Tag Archives: self

ENLIGHTENMENT IS NOT ENOUGH

Posted on by

1

I talk a lot about becoming “nobody” – about giving up my ego –
The identity I’ve developed over years of trial and error
While projecting my “self” out into the world
To gain an acceptance of my self-created identity.

Eventually, however, I start feeling inauthentic
For relying upon this self-manufactured ego
Which, one day, I hope to replace with a new, improved identity –
A “better” ego –
Which, of course, will also invariably turn out to be a dead-end.

Giving up one’s ego – completely – as the final step on the way to enlightenment –
Is never enough however,
Because becoming a “nobody,” by itself, doesn’t accomplish a thing –
The point of relinquishing one’s ego is to replace it
With love of God –
Along with an ability to take concrete steps to bringing God into the world.

In sum, relinquishing one’s ego is only the first step –
But what follows needs to be a life dedicated to “understanding” God
And God’s true nature as much as humanly possible –

For example, who is God, what does God want, and are there any exemplars of God
Appearing in the world today
Who make one’s heart “sing with joy?”

Starting this process of “understanding” God
Is the same thing as “falling in love” with God –
Both, however, entail a commitment to a lifelong process.

Once you’ve actually fallen in love with God
Means you’ll want to act in ways that God desires –
Jesus was able to do this –
Faced with a painful, disgraceful death administered by Roman troops –
He acted solely for God
Which resulted in an historically impactful release of Holy Spirit out into the world
Occurring simultaneously with his physical death.

This spirit of Jesus was transformed into a human “sun” –
That perpetually is creating more spiritual life in our world –
Often in ways not manifested during his earlier physical life.
Take Saul/Paul, for example, who was able to transform himself,
At least partially, into a brilliant reflection of Jesus.

So, enlightenment is not enough by itself – instead, we need to “fall in love” with God
And then commit our lives to bringing God, by our actions, into the world.

We lose nothing by giving up our egos
Because, without God, we’re nothing anyway –
All our other efforts – no matter how materially meaningful –
Don’t matter at all –
The only thing that truly matters are actions on behalf of God –
Everything else is – dross.

Every single human being, whether righteous or unrighteous,
Has the potential – while still alive –
To make a choice about each single individual act –
Whether or not to contribute something towards making God’s world real.

God began existence with a simple gesture
Unfurling out into the cosmos –
From its initial cosmic explosion, followed by evolving life, and then radiant spirit
All – moving steadily towards God –
Where, by the end of time, all of us will end up participating with God

Who is “Love”
Who is “Truth”
Who is “Justice”
Who is “Beauty.”

If you can do this, you’ll gain everything – and lose nothing –
Even if, by then, you’ll no longer have any personal identity or name –
Which won’t matter because, in your actions, you’ll have become part of God –
And God will recognize you and know your name – even if no one else does.

Jesus deeply understood this, and you can trust him about it –
That is, we need to love God the same way he did.

So, a loss of ego leading to enlightenment may be an important first step,
But, by itself, amounts to almost nothing –
While acting in the world for God turns out to be the only thing
That’s actually truly meaningful!

ALWAYS THE SAME PERSON

Posted on by

1

I’m always changing – adding and subtracting to and from my “self” –
Yet remain the same – from the first moment of my existence.

How is this possible – to remain, in essence,
A single soul –
While, over time, adding and subtracting worlds to myself –
Eventually even being changed by the love of my life into two
Yet still remaining one.

Is God like this?
From the first moment of creation – staying the same –
Carrying time, space, and energy inside an infinitesimally/infinitely small/large bright self?

Is it really necessary for a God to “die” in order to be “born again” as a newer, fresher God –
A “Springtime” God?

When, ultimately, I personally “flash off,” will I remain the same – just in another form?
Will, after my body dries up and blows away, the energy of my “life” continue existing
In a time and space beyond our present time and space?

All forms change and die –
Yet, perhaps, never really die –
Not even the “old” Gods
Or the newborn ones either!

