Catholism in a modern world

Identifying yourself is a hard decision to make in the modern world. The term christian can be applied to any of over a thousand sects that identify with Christianity. The term catholic can be used to identify with many sects of adherents to the catholic church. Choosing to identify is a tough decision as we all have the need for spirituality.

I have attended the catholic church many times even though not being identified as catholic. Most of my friends and some relatives identify as catholic. Though I share many of the same religious views concerning Christ and even Mary , I remain without identity. My journey has been quite different and with all respect to others uniqueness. As a stone in time , respecting the beliefs of all persons. Keeping the peace at all costs, so that we can all co-exist without mass destruction.

There are good sides to identifying as it gives the opportunity to socialize with others of similar beliefs and unite in common cause. The main reason for uniting is to fill the greater needs of society. Currently we find there are great needs in the world.

In modern society we see many caught up in virtual games and mobile communications. Perhaps children may skip church to play a video game. Most of the services are filled with older and middle age and lately less children. The catholic schools are struggling to support themselves and there are fewer persons going into the priesthood and becoming nuns. Those we have are mostly elderly and ready to retire.

Will the catholic church survive change?

I will say , yes. There will always be voids and God's spirit will fill them. We also need to learn to adapt to change and bring our best to the table. We have only just begun, it is not the end of the world. Remain positive - in attitude and behavior. Be a catholic , identify if you choose. It is not about catholic or non-catholic it is about filling the void.

Peace,

Earl.

Who is Mary?

Some may believe Mary was special and some do not. Jesus himself said that it was more important to do his fathers will than to honor each other. He also was concerned for his mothers care before going to the cross, and Mary brought birth to Christ and was filled with the holy spirit.

Does Mary appear to others through time , to comfort the sick and promote peace?
I believe that Mary existed even at the beginning in a goddess form and exists today. Appearing as needed throughout life. The Hindus sometimes have a shakti experience where a goddess appears. In my own life have experienced that divine loving female presence. Of course each person has an explanation of this presence according to their belief system.

As the Catholics have elevated Mary to the queen of heaven. To me the most loving being ever and full of joy was and is Mary. I am not a catholic by upbringing however do uphold the presence of Mary is real.

Is the Mary of the bible , Jesus mother the same goddess of the Hindu? I have wrestled about this question for years. I believe it is possibly so. Though many would argue Mary was only Jesus mother in human form. Merely a vessel to bring forth the Christ. Some may say this is just a story , created by just another religious mind. No matter which theory you go with the loving and joyful presence of some feminine divine character appears throughout history.

Peace to you,

Earl.

Celibacy

When we think of celibacy it brings to mind a monk or a nun that is consecrated to holy living. We think of man or a woman that has made a vow. However most of us think it is a stupid idea. Yet we find that even Plato remained celibate who was one of the greatest philosophers of all time. He felt that it was fine to have a relationship or close friendship with women as long as it was only platonic.

The bible has various passages honoring celibacy as a high form of spirituality. It also teaches marriage is the ultimate form of spirituality.

I believe that we are all unique in character like stones. Uniqueness is the whole theme of this blog and something I hold to closely. To respect the unique character of each other is fundamental toward harmony in our various cultures and society as a whole.

Celibacy may be viewed by most as quite unnatural. Because it is not natural perhaps we can say it is supernatural. Because it takes a will that is above normal and it is in fact practiced by many religious and non religious.

If everyone became celibate humanity would cease to exist. This is a true argument as in the case of the early shakers that no longer exist. We should note that sex is enjoyable to most , certainly with the right partner can be even wonderful. Chemistry seems to play a role in sex and it not always about looks. Personality chemistry , interaction beyond just the physical aspect.

So what is the chemistry involved with the celibate. They seem to have a devotional chemistry with their order and with their inner sanctum. If we look at this from an information data perspective a hole is filled with either live data or with null characters in able to process thought. Either way the mind is able to continue processing and stay healthy. It is when the data stops flowing a troubled mind occurs then we need to explore the use of nulls. So we are better off with a partner and a system that provides the ability to think clearly without one. That is why the mind has the ability to transcend and think beyond purely a physical level.

