manitou

Shit, I don't know.

And it's also nice to put our money where our mouth is - to do it in a loving fashion. The treasure lives in the heart.

Yes, a detective, LAPD. I'm still a P.I. The left brain has been trained very logically. The real challenge for me has been to accept those things which aren't obviously evidentiary. The Way is totally opposite what my brain previously thought. what a trip this has been...

Not feelin' confrontational today, goldi....

Also, one has to admit that anonymously insulting someone from afar that can't confront you in person is a rather cowardly thing to do. One of the treasures of the sage is Love. This is what we should aspire to for each other.

And I would add that I think the filters filter from the Inside to the Outside, as opposed to the other way around. We are the Manifester. By the way, did anyone hear Obama's speech in Dublin today? (Actually, he says he's spelling his name O'Bama now). He said the following very enlightened thing: "The irresistable impulse to love will always seek the higher way". Enlightenment. I think maybe the nazarene said it best. Something about having no thought for the morrow, for it will take care of itself. Something about the feeding of the birds in the field; if they are fed, so much more are we. I truly have come to the conclusion that that would be the end result; to trust the universe to such an extent that we have no concern for our wellbeing, it will be supplied. To be in the here and now every moment, just Knowing that everything is as it should be. The other side of the coin is, what of people living in squalor? Or born into extreme poverty, living in sandy huts in a sandy country with a mean dictator? I don't know how this 'don't worry about the morrow' thing would work. This bothers me alot, because I think the more adept we become, the more our social conscience develops because of our awareness of the Oneness. My head seems to be stuck in the sand here...unless one wants to throw reincarnation into the mix, and just assume that I too have had my time living in a little mud hut and feeling hunger daily.

Whaddya want to bet that Sasquatch is the missing link?

I'm hoping this nasty group of storms will be leaving the Holiday Inn in Springfield alone. My god, tragedies are abounding! My personal feeling is that mankind is somehow manifesting this from the inside out; it seems to align with the political state the world is in. I'm wondering if suddenly the people of the world learned to actually get along with each other, if these anomalies would stop....

Damn! That's good, Vortex. Our superconscious higher selves are living out the hand in life they chose. Good or bad. The superconscious knew from the onset where it was starting from, and where it wants to go. We can enable its progress or we can hamper its progress. If we hamper it too much, we'll probably be recycling again, until we finally get to the point where it gets full sway. From the inside to the outside It is manifesting. We are merely the skinwalkers.

Okay, I'm trying it. It seems to make me a little happier. Do you move at all, or is it just mental and a reminder of our vestigial remains?

wonderful discussion.... Maybe it would be helpful to define what exact magic we're talking about? It seems like there's a couple different kinds, and I'm not sure which one we're talking about. Are you talking about the intentional magic that a magician would cause to happen by sleight of hand? Or manipulating people's attention in one direction while the real action is happening elsewhere? Or are we talking about the magic of wu-wei? Of not-doing? Castaneda would also call this 'setting your intent' (on a result) and then not-doing until the conditions come about.

You're right, lol. The computer screen. But, I will say, as to this particular group and our computer screens - we ARE connecting in a very personal way - soul to soul. Where else in our daily lives do we have the ability to talk this deeply about things with others who are like-minded? Now, the interesting thing about talking soul to soul via computer is that it is a real clue as to the person doing the posting. If a person is hiding behind their screen name and flaming people, and arguing with a nasty tone - this tells us more about the person posting than anything else. We see his TRUE self, because he thinks he's hiding his real identity behind the screen name. But he's not. It's coming out through his fingers. TV seems to me like living on the couch and living other people's lives through virtual reality. If Ram Dass' Be Here Now concept holds any water at all (how much more immediate can awareness get?) then all the texting, calling, gaming is anything but. It's like we're not satisfied with our own lives, so we jump into other scenarios to find some stimulation. Stimulation! Maybe that's why our general populus is bored, fat, and uncreative. Everything's done for us now! We've made it so darn convenient for ourselves through the decades that we don't have to chop wood, carry water any more. A street musician told me the other day that I was the only 'alive' person he'd seen all day. On the other hand, maybe it's just because I threw a few bucks in his guitar case...but that would be the cynical answer.

