Hello Everyone! This is an attempt to remedy the issues that we continue to have with The G-d Sight. Seeing as we really don't wanna relocate again we are trying one more time to fix the original page. Our issues on this page was the inability for our overseas followers to comment and take part without opening up their browser security settings. (Something that we feel would be inappropriate to ask them to do.) That being said, could our overseas friends please just post a hello on this blog to see if there is still some hope for it. Thanks so much and have a wonderful weekend.
J and K
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Moving Forward
Hello Everyone! I know it's been a while but I am here to share some good news. The G-d Sight will continue...just on a different site. Issues developed with the commenting on this site. People outside of the US weren't able to respond and, unfortunately, the issue couldn't be fixed. So J and I decided it would be best to find another home for this site. If you are new to these blogs, please read on and enjoy. We will be leaving this page up and active. There are alot of blogs and comments that have accumulated and it would be a shame to let them disappear. But if you would also like to read on to the newer posts go to the following link:
http://thegsight.blog.com
Thank you for joining and following us. Have a wonderful and blessed week. G-d bless!
K
http://thegsight.blog.com
Thank you for joining and following us. Have a wonderful and blessed week. G-d bless!
K
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
United in Prayer...
We live in a religiously diverse & interconnected world; a world that is rapidly growing smaller as we become more connected & interconnected through technology. We are no longer isolated tribes living on an isolated tribal island.
How we communicate our religious beliefs & what we choose to communicate matters. Not only because of the religious diversity that surrounds us, but because our words can be instantaneously communicated around the world.
Unfortunately, our prayers rarely respect the religious diversity of our global human family. They are often far too “religious” & filled with religiously “tribal” terminology & language that; ignores the reality that others may not share “our” tribal beliefs & is insensitive & disrespectful to those who choose to not only believe differently, but to those who may choose to reject religious faith beliefs entirely.
Atheism & agnosticism are “religious” beliefs about the nature of ultimate reality that also need to be respected.
It is clear that tribal religious narcissism, a growing lack of humility, respect & compassion for strangers, & our judgmental insensitivity to those who have different faith beliefs, is creating much of the conflict & violence we see in the world today.
If we want our behaviors to match our faith beliefs on the importance of unconditional love & compassion, then we need to be more conscious & sensitive to the possibility that those around us might belong to a different religious “tribe” & may therefore hold very different faith beliefs than we do.
If our goal is to create a compassionate & peaceful global human culture, we need to replace our particular religion’s tribal prayer language with a more gentle & compassionate universal spiritual language. We all have the right to pray how we want to inside our faith communities, but it is important to remind ourselves that even inside of our faith communities “tribally specific” religious prayer is a form of human conditioning that unconsciously reinforces our “tribe’s” insensitivity toward those who choose to believe differently.
This is especially true for a number of “tribes” who seem to have a deep need to pray publically, & whose prayers tend to be “tribal” or ethnically religious in both content & language. It is rare that they ask for permission to offer public prayer, but even when permission is sought, the prayer language almost always reflects that of their “tribe”.
Public prayer, especially in the presence of strangers, needs to reflect spiritual prayer language, not the religious prayer language of a specific religious tribe.
In the past, many nations were considered a “Christian” nation. That is no longer true. We are rapidly becoming less “religious”, less “Christian” & more religiously diverse.
We are nations of many “tribes” … atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Buddhists, Wiccans, Hindus, Jewish, the spiritual but not religious, those who embrace a more evolutionary or naturalist spirituality, those who are anti-Christian because they have been harmed by other Christians or Christian clergy in the past, traditional Chinese, traditional African, Sikhism, Juche, Baha’i, Shinto, neo-pagan, Unitarian-Universalists, Scientologists & so forth.
Despite the growing presence of “religion” and “ethnic religious beliefs” in our national and global politics, there is clear evidence that rigid ideological religious beliefs are creating evil in the world; not love & compassion.
This inflexible religious ideology, a religious insensitivity to the needs, beliefs & rights of others, & a growing narcissistic lack of mutuality, love & compassion for those of other religious tribes, all contributed to the deaths of over 100 million people in the 20th century alone.
Because ethnic religious intolerance & violence is growing in severity, the need to awaken a more spiritually enlightened human consciousness; a consciousness that tames the collective primitive ego narcissism of our human species, is becoming increasingly urgent.