Our bodies seem to be a chemist lab , and our brains have amazing abilities. Perhaps these fluids are put to other uses within the kingdom of our beings. Some of the celibate saints that passed away are said to have had a sweet odor.

It takes all kinds to make up the world , and to say it is right or wrong would just be judging.

Where two or more are gathered, I am there among them. Spirituality is a form of meeting others needs, sometimes it is one to one = two. Other times meeting the needs of society by charity or other giving. Spirituality is giving and receiving. It is not as some may suggest about some enchantment or mystery. We have spirituality by meeting the needs of others and society as a whole. Giving food to the hungry or shelter to the homeless is a spiritual act.

We must look for the holes (the need) and the holy will come. Saying prayers is just a method of searching for the right path to a need whether it be your own need or the needs of others. God is spirit , the spirit that comes forth to aid us in filling all the holes in our own life and in society. The spirit of creation , the spirit that connects all of us. We are just an image or expression of that same spirit.

Perhaps we can view the whole of humanity as a huge repository of chemistry. Whether you are celibate or not is a personal choice. I just hope that you do not become a recluse , learn to be outgoing and mix with others at some level.  We were made for each other.

Peace to you,

Earl.

New Years Resolution

New years is seen as a beginning point for change. Sometimes it is a re-commitment to a healthier life style.

I made the resolution:
1. To Cherish the Rose.
2. To distance myself from the Ivy.

To cherish the rose means to count my blessings. In embracing my children and grandchildren and those that are in my inner circle. This includes friends that have encouraged me over the years and showing them how much they are appreciated.  Embracing life in general whether good or bad times , taking the entire rose soft petals , fragrance or even the thorns as all a part of life.

To distance myself from the Ivy means not to become strangled by those that require constant attention and time. We all need time for ourselves and many will be over demanding to the point of strangling us like a vine that grows in places we do not want them. There is another aspect of itching , discomfort or even poison to the Ivy. An Ivy has no flower or fruit or enjoyment.

We can not always avoid the Ivy , we can keep our distance.

Peace,

Earl.

Caution and Cowardice

We often associate bravery with the lion. Usually brave and strong are linked together. Yet there is a character we find in the famed story of the wizard of OZ that seems out of place - the cowardly lion. The cowardly lion looks like a lion however cringes at the first sign of adversity.

Then we learn about being wise and cautious before leaping into a situation. When we are perceived as being overly cautious it can be viewed as cowardice.

So how do we remain as a lion and not appear cowardly when exercising caution.

First realize that all battles , yes ALL BATTLES are not ours. Take your personal vendettas, anger all those feelings and put them aside - it is not your battle. 2 Corinthians 20 Says the battle is not yours but Gods. There is also another metaphor used in the charge of the last brigade,  "Ours is not to reason why , ours is just to do or die. "

We are sometimes faced with acting out of duty and not personal feelings. When this is the case duty should always prevail. It is also the lesson in the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna points out that duty prevails even over feelings for family. That puts a twist in the old thought of family first. No , family is not first when it comes to right or wrong. Family can sometimes hinder our relationship with God.

Mark 3:31-35 Then Jesus' mother and brothers came. They stood outside and sent a person in to tell Jesus to come out. Many people were sitting around Jesus. They said to him, "Your mother and brothers are waiting for you outside." Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Then Jesus looked at those people sitting around him. He said, "These people are my mother and my brothers! My true brother and sister and mother are those people that do the things God wants."

