I oppose all forms of tyranny...even if they assume the form of a "loving mother".
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
All is One (part 2)
When I was a young Catholic boy, I thought God was this great powerful being who lived in heaven and looked down on us. The reason why He had to be in heaven was because He couldn't stand being around a bunch of sinners.
It sounded logical because the priests kept telling us that we were always living in sin...and it was almost impossible not to sin. Even if I had a "bad" thought, I was "sinning". And if you know teenage boys, I had a lot of bad thoughts.
Unless I found a way to be "unborn", I wasn't going to escape the fact that I was born a sinner and would continue to be a sinner until the day I die. And if I wanted to see God, I needed a plan. The trick was to get my confession in just a few moment before I die. That way, I would only have to act saintly for a minute or two and then, voila, I'm in!
About 40 years later I had a different concept of God. It was right after I lost my second wife. That experience plunged me into a deep depression. I needed a different kind of God to get me through it. I needed a more personal God, a more loving God, a God that I could be one with. That's when I revised my picture of God.
The concept of me being a part of God took me out of my depression and gave me much more. It transformed me into a much more loving person. How could I not be? If I am a part of God, then His nature must also be my nature. His Love essence must also be my essence. Except for the fact that He is omnipresent and omnipotent there isn't anything that IS God that is not me...or is it? This leads us to what happened yesterday...my breakthrough.
The difference between the second and the third revision is not just evolutionary or revolutionary. It is EPIC.
For example, if I were to pray to God under the second concept of God, it would go something like this...
"God I need guidance. I lost my job. I couldn't finish school because of my health. I have a special need child that needs me to be at home. Give me sign of what I can do to pull us out of this dilemma." And then I would wait.
Weeks or even months would go by and I would have to pray again, "God, I really need an answer here. My savings are running close to empty. Should I try writing or something to make some money from home? God, please tell me what to do so I can do it and get on with my life!" And then I would wait some more.
Weeks later and I would still get no answer. So then I would start blaming God. "God, why don't you answer me? I have You to thank for all my problems. Why can't You get your fat butt off your throne and do something? Can't You see I'm waiting for your answer here?" And then the prayers would get really ugly from here.
Now... if I were operating under my latest concept of God. The prayer would go something this...
"Thank you God for giving this opportunity to demonstrate my power of creation. I know what I have to do and it shall be done." That's it...short and simple. Because if I KNOW I have the power of God in me to create and change anything I wish...there's no need for supplication. There is only gratitude.
Incidentally, if you go back to the prayers that were done under the second concept and substitute my name or the word "I" or "me" for every time the word "God" was used, you would see exactly who was the cause of the problem.
It sounded logical because the priests kept telling us that we were always living in sin...and it was almost impossible not to sin. Even if I had a "bad" thought, I was "sinning". And if you know teenage boys, I had a lot of bad thoughts.
Unless I found a way to be "unborn", I wasn't going to escape the fact that I was born a sinner and would continue to be a sinner until the day I die. And if I wanted to see God, I needed a plan. The trick was to get my confession in just a few moment before I die. That way, I would only have to act saintly for a minute or two and then, voila, I'm in!
 |
| This is my first impression of God. He is everywhere, but He is separate from me. |
About 40 years later I had a different concept of God. It was right after I lost my second wife. That experience plunged me into a deep depression. I needed a different kind of God to get me through it. I needed a more personal God, a more loving God, a God that I could be one with. That's when I revised my picture of God.
 |
| In this second revision, I am a part of God. God is everywhere and in everything...including me. |
The concept of me being a part of God took me out of my depression and gave me much more. It transformed me into a much more loving person. How could I not be? If I am a part of God, then His nature must also be my nature. His Love essence must also be my essence. Except for the fact that He is omnipresent and omnipotent there isn't anything that IS God that is not me...or is it? This leads us to what happened yesterday...my breakthrough.
 |
| This is my most recent concept of God. He is as much in Me as I am in Him. He is my Creator; but at the same time I am also creating Him. We are One...yet we are not One. Such is the Divine Dichotomy. |
The difference between the second and the third revision is not just evolutionary or revolutionary. It is EPIC.
For example, if I were to pray to God under the second concept of God, it would go something like this...
"God I need guidance. I lost my job. I couldn't finish school because of my health. I have a special need child that needs me to be at home. Give me sign of what I can do to pull us out of this dilemma." And then I would wait.
Weeks or even months would go by and I would have to pray again, "God, I really need an answer here. My savings are running close to empty. Should I try writing or something to make some money from home? God, please tell me what to do so I can do it and get on with my life!" And then I would wait some more.
