Tag Archives: Freedom

COURAGE IN THE FLOW

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We earn the title of “human being” when we’re able to live out values
Higher than our everyday concerns –

Some examples are:
Love, truth, justice, beauty,
And “Good” – an alternative word for “God.”

Before enlightment, if and when that ever happens,
Each choice we make will be determined by our earlier unconscious choices –
Made without self-reflective thinking –

But to live “in the moment” – like God does –
We need the same inner freedom that God exhibits.

In order to accomplish that, however – we’ll need to shake off our elaborate egos
And ersatz societal roles –
And become free enough to resurrect our original true self.

It’s not sexuality that our predecessors, Adam and Eve, wanted to cover up –
It was their “self-made” artificial reality –
Which can only be changed by gaining the ability to see the world through God’s eyes.

Christianity, in order to justify itself, has promoted a misleading standard for all humanity –
“Perfection” –
But, after all, even God isn’t perfect in a mathematical or abstract sense –
Because God is alive –

Like nature – just on a higher level.

So, to condemn ourselves as sinful because we haven’t achieved “perfection”
Is irrational
Because we aren’t –
And never will be.

One day, however, we might decide to be “born again” – like Jesus recommended –
And, as a consequence, be able to experience full reality –

The same as God –

After which, hopefully, we’ll start making intelligent-loving decisions,
Discovering all it took was

Courage in the flow –

That’s all –

Just a little courage
In the flow.

SEARCHING FOR GOD – WITH BOTH MINDS

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We possess two minds: a logical/mathematical/scientific mind and a creative artistic one:
Joined at the brain’s center they function best when acting together
Because it takes both to encompass reality.

Today, many people are using just one of their minds in their search for God or for understanding reality – the “logical” one –
And that’s true whether we’re speaking of believers in orthodox religion or atheists –
Since both can be quite comfortable construing reality in a purely logical manner.

Atheists – being materialistic – use “Occam’s Razor” to crop spirit entirely out of life’s picture,
While Fundamentalists and Conservative Evangelicals proselytize a “god-given” faith
composed of ancient superstitions systematized into a “take it or leave it” religion.

Both are dead-ends.

I propose that people should start searching for God and their true self by using both minds. A new post-“postmodern” field of human endeavor will be necessary to accomplish this: a freely creative and artistic, yet inherently rational, spiritual discipline of using both of our minds.

In the past, artists convincingly portrayed various aspects of God, but restricted their images and stories to their culture’s predominant religion – whether Christianity, Buddhism, or Islam.

Today, however, artists need to widen their scope of work to encompass all human religions, spirituality, thought, and emotions. Human beings’ highest and most joyful levels of creativity could then be used to “paint pictures” and “tell stories” about God, and to discover their true selves – with absolute freedom – while grounding this new“ spiritual-art” in a profound and rational understanding of reality.

This “Two Minds spiritual discipline,” however, will never be included in the course curricula at Princeton Theological Seminary or Oral Roberts University because this combination of a rational scientific approach with spontaneous and free artistic creativity, by its very nature, could never be the subject of academic systematization.

The best thing would be for each person to become a “scientific-artist” or “artistic-scientist” (depending upon one’s natural preference), and to go and search for God and one’s true self on their own – using both minds. If they happen to learn about someone who might be helpful to them in that search – they should go and talk to that person – one on one.

Repeat, as often as necessary, until radiant with joy!

PERSPECTIVE

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Hindus tell us life is a dream
While, at Cal Tech, reality is conceived of as particles –
Relying upon these concepts, there appears to be no true reality –
Everything just a trick!

But, if we’re a dream, we’re certainly a real dream,
And if we’re particles, where, after all, did “love” and “truth” come from?

People worry about how a God who’s good,
Can permit suffering to exist –

But, really, isn’t it simply the price of freedom.

Existence is deeply magical – that is, “spiritual” –
And, ordinarily, even though we take it for granted –
We really shouldn’t.

Picture raindrops striking a window –
Are they dreams, particles,
Or tiny gifts from God?

Think about how everything
Is part of everything else –
So intricately interrelated –
If this weren’t true
The world couldn’t exist
And, really, would be just a dream
Or a bunch of particles.

So,
We should be thankful for love, truth, and beauty
Each of which comes in almost infinite varieties –
Because, actually, they’re the only meaningful reality
That we’re ever going to experience.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND THE TRUE SELF

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“The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21 (Emphasis added)

Do we become “God” when we have achieved the highest/best level of humanity?

No.

Do we become “God” upon enlightenment or, much more rarely, upon arrival as an Avatar of the Age?

Again, no.

Are human beings such a key part of reality that we may serve as a symbol for everything else – at least intellectually – and so, from that perspective, might be viewed as “equivalent to God”?

Good heavens, no!

***

God doesn’t want us to aspire to be “God”. God wants for us only to be our “true self” – so that we may gain entry into that “kingdom of God” that’s “within” us.

***

This “true self” is what God always intended for us to be – that is, the person we were destined to become if we ever stop working so hard at embellishing our ego self.

A true self is what God desires for everything and everybody – after all, cardinals, bees, and galaxies all exist exactly as God intends – however, none of them are given the freedom to become “something else,” i.e., to change themselves – like we are.

One day, when we decide to drop our false selves – like discarded clothes – we’ll be able to make an initial appearance into that innermost “kingdom of God”.

Upon returning to this interior “Eden,” and thereby gaining the self-reflective intelligence, spontaneity, and freedom that’s natural to human beings – it’s true that we’ll become “like” God – but only in the sense that we’ll have become as “natural” as God.

Listen – I’ll say it one more time since there’s so much confusion about this (especially from the world’s self–appointed, self-enriched gurus) – the point is not for us to become “God” – but only, while remaining a normal human being who has given up their artificial ego self – to become as natural as God.

THE NECESSITY OF FREEDOM IN ACHIEVING SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION

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The more I think about what’s required for us to evolve spiritually, the more I have ended up thinking about freedom.  In Diner Mystic, I included a Zen quote by Lin-Chi, that says:

“O you followers of Truth! If you wish to obtain an orthodox understanding of Zen, do not be deceived by others.  Inwardly or outwardly, if you encounter any obstacles kill them right away.  If you encounter the Buddha, kill him; if you encounter the Patriarch, kill him; … kill them all without hesitation, for this is the only way to deliverance.  Do not get yourselves entangled with any object, but stand alone, pass on, and be free!”

At the time, I thought he was right, but hadn’t yet thought all the way through just why he’s right.  Ultimately, I have come to the conclusion that the essential nature of God is freedom – that it’s impossible for God to exist without absolute freedom.  Any ideas that we have of God that are less than this, or that restrict God’s freedom in any way, are just plain wrong. It’s difficult, however, for human beings to think clearly about a God who has this kind of absolute freedom – because it’s difficult to think about what possessing that kind of freedom would mean for human beings themselves.  Without this freedom, God is not God and, equally so, without it, it would never be possible for human beings to discover their true selves.  It’s that important!

I intend to address this issue of spiritual freedom more fully in my next post.