Religious Text and Experience

What is more important a religious text or experience? We can argue that most religious text can be interpreted in many ways. Some can argue the bible has over 100 thousand versions and translations. This can be said of many holy books. The book itself should not be worshiped for though holy books contain divine wisdom they are text.

Often say my favorite book is you. Christians often refer to the bible, Jews to the Torah and the Muslim to the Qur'an. I have myself referenced books if we really investigate the origin of books we will find they are inspired. It is not as important what book you read as to what life you live. You are the important book.

When on a deserted island I was in constant reflection and cried out to the Lord. My experience was the Lords prayer, or sometimes called our Father came to me. The simple prayer is accepted by all major religions the main precedent of the Our Father is that the creator sees us all as children. We are not servants or beggars , we are brothers and sisters all. 

We have these books as reference also we have teachers. We have our own spirit that bears witness which many may ignore. Our spirit bears a witness , we have inner peace when we are doing the right

actions. We are to take each day as it comes - give us this day our daily bread. Daily bread some will say is scripture , some will say this is more than food for the body. Jesus speaking said , he was the bread of life. Daily bread is divine not just food , though food is important we can go for a day without it. I believe it is the bread of life or food for thought.

We sometimes say my gut feeling was this or that. If we study anthropology the gut was formed before the eyes or ears. We still hold this sense as even the ancient Chinese speak of Chi as originating in the gut area. We see verses where God is nauseous and spews out those neither hot nor cold. We also read in Greek mythology where Cronus the titan who represented time used to swallow his children so they would not become more powerful. One day Zeus gave his father Cronus a stone to swallow and he became nauseous and spewed up Zeus's brothers and sisters. Who helped him to overcome Cronus who represented time.

Throughout mythology and religion the stomach makes judgement in divine matters. Our nervous system surround the digestive area. A person can get sick to their stomach from an experience not just food. Especially those who are sensitive to the spiritual. There was one such apostle Timothy who would get a sickness in his stomach.

We are told not to rely on our own understanding this may seem a little odd. We may be taught something in our youth which our own experience contradicts. Experience goes hand and hand with common sense. If someone tells you to drink the kool aid and your common sense and gut feeling says otherwise , then don't drink the kool aid. Lessons learned by experience are less likely to be forgotten than those from books.

I like to hear others experience or testimony to quote again - My favorite book is you.

We find that Jesus wrote nothing, Buddha himself wrote nothing, Socrates the great philosopher wrote nothing. Everything written came from the students and inspiration.

Peace,

Earl.

Yuk

When we walk we usually look ahead not behind us. That is unless you have stepped in something that smells and sticks to the bottom of your shoe.

For better words lets call this Yuk.

When we discover this Yuk it usually starts with smell then we find sometimes it leaves a trail of its own. It makes us stop in our tracks we will then take off our footwear and check our steps.

This is somewhat how it is to be in sin. We realize the trail and stench are hand in hand. We have to check our path before going forward otherwise tracking it everywhere. It is Yuk -

It is traditional in most eastern homes to remove your shoes at the door. We find in the United States very few do unless asked. After all why take a chance of carrying in the Yuk. When you enter a  martial arts studio footwear is always removed or face the wrath of the teacher.

Walking in the spirit requires we do the same leaving our filthy habits behind. We can only do so much on our own. We hear many speak of enlightenment - they are probably talking about discovering who they are- self discovery. We may even feel a unity of the soul with all of creation and it may be called enlightenment. The spiritual cleansing that occurs to those who walk in the Lord or spirit is completely different.

Knowing or having knowledge is not enough.

You must use all your senses , including smell. Ask for the holy spirit to fill you. Be patient the comforter will come. Many look for alternatives - perhaps another face or a short cut. Maybe meditation or good works. All of this sounds wonderful , the requirement is holiness. That includes cleanliness and  to behave beyond reproach. It does not mean pointing fingers at others this is something personal very personal.

Check your shoes.

Peace,

Earl.

Calligraphy

In Japan there is an art form which was perfected by masters of expression called Calligraphy. Pens that are used have flat and thin points to give a multidimensional effect on fonts. Earlier pens used by writers drew the ink from an ink well before dispensing it to the paper. One could easily have a blur or blob and this took concentration.

Today calligraphy is still used to produce art in writing.