Weeks later and I would still get no answer. So then I would start blaming God. "God, why don't you answer me? I have You to thank for all my problems. Why can't You get your fat butt off your throne and do something? Can't You see I'm waiting for your answer here?" And then the prayers would get really ugly from here.
Now... if I were operating under my latest concept of God. The prayer would go something this...
"Thank you God for giving this opportunity to demonstrate my power of creation. I know what I have to do and it shall be done." That's it...short and simple. Because if I KNOW I have the power of God in me to create and change anything I wish...there's no need for supplication. There is only gratitude.
Incidentally, if you go back to the prayers that were done under the second concept and substitute my name or the word "I" or "me" for every time the word "God" was used, you would see exactly who was the cause of the problem.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
All is One
"What you do for your Self, you do for another.
What you do for another, you do for the Self.
This is because you and the other are one.
And this is because...There is naught but You."
from Conversation with God Book 1
from Conversation with God Book 1
God is the macrocosm in which ALL THAT IS and ALL THAT IS NOT exist. The human Soul is a part of this macrocosm...but at the same time it is also a microcosm of God. ALL THAT IS and ALL THAT IS NOT exist within the Soul. God creates you, but you are also creating God. This is the Divine Dichotomy.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Two Kinds of Gods
The God of Love set you free. The God of Fear keeps you near. Whichever God you choose defines the kind of person you are.
Monday, August 25, 2014
The Internal Struggle
Last week I saw a patient with a complaint of depression and the lack of joy in her life. She felt guilty for having "everything" but enjoyed none of it. She has done everything that is expected of her and it did bring her a certain amount of success, but she felt like she is trapped all the same. In the same week I watched the movie Rush (2014) for the second time. The coincidental timing of the two events caused a surprising insight.
Rush is more than a great racing story. It is an analogy of the internal human struggle between the mind and the spirit. The rivalry played out between Nikki Lauda and James Hunt not only mirrors this struggle beautifully, but it amplifies it for the whole world to see. Lauda is methodical, calculating, and cautious while Hunt is carefree, living in the moment, and impetuous. They are, in fact, each other's complement. They inspire one another...pushing each other's limit...to the point of putting their lives on the line.
Their rivalry was more than just an adversarial relationship. It was also a mutually inspiring one. Lauda's crash in 76 would not have happened if Hunt didn't infuriate him so much. On the flip side, Lauda couldn't have had his miraculously come back without Hunt chasing his tail for the championship. They are in fact each other's soul mate.
The internal struggle between the mind and spirit is no different than this classic rivalry. It brings to mind the classic image of the Devil standing on the left shoulder and an Angel standing on the right...except that there is no Devil. It is only us...or more specifically, the two halves of us.
Each of us is being challenged every moment of our lives to make choices that fall somewhere in between these two polar opposites. We shouldn't feel that we need to be a Lauda all of the time, doing what's only expected of us. Nor do we need to be a Hunt all the time in order to enjoy life. Life is an ebb and flow process, an up-and-down cycle, and an in-and-out act of breathing. Each moment of the life is a unique event, never seen before and never to be repeated again.
Choose what feels right at each precious moment regardless of what is been expected of you.
A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends. Baltasar Gracian
P.S. If you want to see a wonderful analogy of Love and Fear, see Warrior (2011).
Rush is more than a great racing story. It is an analogy of the internal human struggle between the mind and the spirit. The rivalry played out between Nikki Lauda and James Hunt not only mirrors this struggle beautifully, but it amplifies it for the whole world to see. Lauda is methodical, calculating, and cautious while Hunt is carefree, living in the moment, and impetuous. They are, in fact, each other's complement. They inspire one another...pushing each other's limit...to the point of putting their lives on the line.
Their rivalry was more than just an adversarial relationship. It was also a mutually inspiring one. Lauda's crash in 76 would not have happened if Hunt didn't infuriate him so much. On the flip side, Lauda couldn't have had his miraculously come back without Hunt chasing his tail for the championship. They are in fact each other's soul mate.
The internal struggle between the mind and spirit is no different than this classic rivalry. It brings to mind the classic image of the Devil standing on the left shoulder and an Angel standing on the right...except that there is no Devil. It is only us...or more specifically, the two halves of us.
Each of us is being challenged every moment of our lives to make choices that fall somewhere in between these two polar opposites. We shouldn't feel that we need to be a Lauda all of the time, doing what's only expected of us. Nor do we need to be a Hunt all the time in order to enjoy life. Life is an ebb and flow process, an up-and-down cycle, and an in-and-out act of breathing. Each moment of the life is a unique event, never seen before and never to be repeated again.
Choose what feels right at each precious moment regardless of what is been expected of you.
A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends. Baltasar Gracian
P.S. If you want to see a wonderful analogy of Love and Fear, see Warrior (2011).
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