If the prayers of all of our world’s religions, both inside & outside our religious institutions, could learn to adopt the non-dual prayer language of our world’s great spiritual mystics; an inclusive spiritual prayer language that respects & honors the religious diversity of our world, I believe our human species would become more compassionate & peaceful.
Our big problem is that our primitive ego is concerned with self-identity, not unconditional love & compassion.
Developmental psychology teaches that the primary goal of our self-focused primitive ego; the ego of our unconscious inner-child; the part of our human ego that controls the behaviors & thoughts of almost every living adult, is that of establishing a clear self-identity for itself.
Our primitive ego scans the world through the lens of its many beliefs & “certainties” so as to insure that the tribal boundaries between its sense of “me” & those who are “not-me”, are clearly defined. It also thinks dualistically in judgmental, either/or, black-and-white terms.
In other words, it maintains it sense of “self” by assuming that its beliefs are always right & the beliefs of others; those who are “not-me”, are always wrong.
When our self-identity” is strong & clear, our primitive ego feels happy & safe. Thus, our primitive ego “loves” religious prayer because the “absolute certainty” of our religious beliefs supports and strengthens its sense of self. “I” am a Christian. Or “I” am a Muslim. Or “I” am an atheist. Or “I” am Wiccan. Or “I” am Jewish.
Because the primitive ego of our inner-child is happy & content when its self-identity is strong & un-ambivalent, insisting that our religious beliefs reflect “absolute truth” is more about our primitive ego making sure that “our” beliefs are absolutely right”, than we are about the actual “truth” or “accuracy” of those beliefs.
Don’t take my word for this. Just pay attention the next time someone challenges your firmly held “beliefs” & you will “see” the energy of your primitive ego for yourself.
Spiritual prayer on the other hand, frightens our primitive ego because spiritual prayer is focused on personal responsibility, non-dual unity, compassion, unconditional love, mutuality, respect, non-dual mystical seeing, gratitude, thankfulness & our human co-creative inter-connectedness.
The focus of spiritual prayer is not on tribal identification, but rather on a more unity based, contemplative, collective, co-creative responsibility for the unfolding evolution of creation itself.
In other words, spiritual prayer has no sense of “us vs. them” for our primitive ego to compare itself to & thus make the boundaries of its self-identity clear. Because children like clear, well-defined boundaries our primitive ego will always resist the use of spiritual prayer.
Finally, I would like to offer this personal note to my Christian & Jewish friends & all who read this who have other tribal, non-Christian religious beliefs.
If you are truly serious about your faith beliefs, I would urge you to practice humility & show the world the compassion & unconditional love of an awakened, enlightened consciousness; not the consciousness of your primitive ego’s “religious” beliefs.
I have been on my spiritual journey for many years & my understanding of what it means to be a child of G-d has changed & hopefully matured, over those years. I am a deeply religious man, but like you, my understanding of the nature of the Initiating Consciousness & my interpretation of G-d’s Word has been shaped by the journey I have been on & the subjective experiences I have had on this journey.
I do not assume that your religious or spiritual beliefs are the same as mine. So let’s talk. Perhaps we can help each other deepen our understanding of this amazing thing called life.
Life will continue to offer all of us daily opportunities to learn about & offer love to others. So let’s practice kindness & do no harm to those who might believe differently. We are all just attempting to make sense of life & this amazing universe as best we can.
The melody or music that all religions are attempting to harmonize or sing for the world is called peace, unconditional love & compassion. If all religious faiths could drop their collective primitive ego’s tribal identities & learn to sing together & support this beautiful melody, what an amazing song our global human community would be singing.
I am convinced that until we all mature our collective primitive egos & our need for an inflexible religious tribal identity, our collective voices will continue to be a cacophony of meaningless religious tribal noise, chaos, & violence.
If we could all learn to eliminate tribal religious prayer language & embrace a more contemplative spiritual prayer language, it would be a giant step toward the creation of a peaceful & more compassionate global human culture.
No matter how strongly our primitive ego believes something to be true, it does not mean our beliefs represent absolute truth. It only means we would really like to believe our beliefs are true. Allowing our primitive ego to go beyond our subjective understanding of “truth” is giving our primitive ego permission to “become” G-d.
If we could stop “selling” our tribal beliefs as “absolute truth” & embrace the humility that we are talking about an ultimate reality that will remain a mystery to our finite human intellect, we would no longer be inclined to disrespect others by “assuming” that “we” hold the “right” understanding about the nature of “ultimate mystery”, or the “right” interpretation, accuracy, or relevance of “our” tribe’s religious scriptures.