If we think of the soul as the calligraphy of a divine consciousness representing millions of fonts many of these ideas perhaps we would understand ourselves. This art of calligraphy is more than on the surface it goes deep into the soul. This calligrapher I will call time , the paper I will call space. As in earlier Greek mythology the creator god Kronos represented time. The philosopher tried to explain this concept.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God , and the Word was God. This was also said by Jesus , I am the Word. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Was Jesus in his simple teaching trying to explain who he was. In essence also who we are.

Earl

Zen the power of Insight

Zen though it grew out of Buddhism is not a religion. Rather it seeks to take the mystery out of religion to a more practical and simple understanding of life.  No matter what your religious preference is Zen can be applied.

God is not the author of confusion - sound familiar.

Simplicity removes anxiety - Zen has no religious barriers. It is merely a thought process that means insight usually brought about by meditation. It is however not limited to meditation.  Zen is not limited to books of wisdom. Wisdom can come from nature or any source.

It is really Up to the Cup. If you  fill your cup with good overflowing thoughts that can be shared with others this is Zen.

Zen  is not mystery as some would think, it is actually simplicity. Originating in China it can be applied to anything in our daily lives. Zen is just a term for simplifying things to remove the anxiety. I often go to the bookstore and purchase the one for dummies - cooking for dummies or gardening for dummies there are many published by IDG. Which is somewhat of a zen publisher finding easy ways to get things done or understand them.

Zen is all about Easy , Relaxing and Healthy attitude. It is the opposite of Complex, Anxious and Sickness.

Zen is the power of Insight.

It is OK to laugh at ourselves.
My car would not start occasionally at first thought perhaps the starter is going or there is a short. After deciding to clear the  computer codes by removing the battery cable noticed it was the cable itself that was loose. Tightened it and the problem was gone, how simple yet all the worry for nothing.

We can also call it contemplation if the result is a smile or laughter. Fruitful contemplation is not looking into the past feeling Sorry for yourself or thinking if only I would have remained or left or done things another way. It is definitely not Worry. Take all the _orry out of life and learn to use this amazing gift from the Chinese. Take that fallen fruit and making it into a smoothie, a  cool relaxing drink. Take the lessons learned and maybe share it with others.

Peace and joy,

Earl

Implied or Applied

In science there is that which is implied and that which is applied. Similar to mathematics or philosophy and even religion.  What is implied first starts as an idea which is developed into a theory. Applied is absolute that can be used in various areas or in a new application.

So we divide ourselves into various schools of science and thought is either wrong?  No - we will someday realize what is implied can lead to creativity. We discover what is applied can lead to engineering marvels such as a bridge held by cables or a ship that floats made of steel.

Implied or theoretic thinking is sometimes improved upon. It may at first seem suggestive start a  ray of light or a tiny seed. All faith is implied much of it is without reason. It is abstract  and takes on different meaning depending on the eye of the beholder. Abstraction is an art form just as much as an exact image.

Valued in the art world is not perfection or photographic images. The value is in the imagination or the extended view beyond the eye. Dreams are where this imagination can flourish while the applied mind is at rest. Do not be afraid of dreams they may be abstract or exaggerations. The myth was an implication often formed to explain the natural evens like lightning or lava. Then there are things so uncanny they seem magical we later discover an explanation for.

Whatever cannot be seen , touched , heard , smelled or tasted has to be implied. The study of microorganisms or air , the ethereal. What is able to be sensed is ephemeral . The ethereal becomes clear through science and sometimes consciousness. We speak of the cosmos implied or the emptiness of a hole - which later we find colonies of micro organic life forms. We see things in 3 dimensions however it may be that we are just an part of a fourth dimension a mere expression.

We create games and videos as another dimension to our thinking is there another power where we are similar - just a creative image.

peace,

Earl

A dogs life

Often we say it would be nice to live a dogs life or to be a child again. Free of care and worry.  However you will discover it is not always so. Many animals go without care , many children go without food. Be careful what you wish for.

What is really beholden is to be free of debt or worry. That would mean to control our desires to an acceptable level. We can still desire food only develop our tastes for less expensive food. At one time lobster was considered a food for the poor or unfortunate that goes for many crustaceans - crab and shrimp. Now they are considered delicacy and fetch a good price.