I understand what you're saying, Mewtwo. I too am of the opinion that all roads lead to Rome, if you look at Rome as Oneness. My way of seeing it is that we are Spirit manifesting from the inside out. Spirit wants to get to Rome, always. Even the seemingly lowliest manner of humankind contains the One within, who is always placing choices in front of the derelict for him to make. Stay in his situation, or get out of it. Reach up to the light, or stay stewing in the mire. We who are in consciousness of the spiritual journey and the inner journey and who endeavor to practice the Oneness in our everyday lives will ultimately find that which we are seeking. My guess is that the One wants to manifest into the One, to recognize itself within the structure of matter. For the world to be One. Perhaps Rome is the place we land after we've gone through the structure of the various paths to get there. Rome is a place of freedom, of no rules other than the direction of our own heart. By the time we've gotten to Rome our heart is filled with light and love for everyone and everything, so rules are not necessary. Yes, we must still give to Caesar what is Caesar's. But our inner self becomes quantum, open to everything and all possibilities. Rome is the place where we stop pushing and trying so hard. Rome is where we let it just happen and realize that Life is bringing us exactly what we need. I also think that the arguments we get into on this forum are just because we may not YET see the connection between the paths - perhaps because we haven't gone deep enough yet. Something inside me just Knows that Buddhism and Taoism are the very same thing but from different perspectives. If we can't see the link, it's because we just can't see the link yet. But I'm pretty sure it's there, because of where they both ultimately lead. No need for arguing, just understanding. If we argue, it's because we're unsure of ourselves and ego has kicked in.

LOL - I'm only good if it's true. The one thing about the 12 steps is that it goes in so very deeply, if one is earnest in doing the work. If one isn't earnest, then it's a waste of time. Just ask Charlie Sheen. But what does develop, after many years, is the ability to get way out in space and 'see' things. I call it triangulating because that's what it feels like.

The murderer is often just playing out the hand he was dealt. (My thoughts here are really radical). In essence, the murderer is the Dao as well, and I don't think the Dao gives a hoot about who is murdered and who is not. The murdered spirit will be just fine and return to the collective where its comfort zone is anyway. It's the murderer himself that is the focus of the Tao at this point. As luck would have it, I live with one who did years behind bars for this very action. At that point in his life, that was his Tao, the barfight he doesn't remember and the crowbar he doesn't remember hitting anyone with, due to an alcoholic stupor. His Te started the day he found Alcoholics Anonymous, 30 years ago. Today the man practices impeccability in his actions to the best of his ability, a la Castaneda. Step 11 is the ongoing step where you take a daily inventory; who did you harm, did you say something unkind, is an apology due? Did I wrong someone, was I too selfish, am I arrogant? Was I judgmental today? Could I have thrown more Love into a situation? Great posts on this thread...

This article was very interesting to me. The way I see it (which may not be correct at all, but it's just the way I see it), we manifest from the inside to the outside. The god-spirit (for lack of a better name) is what we are. The intention, the thought, manifests first, unknown to us. The research seems to bear that out - our brain 'prepares' itself before our own awareness kicks in. We apparently have a split second to modify our action or thought. The god-spirit is not good or bad. It just Is. If we're conditioned through the years to be judgmental of, say, someone of another skin color, we have the choice of whether to indulge our judgment or to modify the thought as it manifests to us. I have a lot of pre-conditioning, so I do a lot of instant modifying. We are what we think. The thing that keeps the god-spirit aligned with our physical self (nothing but a series of imposed conditions and judgments) is the inner cultivation. We have the free choice to get rid of the things inside us which warp the lens of our true vision.

From his name. Twinner. Also, from the fact that he always signs his posts with Aaron, as though differentiating himself from the other. Despite the fact they have nothing in common, apparently, this could be at the root of this manifestation. Also, it sounds like his appearance is monk-like. My guess is he really is going through the manifestations of the third eye revealing itself, from the depth of his posts. Also, Aaron is a 12-stepper, which means he takes his inner journey as serious as a heart attack.