We would be too busy learning to be kind. We would be too busy learning to do no harm to those who believe differently. We would be too busy awakening our enlightened adult consciousness & taming the arrogant narcissism of our frightened primitive egos. We all live on the same planet. We are all members of the same tribe, it is called humanity & we were all created by one G-d.
Let’s see if we can learn to harmonize together … it is a beautiful melody. G-d Bless. *Smile*
J
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A Captain's Tale
I was in Hikkadawu, Sri Lanka. It’s an amazing beach a 100km from Colombo. I approached the guy with the surfboards, looking to rent one, wondering if he would be able to speak English. He could.
Meet Amilla.
His story is like so many others here in Sri Lanka. Six years later and the Tsunami is still a vivid memory.
Amilla is a surfer. He was on the beach the day the Tsunami hit the coast. As he tell us his story, you can see him reliving it. Every movement and word feels as if it were happening all over again.
He has a big smile as he speaks,
He is still awed by the events of that day.
He tells us that he remembers thinking to himself that the sea had never looked so beautiful. He just remembers how beautiful it looked and as a tourist walked by, he said to him “something is wrong today, the sea does not look the same.”
A few minutes later, water was rushing to his feet. He thought that it might just be high waters because of the full moon, but the next thing he knew, the water was up to his waste.
He ran to grab his surf boards as they were being swept away. He was responsible for the inventory and didn’t want to lose them. But then, he was hit by a sandbag in the ribs. He bent over in pain and when he straightened back up, the water was over his head.
He now knew something was wrong, but he said that he was laughing and crying at the same time. He couldn’t believe what was going on and he couldn’t stop laughing, yet he was crying. He was in complete shock.
He swam out to sea knowing that this would be his only chance. Buildings were crumbling and if he went to shore, he would certainly be crushed. He swam and swam and found others. People were panicking, but he told them to stick together. Surfers were in the water and they could rest on their boards.
They stayed in the water for 30 minutes. Waiting.
And then the sea came back out suddenly. They were standing on the ocean floor, he couldn’t believe what was going on.
That is when he ran home to find his family. People were crying, one couple couldn’t find their son. He said “I was the only local, I had to help” He searched for their son and found him in a cupboard, he was safe. The family was in shock and he told them to get out of here. “You are safe, go”
He ran home through the flowing water and glass shredded his feet and legs. Water was everywhere and he could not see.
His family was not there.
His cows were still there. The mother cow wasn’t tied up, but she would not leave here baby. It was tied to a pole, but it had survived. After he untied the cow, he ran in haste and because the water was still high and flowing, he fell into a well. It is impossible to think how he survived.
It was time to get on high ground and he made his way to the temple. His family was there along with the rest of the community.
He was one of the lucky ones.
30,000 Sri Lankans died that day. His family and friends survived. All but one girl that he knew quite well. He found her body cut up on the shore later that night when he and his friends went to the beach to see what was going on.
They felt that they were the surfers, they were able to speak English, they knew the water, they could help.
Sri Lanka has slowly been rebuilding since the Tsunami. But corruption has mired the process. Amilla’s parents lost the deed to their house in the disaster. They didn’t have a copy and therefore were evicted off of their land.
Money has not made its way to the people and even Amilla’s family now has loans and debts as they had to buy another piece of property due to their eviction.
We donated money to the Tsunami like so many others, just like so many others are doing now for Haiti.
It is upsetting to hear stories like this. People have the best intentions, but their money doesn’t make it to those that need it the most.
I said to him, “G-d sees and he knows and He will hear you when you pray to Him”. I was taking a chance saying this; in a predominantly Muslim country. His response was, “That is why I am still here. I never stopped praying that day. I will never stop.” He smiles at me and sweeps his arm over the ocean, turns around and does the same. He says, “How could I stop; He gave me all of this. He let me live to appreciate it more.”
To me that was profound! A humble, poor surfer, earning money renting out boards to tourists, loving life and still loving the ocean after it had destroyed everything he knew. Why? Because he knows G-d and trusts Him.
I got more than I bargained for that morning out on the beach.
G-d never forsakes those who speak to Him in prayer and He wants us to appreciate life and enjoy living it.
This is your Captain signing off.
Meet Amilla.
His story is like so many others here in Sri Lanka. Six years later and the Tsunami is still a vivid memory.
Amilla is a surfer. He was on the beach the day the Tsunami hit the coast. As he tell us his story, you can see him reliving it. Every movement and word feels as if it were happening all over again.