Most food can be found on trees or growing in the wild. Shelter is a matter of social show and often people live in a house with many bedrooms even though they can only sleep in one. My favorite actor Jimmy Stewart (the thin man) lived in a townhouse between two building even though he could have afforded much more. Minimalism is not just a lifestyle it is living debt and worry free.

I was often told by my son to buy a bigger house to impress his friends. It was possible only my other son other  is handicapped and we often needed to carry him living on one floor was better for us. He still lives with us in the same house and my other more ambitious son has moved on.

A dogs live depending on your master for every crumb or to be often forgotten except to bark when someone approaches. No thank you!  To me it would be better to be a person just make better decisions.

peace to you,

Earl

Invisble

My wife is a fan of the comic character Wonder woman, when asked what super power was her favorite she said to be invisible. Really? over flying and super strength you chose invisibility. My choice was flying. We all have desires of these super powers it is built into our nature. We sometime express them in our dreams.

Though many believe in invisible religious entities with various abilities the most popular is in fact invisibility. The fact is if we started seeing the things we are told to believe in - we would be hauled in for evaluation or go insane.

It is hard to let go of the ego - to realize we are all one. Our mind can take us many places invisibly and possibly we often recognize pieces of another reality here. We may think of a past life moment or deja vu  and try to figure it out or come to terms with it. In sharing my experience we are all part of a collective consciousness. We tap into the experiences of others past and present at times. We do however choose to remain invisible in that state of consciousness as it is the preferred entry.

Hats off to all those that were able to fly in their dreams and experience super strength to overcome adversity. The truth is the greatest super power is to remain anonymous and keep invisible. As Shakespeare was also in agreement. To be or not to be. Buddha taught to become this nothingness was the greatest level of consciousness , it was taught by other great masters. To become nothingness does not mean obscure it means to subdue the ego. Humility does not mean giving up your super strength or power to fly.

If we were to remain quiet and not speak unless there was absolute reason our words would be powerful. Not like one who would state his whole affairs in a single conversation. Does it bother you not to receive the prize or glory? Are you satisfied that achievement will be received by all and the glory be given to anonymous. Most likely you are enlightened if so.

peace to you,

Earl

The Quorum

We live in a society where geo political decisions can effect us more than ever before. Things that happen abroad effect us here at home. We are more mobile than any point in our history. We have the ability  through this mobility to rapidly spread disease. We also have something that can effect all our lives in either a positive or negative way " the Quorum", not to be confused with the Quran.

The quorum is this - the mystery number or mark spoke about in religious text -666. The mark on the forehead which I will write about is not some ancient evil though it seems more appealing to some. It is a geo political decision. When the bible speaks of one third of the angels being removed from heaven we see 33 per cent of the spiritual forces being subdued. We do however see 66 percent remain for the good.

In the decisive nature of society a quorum is critical, it is the same way in the spiritual. Whether viewed as political or mathematical 666 is the number. The mark in the forehead is a decision - you will notice the mark is also spoken about the chosen or good. This is the essential point at which we make good or bad decisions. Though religion expresses this in terms of angels and demons, we must see the mark can go either way. It is the entire basis of our evolution, the basis of whether we face destruction or survival as a species. Whether we have peace or war.

Whether we apply this number to the law , to finance or to society as a whole. We should note it is biblical, it is practical and the quorum is 666. It is up to us to decide whether there is peace on earth. We must let go of our ego and unite together. The beauty of this unity brings us peace and harmony if the quorum goes the other way it is war and destruction. Keep in mind the quorum is within our being and society as a whole our very life existence.

The bible speaks of the beast in spiritual terms as we are in such an age of where geo politics can effect our daily live - we need to be careful what society we build for our children. Today I see economies that borrowed from future generations  deep in debt. This is all actually just a state of mind - we can erase all the debt by forgiving it and starting over. This is why we must have jubilee a restart every 50 years - a day of forgiveness. If you had accumulated IOU's over this time as a generation you must forgive them. It sounds simple and I am sure those that have achieved great wealth will disagree. However it states on the money in God we trust. We are told not to trust in mammon. Though we can touch a dollar bill it only has value if we trust in the backer.  It is all a matter of the mind and has no real value.

Learn to forgive.

Peace to you,

Earl.

Pennsylvania

Living in Pennsylvania most of my life I am fortunate and blessed.

There was a time (era) where this was a vast flora of plants and trees ,where dragonflies had six foot wingspans. Ferns where everywhere the beauty was beyond our current day imagination. Life was was more abundant than anywhere on earth. Insect life, plant life and many species of animals. If you were to catalog it all , it would take an immense technology.