This is a truly freaky thread. Okay, if we want to get truly metaphysical on this, we have to figure out what eyebrows and eyelashes symbolize in the grand scheme of things. Eyelashes are a protector, I guess - protection from the sun, from debris. Protecting the eye. The eye is the window of the soul. This could also involve the 3rd eye, on a slightly different level. Maybe this was a necessary purge of sorts to activate it. The fact that you are left looking like a baby may be a very good thing! Maybe the baby shouldn't look so sad! Maybe you are being 'reborn' in a sense having to do with your third eye. Maybe you are 'shedding' something that needed to be shed. Maybe that's the significance of the lost hair, even though it wasn't technically shed. Something to do with your previous identity that needed to be loosed. Trying to triangulate this would be a lot easier if I knew something about what you are manifesting today in your life. I'm assuming that you may be a twin? Could the baby be sad because he is shedding something that his twin still has? That he is reluctant to move ahead without the twin alongside? This could be a very deep component, going all the way back to the womb, if you are indeed a twin.

LP - I'll bet your left brain is extended about just as far as it can be....you appear to be tremendously educated. My guess is that the trick for you now is to find a way to switch to the right brain; to be able to embrace things that don't follow logic. This was extremely hard for me - I have been a left-brain detective my whole adult life. The way to go in is different for everybody. Mine came through crisis, through alcoholism. Yours may be more of a conscious decision, because you can sense that you are as far as you can get with the left brain. If nothing else, consider working the 12 steps of recovery - that's a quick and dirty way to start the self-realization process. There are also many other ways described on previous threads. Please just be open minded about the stuff that doesn't 'follow' the logical philosophical reading..... Very best wishes to you - you're in great company here and many of us are real serious about the inner journey. It will lead to self-realization or actualization, which may be what you're looking for. This is the other half of the coin of being a master of anything.

LP, it almost sounds like you're ascribing an evil intent to Yin.

Ego, and the other side of the coin, Humility. If we maintain the mindset that we're merely a projector showing It a movie, then ego can remain at bay. I've heard it said that humility is giving credit where credit is due. In essence, 'we' can take credit for nothing. It is all being done for us, through us. We are the humble channel. It is only then that It will awaken and shine through.

I don't know anything about this subject (mo pai) but I would question the duality of labeling anything evil. Perhaps evil doesn't have its own intent at all, perhaps it's just absence of light. I would think that before one could find the Oneness that this energy system would require, it would be helpful to stop looking at the world as good and evil, or god and devil. Looking at it this way removes the fear and would make you a better practitioner. I would think. It must all be embraced, not just the selective parts.

It's funny how life trains us for the very things we're talking about. I have chosen to live my life with a man I met in AA 28 years ago. He is a recovering alkie too; but in his case, when he drinks, he is a skid row wino. He hasn't drank in 20 years, but the first 8 were hell. Pure hell. Not only would he periodically fall off the wagon, he would crash cars, he would grow a long pukey beard and be out panhandling change for bottles of Thunderbird or a short dog. It was during this initial 8 year period of time that I learned to live with one foot on a banana peel and one foot in hell. Alanon taught one thing only, after everything is said and done: Stay In Your Own Lane. No matter how painful it is, seeing your partner laying face down in a parking lot next to a dumpster. There is absolutely nothing you can do to change it. As a result of this, I have two sides to me now. One side is totally entrenched in love for everything and everyone. The other side of me is like a switch I can turn on and off; an instantaneous ability to get to the Here and Now and absolutely pay no mind to what's going on around me. It was a survival technique that I learned, but I didn't realize how very spiritual it was at the painful times I had to do it. Even now, although he doesn't drink, his bipolarity creates the same situation occasionally. I have to use the same technique to have a nice day for myself and not buy into his negativity. Yes, life does remove things swiftly. All we can do is stay grounded, stay in tune, embrace the change. It's like we're the projectors showing a movie to Spirit, that's all.

Oh that's great....I may do the same. Maybe we could ditch our cars making a left turn at an intersection?

This is because you secretly must want a golf cart to ride around in, lol. Are you getting up there in years? They're sure looking pretty attractive to me about now... Music. The oddest thing happened the other day. I was smoking a little weed and sat down at my keyboard. I closed my eyes, didn't open them. I put the keyboard on piano with strings layered above. I let my left land lightly land on the keyboard with an odd chord. The strings sustained it. My right hand started walking around the keys (my eyes still closed). I started playing the most hauntingly beautiful music that sounded a bit like it was from outer space, but beautiful! Occasionally my fingers would happen upon a viable chord, sometimes lucky enough to get both the right and left hands on the same key. When that happened, I indulged that key for a moment, played a few measures 'with form', just to make a little cohesion in the piece; then back to the soft and unstructured flow of what spirit chose to do. Damn! I wish I had recorded it.