We can see it is often taken even further when we take on a personal battle. ALL BATTLES are Gods, not my will but thine. The Hindus have taken this one step further and to realize this is one of the lessons in enlightenment . God in Hinduism is living in each of us acting out our lives. In Christianity the enlightened Christian says the same thing, Galatians 2:20 it is not me who lives but the Christ in me.
The enlightened Hindu realizes also that God lives out our lives. Our identity is merely a mask we wear and perhaps may just easily pick up another mask. In Buddhism to be become nothing is an enlightened state. In essence we find that nothingness is to put aside the mask and show our true self.

The cowardly lion is the one who forgets that he or she is a lion. The overly cautious person is one that is merely lacking experience in the life of faith. It is not a weakness to be over cautious, it is merely a matter of practice and experience.

Pride often is evoked to overcome cowardice , where this ego response may seem to work, it only causes more ripples. The best way to overcome a battle is to not own it at all. The lion that seeks to devour you , would love to see the person with the mask enter the ring rather than the lion which is Christ.

Whether you are in the position of a soldier or a general everyone has a duty to perform - cowardice only comes when we forget we are lions.

Peace ,

Earl

The holes and the holy

We hear a lot about holy this or holy that. I can tell you what is holy ground to one sect is not always holy to another. What you consider holy may not be important at all to another religion. Because we pervade through religion what holiness is. It is more of a respect for a belief that holiness arise it has nothing whatsoever to do with the truth.

What is more important and what you should be focusing on is the holes.

Holier than though is a bad attitude.... Holy, holier and holiest -- most holy where does this end its all nonsense.

The hole is important , the need.

We describe electrons flowing to produce electricity. Then when electronics came into being , solid state devices were created the science discovered the electrons were not flowing ... the holes were moving. Outside forces may be moving as energy , where in our own sensitive structure we find our needs or holes are moving.

What we should understand is the need or hole  moving. The universe is made up of matter and more importantly holes. Once a void is created , it will be filled for certain and perhaps another void will be created. In Genesis the whole purpose of the created universe was a void existed darkness and emptiness , the there was light and life began filling all the holes, God saw it was good.

If you believe you know everything , there will be no room for anything. The energy comes and goes some is static and is released, some dynamic in motion. When we find the need within ourselves and others the spirit will move to fill the need.

What is more important the question or the answer? I would say the question is more important, the answer is already there. Answers are everywhere , you may only ask one question and perhaps 20 students will give an answer, some may be different answers ha ha. The question remains and is consistent.

We can take a theory and it may work for many years , perhaps until a better one comes along. Answers can change even over time , so the answer is not the truth. The truth is in the question, the void.  Look for a need a hole and fill it, God will bless you.

So where does creative power come from? the Question. The question sends you on a quest. The quest causes you to create a path, the path becomes a way. When you follow the way to the truth , you have created. To be or not to be that is the question. Or we can look at this algebraically and say the question is the state of being.

We have opinions and we have answers and we have the truth. How do we filter through all the bullshit to get to the truth. With better questions , ask the right questions. Unfortunately a person is often graded on the answers , they can memorize them and get good grades. The real creative intelligence comes from the better questions.

The method Buddha used to practice is to give different answers to the same question to different students. Sounds inconsistent however the Buddha was more concerned with the need than the answer. Jesus said "ask and you shall receive".

? is the most important character on the keyboard.

Peace,

Earl.





 

Balance

Our body needs balance, our mind needs balance and we need to balance the two together - this is spirituality. The buddha taught that we are to have our lives in balance. The Tao taught this as a central teaching. The Quran teaches God helps those who help themselves.

So it is not enough to just believe in something , we need to have balance.

It can be hard to achieve balance in a bad economy or when the persons in power are full of greed and lust. It can be hard to achieve balance when our neighborhood is over run with crime and drugs. It can be hard to achieve balance when we are born poor or have a disability. However we must try it is our spiritual journey.

When we look around us we can see that most of our personal problems and with our family is because of an imbalance. Sometimes we view it as an unfairness and that can lead to anger. we should merely view all things as having balance or imbalance. Making at first a major adjustment as needed then smaller adjustments along the way, we can bring ourselves back into balance.