He has a big smile as he speaks,
He is still awed by the events of that day.
He tells us that he remembers thinking to himself that the sea had never looked so beautiful. He just remembers how beautiful it looked and as a tourist walked by, he said to him “something is wrong today, the sea does not look the same.”
A few minutes later, water was rushing to his feet. He thought that it might just be high waters because of the full moon, but the next thing he knew, the water was up to his waste.
He ran to grab his surf boards as they were being swept away. He was responsible for the inventory and didn’t want to lose them. But then, he was hit by a sandbag in the ribs. He bent over in pain and when he straightened back up, the water was over his head.
He now knew something was wrong, but he said that he was laughing and crying at the same time. He couldn’t believe what was going on and he couldn’t stop laughing, yet he was crying. He was in complete shock.
He swam out to sea knowing that this would be his only chance. Buildings were crumbling and if he went to shore, he would certainly be crushed. He swam and swam and found others. People were panicking, but he told them to stick together. Surfers were in the water and they could rest on their boards.
They stayed in the water for 30 minutes. Waiting.
And then the sea came back out suddenly. They were standing on the ocean floor, he couldn’t believe what was going on.
That is when he ran home to find his family. People were crying, one couple couldn’t find their son. He said “I was the only local, I had to help” He searched for their son and found him in a cupboard, he was safe. The family was in shock and he told them to get out of here. “You are safe, go”
He ran home through the flowing water and glass shredded his feet and legs. Water was everywhere and he could not see.
His family was not there.
His cows were still there. The mother cow wasn’t tied up, but she would not leave here baby. It was tied to a pole, but it had survived. After he untied the cow, he ran in haste and because the water was still high and flowing, he fell into a well. It is impossible to think how he survived.
It was time to get on high ground and he made his way to the temple. His family was there along with the rest of the community.
He was one of the lucky ones.
30,000 Sri Lankans died that day. His family and friends survived. All but one girl that he knew quite well. He found her body cut up on the shore later that night when he and his friends went to the beach to see what was going on.
They felt that they were the surfers, they were able to speak English, they knew the water, they could help.
Sri Lanka has slowly been rebuilding since the Tsunami. But corruption has mired the process. Amilla’s parents lost the deed to their house in the disaster. They didn’t have a copy and therefore were evicted off of their land.
Money has not made its way to the people and even Amilla’s family now has loans and debts as they had to buy another piece of property due to their eviction.
We donated money to the Tsunami like so many others, just like so many others are doing now for Haiti.
It is upsetting to hear stories like this. People have the best intentions, but their money doesn’t make it to those that need it the most.
I said to him, “G-d sees and he knows and He will hear you when you pray to Him”. I was taking a chance saying this; in a predominantly Muslim country. His response was, “That is why I am still here. I never stopped praying that day. I will never stop.” He smiles at me and sweeps his arm over the ocean, turns around and does the same. He says, “How could I stop; He gave me all of this. He let me live to appreciate it more.”
To me that was profound! A humble, poor surfer, earning money renting out boards to tourists, loving life and still loving the ocean after it had destroyed everything he knew. Why? Because he knows G-d and trusts Him.
I got more than I bargained for that morning out on the beach.
G-d never forsakes those who speak to Him in prayer and He wants us to appreciate life and enjoy living it.
This is your Captain signing off.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
An Inspirational Thank You
When was the last time you sat down with yourself for a good assessment of your life? Don't we all need to know where we have been, how the changes we made in the past are affecting us today, where we want to be in the future & what aspects of our personal style are standing in our way of moving forward towards the life we really want to live?
Each of us will find a time & place to do this, if we want to. What are the benefits of deciding to look inside? Suddenly you are allowing yourself to do something precious … give yourself time. Every one of us is overbooked in our lives with little time to do anything for ourselves. We have jobs, families & friends who all demand our attention. How can we bring more to our daily relationships if we do not take the time to know & understand ourselves first?
I won't kid you & say it is all rosy when you do your inner research. Sometimes you have to deal with issues you swept under the rug … knowing one day you would have to look at them again. But guess what? Today is all any of us gets, & even this is not a guarantee. So look inside … deal with what you want to avoid now. Get it out of the way so you can move forward. One thing I do recommend is to also thank yourself for all the courage you have shown in the past, for everyone has had a rocky road at sometime in his or her life. Celebrate the challenges you have overcome. Examine the times you have not triumphed & the lesson you were supposed to learn as a result. Be truthful.