Then something happened a climate change, an environmental change. Life was converted to energy and over time the six foot dragonfly disappeared. Man became the main inhabitant cutting down the forest and building roads. We found all that life that was once abundant became energy. Vast coal, oil and natural gas reserves. Pennsylvania ,though the era of flora had passed is still an site of great beauty , canyons and streams. Wild game - turkey , bear and deer.

We do need to however be careful in harvesting the energy left behind by the flora era. To maintain the beauty , we see lately parks are being closed. My childhood was spent with many family  picnics in the state parks. It was exciting to swim in the fresh spring fed lakes (a little cold). We had food and laughter, running and playing. Nature itself is a spiritual experience lest we forget. There are placid places.

I pray we hold onto this space while we have a demand for energy. We also see the sores left behind by strip mining and fracking. In essence we have marred the landscape to keep ourselves warm and mobile. We also see there are those who chose to live a quiet live here a simple people not in mind , in lifestyle. The Amish or brethren have rejected the ways of the so called - english. They prefer a simple way of life to be self sufficient in as many ways as possible.  There is a lifestyle journey along with a spiritual one.

My fore fathers were early founders of the brethren , from the land in Switzerland, to northern Italy, to Germany and eventually here in Pennsylvania. Some went on to Ohio , some to Oregon and others to western Canada. We were and still are the brethren. Holding the bible as a main guide for living especially the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. My heritage was built upon these values. Though the Brethren have a sense of peace ,it it often infringed upon. That is the reason they had many times moved on. To avoid persecution , we have a basic belief that war can be avoided and should be. We accept diversity - yet hold onto our own basic beliefs.

I have friends who are Hindu, some are Islamic and many Christians of various sorts. I feel at home in a Brethren community, Lutheran or Catholic. There is no reason to kill each other over beliefs. We are in the end all a part of each other. Whether you believe in human consciousness or god consciousness is irrelevant. We are connected by our very nature and design. We are of the same image a result of many eons of evolution or dynamic creation.

To find peace we must first start within , we must tame the ego. As we preserve the natural resources that surround us by considering our future generations. Every decision should be made with our children and grandchildren in mind. When we plow or dig into the earth - what can be replenished. Should we take a shortcut that will effect future generations all these things must be thought out carefully.

Peace to you,

Earl.

The Clutter

Yes - I am still alive. Though recently had gone through a terrible bout of pneumonia and moved back home with my wife. We were not separated in marriage only location as for the past year had to re- locate for employment. We have been soul mates for over 30 years and have (2) sons and (2) grandsons.

Upon returning home and moving my things into one home from an apartment in Reading, PA. We had one problem - the problem was clutter. Having more than you need for the time being things had to be stored in spaces so that we could travel freely through the home. An extra couch or chair until we could decide what to do with them.

My mind for the past year was tied up with data science ,analytics and various technology. I became certified as an information specialist. In the final result not one poem was written in the past year, my blog was frozen - my mind was full of clutter.

To me creativity and ideas were reduced to whatever the corporation needed. Yes- I won monthly and quarterly medallions for these in my job. However my spirituality suffered and to me that is the most important thing in life. there must be a balance between employment and spirituality. Like every experience things happen for a reason. I met some interesting people and discovered more about myself.

So this was a period of self discovery and reducing clutter. As we can see clutter in the home is one thing, clutter in the mind is another. As we are exposed to the internet and a huge dynamic of knowledge and ideas this all seems so wonderful. We do however need to sort through the information and find out what is truly needed and what is just clutter.

The mind is our temple - when Jesus walked into the temple and saw all the commerce going on that had nothing with spirituality , he grew angry. He overturned the tables - his Fathers house had become a den of thieves robbing us of the true things that were precious -joy .peace of mind our love.
In a  capitalist society where commerce is the key element- we tend to fall into the same trap. The sanctuary should remain a sanctuary - a place of worship .prayer and communion.

The we go back to the brain which is an amazing space. Truly it is just a space where things are stored - sometimes clutter. Until we can sort through the information and make sense of it. One note is that we all desire recognition, yet we are all one. We all have mixed thoughts and all have this craziness called clutter. It is learning how to deal with it - be patient , all things will pass.

Peace to you,

Earl.