.

Yes, it takes courage to do the right thing, especially when the stakes are high because of the attitude of the Neos and the retaliation you mentioned. Those of us with a shamanic bent utilize Death as an ally. The TTC refers to us all as ceremonial straw dogs. The reality is, we're all going to shed this body. When faced with something that takes tremendous courage, it is helpful to remember this. Does it really matter on what particular day we shed our body? That takes care of the fear part, if we can get to this transcendent place within the condition in front of us. Then....call me crazy....I think this is why the Sage is not harmed. He is in alignment with Truth and he can trust that he will be unharmed, as a tender child. Perhaps this is true, perhaps this is not. But at least we face the condition without fear - and better yet, with Love for those poor Neos who are so blocked with hatred. To shrink from doing the right thing sends us a few paces back, I would think.

Another paragraph I've found that really jumps out at me, contained within the chapter The Ten Superknowledges. It has to do with staying within nonduality: "These great enlightening beings do not grasp conventional truth, do not dwell in absolute truth, do not discriminate phenomena, do not set up words; they accord with the essence of extinction, yet they do not give up their undertakings. Seeing what is true and knowing the principles thereof, they spread clouds of teaching and shower rains of teaching. Though they know the character of reality cannot be verbally expressed, yet by expedient means and endless intellectual power they teach in an orderly fashion according to principles and according to meanings. Because they have mastered the skills of verbal explanation of phenomena and principles, their great kindness and compassion purified, they produce words for all things that are actually beyond words, according to their principles and meanings, without contradiction, explaining that all things arise from conditions. Though they do use words to explain, yet they are not attached to them at all. They explain all things, with endless intellectual power, analyzing, defining, revealing, guiding, causing the nature of all things to be fully revealed, cutting through the web of doubts, causing all to be clarified. Even while they take care of sentient beings, they do not abandon true reality. They do not regress from nonduality, and they are always able to expound the reality of nonobstruction. By means of myriad subtle nuances they adapt to the minds of sentient beings, showering the rain of truth on all according to proper timing." As I see it, this is what lies at the basis of our character - all of it. It is just a question of realization that it is there, that it is within us. We are the 'enlightening beings', the subject of discussion throughout this great work - it took about half the book for me to realize that, and it hit me like a jolt. This Sutra often refers to such things as 'seeing the Buddhas within every pore of our body', which to me is a reference that the reflection of Buddhahood is contained not only within those who have made great attainment, but also those who remain in duality for the time being. The template is there within us all! The only thing that prevents this from coming to the fore is our own lack of recognition of self and others as to our true being. It continually refers to Buddhas of the past, present, and future - and how the enlightening being is capable of utilizing the knowledge of all three tenses - because Mind is all Here and Now. The right answer, the right direction, the right words....they're there for all of us when we can get ourselves out of the way - when we stop buying into the 'reality of the physicality' and realize that these are only conditions that we draw to ourselves unknowingly, but for a reason: the reason being that this is how the Buddha within is forged - by conditions. I especially like the phrase about not being attached to our own words, even if we have used words for teaching. This is an indication to me that we have no vested interest in the 'rightness or wrongness' of our words and that our egos don't rest on what we think we know and share with others. Again, the mind of The Learner, if you combine a little Zen in here. This Sutra is all so very Buddhist. It is all so very Tao. It is all so very Zen. It is all so very Pure. The read itself is an incredible discipline.

That's wonderful to see. Actually, that particular march did make it onto the news that was shown over here - and it did mention how the townspeople treated it as a fundraiser for anti-Nazi causes. I was so gratified to see that it attracted attention for the right reasons.

Well - I guess my ideas are still bubbling up. Instead of going mindless in the meditation, maybe hold one of the jalapenos in your hand and silently think "I love you, I love you" to the jalapeno, knowing that it is one with you and everything else. All is made out of the same matter. Have a smile on your face and try to overcome any trace of fear with love for the pepper. I think that's the last bubble, but you never know, lol.....

Okay. I just had another thought for you. This one's a bit over the top. Take some jalapenos with you on the day of the spraying. Take a bowl with ice, and some water. Have the jalapenos cut in half. Prior to going into your meditation, place the ice, jalapenos, and water into the bowl, exposing the inside of the jalapenos to the cold water. Prior to going into meditation, thank the jalapenos for their soothing effect, as the heat has been removed. Thank the jalapeno for everything it does for mankind. Then go into a mindless meditation, if you can. It's a form of 'tricking the brain', and it just might work. I think that's what I would do. I think you might just be able to get under this, Mewtwo. You're a courageous one!

I've been sprayed and tear gassed as part of my police training. If your meditation is capable of getting you above pain (as pain is an illusion as is everything else) I would be tempted to "invite the pepper spray in", if you know what I mean. Meditation might be a real interesting experiment in this. I'd love to hear the results. When I go to the dentist, I hate it when they give that first shot of novocaine. If I resist the pain, it's worse. If I invite the needle in to my gums, I visualize the cells in my gums parting and gently letting the needle in. This results in no pain for me when the shot is given. Maybe you can figure out a way to do the same with the pepper spray. Maybe you can visualize a barrier of some sort in front of your eyes. I think transcending the pain in and of itself might be a little difficult. The pain shouldn't last long, if you flush your eyes immediately. But I wouldn't plan on going out on a date that night, you may not look your best... Very best wishes to you as you expand your activities into a community service.

Know Thyself is to understand your own fears, angers, resentments - all the way to the bottom of your existence. I'm not sure it's so much a transcension thing as an inner work thing. The diving must be deep, we must not be afraid to expose our defects to ourself, and take steps to overcome the contortions so that our inner vision is pure and not skewed by negative, hateful, or judgmental attitudes. It's all about quantum shifts in perspectives, IMO.