If you make a commitment to improve at least one aspect of your personality & develop a game plan with a start date, before you know it, you will be on your way to the life you really want.
Thank you for following the G-d Sight. We hope it has in some small way been an inspiration to your life so far & we pray that for many years to come G-d will continue to inspire us so that we are able to inspire you.
Have a blessed week ahead,
J and K
Each of us will find a time & place to do this, if we want to. What are the benefits of deciding to look inside? Suddenly you are allowing yourself to do something precious … give yourself time. Every one of us is overbooked in our lives with little time to do anything for ourselves. We have jobs, families & friends who all demand our attention. How can we bring more to our daily relationships if we do not take the time to know & understand ourselves first?
I won't kid you & say it is all rosy when you do your inner research. Sometimes you have to deal with issues you swept under the rug … knowing one day you would have to look at them again. But guess what? Today is all any of us gets, & even this is not a guarantee. So look inside … deal with what you want to avoid now. Get it out of the way so you can move forward. One thing I do recommend is to also thank yourself for all the courage you have shown in the past, for everyone has had a rocky road at sometime in his or her life. Celebrate the challenges you have overcome. Examine the times you have not triumphed & the lesson you were supposed to learn as a result. Be truthful.
If you make a commitment to improve at least one aspect of your personality & develop a game plan with a start date, before you know it, you will be on your way to the life you really want.
Thank you for following the G-d Sight. We hope it has in some small way been an inspiration to your life so far & we pray that for many years to come G-d will continue to inspire us so that we are able to inspire you.
Have a blessed week ahead,
J and K
Your Life
This journey through life is yours;
Live more in the moment & less in the past.
Resolve to accept others differences & opinions,
Knowing it's okay to agree to disagree.
Embrace every day, every hour & every moment
Just as if each were your last.
Share less of injustice; renew disappointment;
Focus on the positive.
For this is your life, no one can live it ...
No one can change It ... except for you.
You have the power to change today, any time, any way!
Spread love just as the bees spread honey
And never leaving a kind word unsaid.
Cherish individuality, for it is the uniqueness
That makes each of us special.
Embrace family; treat them like friends...
Surely then those relationships will never end.
Accept others make mistakes,
Learn to forgive, to let go ... to move on.
For this is your life, no one can live it ...
No one can change it ... except for you.
Remember, you have the power to change today, any time, any way!
History should remain a study of the past, a valuable lesson perhaps.
Press onward, not backward.
Resolve to concentrate less on the lack of communication ...
And more on becoming part of establishing it.
Spend less time focusing on others weakness & more on improving your own ...
And know, when you stand back, it will seem like magic ...
Great things will happen!
Remember too, that by sharing love, joy follows
And is that not what really makes life worth living?
For This Is Your Life, no one can live it ...
No one can change it ... except for you.
And my wish for you today;
To always believe & to always know that with G-d by your side
You have the power to change today, any time, any way!
G-d Bless,
J
Live more in the moment & less in the past.
Resolve to accept others differences & opinions,
Knowing it's okay to agree to disagree.
Embrace every day, every hour & every moment
Just as if each were your last.
Share less of injustice; renew disappointment;
Focus on the positive.
For this is your life, no one can live it ...
No one can change It ... except for you.
You have the power to change today, any time, any way!
Spread love just as the bees spread honey
And never leaving a kind word unsaid.
Cherish individuality, for it is the uniqueness
That makes each of us special.
Embrace family; treat them like friends...
Surely then those relationships will never end.
Accept others make mistakes,
Learn to forgive, to let go ... to move on.
For this is your life, no one can live it ...
No one can change it ... except for you.
Remember, you have the power to change today, any time, any way!
History should remain a study of the past, a valuable lesson perhaps.
Press onward, not backward.
Resolve to concentrate less on the lack of communication ...
And more on becoming part of establishing it.
Spend less time focusing on others weakness & more on improving your own ...
And know, when you stand back, it will seem like magic ...
Great things will happen!
Remember too, that by sharing love, joy follows
And is that not what really makes life worth living?
For This Is Your Life, no one can live it ...
No one can change it ... except for you.
And my wish for you today;
To always believe & to always know that with G-d by your side
You have the power to change today, any time, any way!
G-d Bless,
J
Create Your Own Rainbows
Believe in your heart that something wonderful is about to happen.
Love your life.
Believe in your own powers & your own potential & in your own innate goodness.