THE “INTERPRETER”

Posted on by

1

The left hemisphere of our brain contains a special module called the “Interpreter”
Which provides us with an interpretation of our behavior – both cognitive and emotional.

This “Interpreter” looks outward as well as inward and, ultimately, brings these together
into one core reality – as a psychological unity.

This unique system was delivered to our human brains over a fabulously lengthy period of time via natural selection.

In sum, our conscious feelings and insights are derived from a virtually infinite number of “bubbles” floating up through our humanly-modularized brain which are then integrated into one’s “self.”

Of course, God doesn’t need an “interpreter” to assist God’s understanding –
God “thinks” through and beyond time and space.

GOD LOOKING AT GOD

Posted on by

0

Jesus did it –
So any of us can.

We need freedom, however, to accomplish it –
Because the “self” our parents and society provided us
Prohibits real freedom –
Yes, unfortunately, that “self” which we use to survive
And, hopefully, prosper in the world –
Partially blinds us to reality – as well as to God.

Very few individuals are able to drop their societal “self”
In order to glimpse God –
Zen Buddhist monks tell us that one should “Know nothing” –
And keep repeating it –
Because one’s “self,” and all its mental constructs, restricts our freedom.

This, however, is partially incorrect –
True, to the extent that when we accept any mental constructs
They tend to blind us to reality –
But false, in light of the millennia of human striving for greater understanding
That has led to acquiring tools that can test reality
For the presence of God –
That is, for “Love,” “Truth,” “Justice,” and “Beauty.”

Scientists of consciousness teach that we’re provided with approximately three seconds
To open ourselves to reality – that is, to God –
That we have a 100 trillion synapses available to accomplish this –
And that our mind has a capacity even larger than the entire known universe –
But also, of course, limited by the time available to take a look.

God, however, has no time limitations
(since “time” for God exists in an entirely different realm) –
Therefore, God is always looking at us –
And greatly pleased when we’re able to “feel” God’s presence
And, in response, turn in God’s direction.

Sometimes, we can “see” a flicker of God’s robes passing by –
In and out of our psychological reality –
Out there, on the edge of consciousness –

Not only “see,” but also have the ability to think about what we’ve just seen –
Using those spiritual tools of love, truth, justice, and beauty,
To reflect upon it.

This is what Jesus did, and why he was able to say the things he said,
And why the people who looked into his face could see God.

So, yes, Jesus is God
But so are you if you truly want it.

You just have to give up everything – so as to gain sufficient freedom
To “see” –
And then, have faith in what you are seeing,
Using those “spiritual tools” handed down to you
Over millennia of human experience.

We should be talking with one another about all this –
About God – and about our selves –

What could be more important?

REALLY GONE

Posted on by

1

God doesn’t provide you with a “self” –
Your parents and society do that.

That “self,” however, is not the same as you
Since you’re undiscoverable as God –
And always free to become your “true self.”

Your present self is really only a mask – a role you play –
So, if you start believing you’re “better” than others
Take your mask off and put someone else’s on –
Try a “black one,” for instance –
 Then, “talk back” to a police officer
And see how long you live.
Or take your mask off and put on
One of the opposite sex –
Spend a little time there
Experiencing different roles,
Costumes,
Language.

The point of comfortably inhabiting one’s everyday self
Is you’ll probably never have the opportunity to meet up with your “true self”
Until you retire and have given up your everyday work routines –
Then, turning around, you’ll discover you’ve become invisible –
And no one can see you any more –
Because your “work self” has evaporated
And, now, you’re no one at all!

It’s only a blink or two from this exact point
Until you’re really gone –
Actually, though, you’ve always been really gone
But just never had to acknowledge it.

“LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME”

Posted on by

1

 “Mr. Personality” gets up onto the stage
And shouts: “Look at me, Look at me!”

This act verges on the hysterical –
A part he’s always wanted to play.