I just wanted to share an interesting observation I made about myself recently. I suspect that this may ring a chime with others here too. I work on myself a lot. Because I've been a 12-stepper for 33 years, the tendency to look inward and remove unwanted characteristics is now automatic. I've made a lot of progress and been able to stay sober from alcohol for 33 years. But there is one area which seems to run very deep within me, a very unwanted trait. There is something inside me, when I see an African American male, that quivers just a bit. It's fright, and it's in there good. It's only a momentary thing, I can immediately sidestep it - but it is an irritant to me that it is there at all. I want to love all my brothers as myself - this has become the focus of my life to some degree - and it has had me puzzled as to why this should still be there. Granted, I was brought up by a bigoted Los Angeles policeman - but that doesn't explain the fear that can creep up. But it came to me the other day, out of the blue. When I was 18 or 19 years old I read The Confessions of Nat Turner, a book written in 1967 - a really scary book to be read by an impressionable young girl. (It's a quite graphic book about the thoughts and actions of a slave who hated white people (women in particular). The book is filled with his thoughts about what he wanted to do to white people - how he wanted to rape white women, kill them, whatever - it was a terrifying book. Well, no wonder that stupid fear is there! I've done some work to try and get rid of this instantaneous vibration of fear - I attended a black Baptist church for several months a little while ago - my intent was to get to know some nice black people, men in particular, that would assuage this fear within me. It was kind of a nice experience until I finally couldn't take the Baptist thing any longer. I still support the church to the tune of $200 a month, so they can at least keep their lights on. But since discovering the source of my unwanted fear, I suspect I'm going to have to order the book, reread it with different eyes (those of an old woman who has been through a lot in life as opposed to the eyes of an impressionable young girl brought up in the whitest area of Califoria). I suspect I should then ceremonially bury the book out in the forest somewhere. I can't think of anything else to do. Any suggestions?

Steve - your kind and honest words ring in my heart. Yes, I am trying to be gentle with myself on this, but I also want to take the steps to remove the root of a very deep weed. I guess all I can do is know that I have the Intent to do this, that my higher self will bring the occasions to me which will ultimately lead to the removal. Thank you so much. Everyone.

IW - your choice of the word Completion is a very good one indeed. It is better than evolution, you are right in my opinion. I'm of the opinion that because all is Here and Now, that this whole scenario has played out already; we humans just need to observe it in linear time, but the Completion has already happened. It's as though we humans are the creator itself, or at least the perceptive part of it - an assumption because I don't really know how perceptive a bear or a lion or a tree is - however my assumption is that we are the most expressive part of the Dao, in this particular reality at least. But for some reason the process requires witnesses, and we seem to be it. My personal hunch is that mankind is Completed when we return to being the gods we once were - when we're capable of seeing through the illusion and wearing our true inheritance of power and knowledge like an individually tailored suit. But this won't happen by accident. Those that work for it will attain it. When I was young, I recall telling people that I felt like a 'stick in the ocean', just being pulled every which way and reacting in whatever fashion my emotions exploded. Over the years and with inner work, (finding my own angers and fears), my emotions no longer explode. It's almost as though one can look through the eyes of the Dao and see that we are all straw dogs; although from a human point of view, to be looked at as straw dogs wit love for all. I don't think the Dao cares one whit which one of us lives or dies, or at what age. We are vessels for the eternal spirit, and what difference does the date of our death make? None, IMO. But for our purposes here on earth as part of this entire process of Completion, loving our brothers as ourselves seems to be the key to getting this planet back on track. And to love the environment as well and see the Mother for being the living thing that she is.

Interesting perspective, Eye of the Storm - thanks for your input. I am commenting on what is in front of me, and the little that I can do about it. If you've not read the Tao Te Ching, do. It will tell you that the action of the Tao is reversion.

I see your point, but I'm not sure what you're getting at. No, of course the preponderence of white men didn't go deep into the continent; they had to rely on those already within the continent to satisfy their aims. But in my view, this doesn't lessen the deed. The Intent of the capture of men and women from Africa was no doubt born within the minds of the aggressive new-worlders, intent on populating the new world and creating a new society. The fact that they were able to bribe some tribesmen and chiefs in Africa, for example, was merely a means to an end. Sure, you could cast aspersions on the Africans who sold out their brothers for a few trinkets. But they were caught up in their own human-ness, the desire to possess things they didn't already have, which the slavers offered. I'm not putting down the entire white race; I merely see a dynamic that continues to play out in our lifetimes; I see the evolution of the human race as ultimately reverting to the One, as it says in the TTC. This being the case, and if this is really so, then these separations and stratifications within society are going to have to be resolved at some point in time. I'm not sure that merely Accepting the fact that these things have happened in the past, continue to happen, and will continue to be for some time. I believe the responsibility that we have in the U.S. today is to help those who have been behind the 8-ball for generations come up to a level of equality - with both opportunity and equity. When you look at how well the top 1% is doing as compared to the growing blighted areas within our cities, the contrast is getting more visible every year. It really warms my heart when I see a truly wealthy one with a social conscience - a Ted Turner, a Warren Buffet, a Bill Gates. Just to stand by in our enlightened state and say 'it is as it should be, because this is the way it is' doesn't hold much water in my view. I think balance comes in here too. I can't do much, really.I am just one little old lady. But I can take the steps that my heart tells me are necessary when a situation presents itself to me. Do you think Gandhi was less than enlightened because he decided to take action? Should he have let things be, just knowing in his enlightened spirit that all is just an illusion? It seems to me that when the heart speaks, we must listen. This too is part of enlightenment. We do seem to be temporarily thrust into this World of Action, after all. Must be a reason for it. My personal understanding is that this Logos, whatever you want to call it, is evolving through humanity in addition to through nature. Evolution does seem to involve action.