What we don't want to do is to try and bring others back into balance before making those needed adjustments to our own lives. Everything must first start within our own being or temple.

Balance between our own body and mind is spirituality. How we achieve this balance may differ from each of us. All of our needs are different, some may need food or shelter others may just need a hug. Something we all must consider once our lives are in balance is to help others achieve balance.

It is not really  journey of rights and wrongs - it is one of balance. That is why we are told to cast out the mote in our own eye first, and also not to judge lest we be judged.

We can seem overly religious or overly absorbed in our desires. Even a man that reads the bible or the quran each day and prays all the time must also take into consideration his own daily needs and those of his family. A need may be food or shelter or a simple hug to his children.

We can see lately that most terrorism is caused by religious fervor where instead of viewing life as being fair or unfair , right or wrong it should have been viewed in regards to balance.

We can also say that in a capitalist society balance can be achieved only by working to change the government or corporate structure to allow for a balance. Of course we see the executives having their own perks , washrooms, allowances and special options where the worker at the bottom seems to be neglected. There are some companies that do take care of their workers and they have no problem finding good ones to attain overall success. Those that do treat employees poorly usually end up out of business or create an environment of distrust.

Good balance brings trust.. Brings joy to our lives.

Bad balance causes distrust, lies and brings unhappiness to all.

Communism became popular when the royals and those in power where not concerned with the balance of those who had given them their power. The thing we should note is someone gave up something so they could be in the position they are in. Always be considerate of others sacrifices.
In communism we find that balance is achieved by affiliating everyone into the same party , putting the workers first. In capitalism we find the corporations are all in competition this creates a greater variety and quality of products. Competition is healthy as it helps to balance out the quality. Even in communism there can be a reward system to achieve a higher quality.

Quality is sometimes preferred over quantity. So there is a fine adjustment is you want quality called competition. If we want to compete we must have balance within and around us. Balance is not always a fair distribution , or right or wrong it may just be improving the way of doing things, actions. Balance by actions or change, balance by fine tuning later.

In the lesson of the chariot , we see that there are (2) horses that make up our nature a dark horse and a white horse. This same scenario was spoke about by Plato which he speaks of a dark horse being more the nature of desires and the white horse the heart , honor , victory and can be angry when they see a wrong being done. In both cases the mind must decide which horse will take the lead which is represented by the chariot driver. If the Lord of our mind is wise and leads us to make good decisions we will make better choices.

There are times when the dark horse may lead , it is another part of our nature. Sometimes the dark horse will represent a personal survival which is necessary. To balance our desires with the heart would involve an equal distribution of work. The three parts of our soul are the dark horse, the white horse and the chariot. Regardless of what we may think the chariot will always represent who we allow in the driver seat with us. In the case of the Bhagavad Gita Krishna was the driver and the one giving advise to the commander. We remain the commander , the Lord always gives us the free will to make the final choices. In the case of the Christian, Jesus is the one behind the wheel , we still make the final decision. Having the mind of Christ is having the one whose is in your chariot in the character of Jesus.

We are still limited by our own nature , the horses and the chariot driver. What if we had someone that did not give good advice , where would we be, perhaps in a ditch. In the story of the chariot in Buddhism Nagasena tries to tell the king he arrived on a chariot and is questioned about the existence of the chariot by identifying each piece as not being the chariot. Then tries do deny his existence in the same fashion. "Or is "Nagasena" a form, or feelings, or perceptions, or impulses, or consciousness?" Finally it was rationalized he could exist as the chariot did by having all the parts identified and named as a single entity or "being". We are merely the sum of all parts identified by a sound.

 So if we are traveling to a destination and someone asks where are your wheels we may point to our feet. What do we do when someone says who is your driver? Do we say no driver in the seat? These horses drive themselves like a runaway buggy. What buddha is saying the chariot does not exist at all without all the parts intact you are going nowhere.



Peace,
Earl.