Someone living inside one’s personality has no imagination
Since they could actually be living inside a much larger Being.

For example, instead of “going small” –
Expressing oneself as a modified (but hopefully better) “self”
On some small stage or downtown square
One could go all the way.

Way past the gold-painted alters
Or soaring baroque spires –
All the way up to Heaven –
To God.

Instead of possessing a “personality”
One could decide to take up residence inside God’s body –
God’s illumined mind
Or God’s thrumming heart.

Then you would be able to say God’s truth
Through your own mouth –
Feel God’s love
Through your own human heart –
See far out to infinity and think about eternity
While engaged in singing God’s universal song –

It goes something like this ….

A NEW START

Posted on by

0

The self is nobody
And God is no one.

That’s a start!

God, was, is, a great idea
Coming into existence through a single flashing thought
On its way to becoming everything else.

This idea that eventually became everything
Met nobody – time after time –
And exchanging places in a magical spiritual marriage –
Repeatedly resulted in the birth of pure joy.

I’m working on another idea –
It runs through me only when I’m not looking:

Suddenly, I become a new person
Shining like Jesus or the Buddha
Born this very day.  

It looks like this!

THE NECESSITY OF BECOMING GOD

Posted on by

1

God offers us a life to become as much like God
As a human being possibly can –
But it’s up to us whether or not to follow up this offer.

God doesn’t allow this to animals much less to inanimate objects –
God whispers only to human beings –
However, if you do decide to remain primarily an animal or an object
Betraying your life’s true mission –
You’ll have forgotten everything God whispered to you at birth –
And leave behind everything you were ever intended to be.

God insists: “I gave you imagination and a mind unlimited as the myriad stars
And the capacity to love equal to that of a first-time mother.”

God reminds us: “At birth, you were provided with the gift of infinite potential
And the ability to move everything forward – towards me.”

God says: “Why did you take even an instant
To obsess about your “self”?
“Who are you if not on the way to becoming a fair reflection of me?”
Who are you to waste yourself
Simply accreting materials to a “false self” –
And failing to add more “God” into the world?”

“Who are you to waste the gift of your unique ability – over time –
To turn yourself into Me?”

GAINING ENOUGH SUBSTANCE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT GOD

Posted on by

0

The common and usual “self” expands by sticking “things” onto its body –
As well as manipulating other people into its lower orbit –
While rolling and trolling around in egoistic sweet desires.

This kind of “self,” however, sometimes disconnects from itself –
Like a space capsule unlocking from a mother ship
Into a self open to enjoying everybody and everything
With the freedom to be objective and to tell “the whole truth” –
Because there’s no longer any false self remaining.

A self that’s left its false self behind becomes a “true self” –
Free to think God’s thoughts,
Love like God,
And tell the truth like God –

That’s not to say, however, that these experiences can’t end up being a bit “shallow.”

The first step, however, is to gain spiritual freedom –
The second requires a lot of hard work – (because God is not a lightweight) –
Even 10 years of sustained and persistent work
Might only get us as far as being a decent human being –
Even after exercising the freedom of God.

People courageous enough to look God straight in the face
Sometimes still come to realize that working spiritually for most of their lives
Might not add enough weight
To gain the attention of a single person
Desiring to know something about the “real” God.

INTENSITY OF THE “SELF”

Posted on by

1

Love in the abstract (towards which I tend)
Is not worth much.

True love starts in the heart
And then is drawn towards another person –
Sometimes, even an object.

This is fascination with the “other”
Where one leaves one’s lonely self behind and becomes
Someone sharing their existence with another.

If it’s a person that love is driving you towards
You become more “alive” –
But if it’s an object
You might gain only some temporary satisfaction.

How far does your love go?
To just a few friends – or does it extend to all people in the world?
To a single object, like a cup or a car, or does it encompass everything in existence?

Does your love grow weaker as it expands outward?
And what about the effects of time?

Maybe everything should be measured
Solely by the intensity of the “self”
Engaged in this loving?