Wake every morning with the awe of just being alive.
Discover each day the magnificent awesome beauty in the world.
Explore & embrace life in yourself & in everyone you see each day.
Reach within to find your own specialness.
Amaze yourself & rouse those around you to the potential of each new day.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect.
This is the essence of your humanity.
Let those who love you help you.
Trust enough to be able to take.
Look with hope to the horizon of today for today is all we truly have.
Live this day well.
Let a little sun out as well as in.
Create your own rainbows.
Be open to all your possibilities … All possibilities & Miracles.
Always believe in Miracles. G-d is the Father of Miracles.
Trust in G-d & all will be possible.
G-d Bless,
J
Love your life.
Believe in your own powers & your own potential & in your own innate goodness.
Wake every morning with the awe of just being alive.
Discover each day the magnificent awesome beauty in the world.
Explore & embrace life in yourself & in everyone you see each day.
Reach within to find your own specialness.
Amaze yourself & rouse those around you to the potential of each new day.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect.
This is the essence of your humanity.
Let those who love you help you.
Trust enough to be able to take.
Look with hope to the horizon of today for today is all we truly have.
Live this day well.
Let a little sun out as well as in.
Create your own rainbows.
Be open to all your possibilities … All possibilities & Miracles.
Always believe in Miracles. G-d is the Father of Miracles.
Trust in G-d & all will be possible.
G-d Bless,
J
Patience
Human psyche perceives controlling five vices - Pride, Lust, Anger, Attachment & Greed, as being perhaps the five most difficult things to do during our short stay on this planet. And the solution to controlling these vices lies within ourselves only.
Self-discipline comes from Self-realization. Self-realization comes from Self-introspection. Self-introspection comes with Patience & Patience comes from Practice.
When we say that we are fighting these vices, this means we are already aware of these problems, which are hampering our spiritual growth, & we are already on our way. But then this should not be said just for mere saying or for impressing upon others.
Actually, the fact of the matter is that as soon as we are confronted with a critical situation, we simply forget to practice patience with ourselves & are conveniently overtaken by any of the above-mentioned vices.
Example: As soon as somebody offends us, our 'ego' comes forward and we, conveniently, forget about practicing patience. Have we ever analyzed how long a period of time we actually remember an incident that gave us the feeling of hurt or insult, regardless of the magnitude of a dispute?
I would say ... not more than two or three days at the most. And after that, whatever we recollect from that argument, is just a hazy picture of what had actually happened. But the hurt/insult, of whatever derogatory remark she/he said to us, always remains embedded in our mind.
Obviously, the same applies to the other person as well. Those derogatory remarks play games in our minds, for a lifetime in some cases. We hardly remember the cause for which we had argued & tend to remember only the hurt/insult thus caused. Hurt or insult is caused by our false 'ego' or 'ahamkaar' only. This is the reason we are unhappy for most of our lives.
We always say how dare she/he say these remarks to me? (We can't even recollect the remarks ...). But, we do not realize that whatever she/he uttered was restricted by her/his level of thinking/intellect ... we feel this hurt/insult only because we take whatever is said to us to heart & mind and that is where all the problems arise. What if we do not take the insult at all? She/he can do nothing about it.
Patience is a rare state of mind, where we are neither too happy on the happening of a favorable event nor too depressed on the happening of an unfavorable event. Our goal: the state of mind in which we are constantly in 'Anand ... Eternal Joy ... Bliss'.
But this state of mind needs practice; practicing restrain or patience with ourselves. Some would simply argue, "Very difficult!” But: Is it really that difficult? Have we ever strived for it? I am afraid, no, never ever!
So, one derogatory remark from she/he induces another derogatory remark from us & so this vicious circle continues to a point where there can be no looking back.
And in 100% of the cases, we earn nothing from our false ego-based arguments but rather might lose the blessings of our elders or a true friend for a lifetime. By dragging his/her thinking (derogatory words) into our mind again & again, we are not only corrupting our minds but we also don't allow good thoughts to enter our mind.
If we could just practice patience & just listen to what the other person has to say, without blasting him/her out of his/her 'ego', we would solve a lot of problems. We need to practice patience with our minds.
So, whenever we feel bothered with such feelings of hurt/insult, just go to quieter places & try to empty our mind from such thoughts. By giving our mind a feed of positive thoughts or even think about the positive sides of that individual who had hurt/insulted us in the first place, maybe we could reconcile with him/her.
But again, this comes from practicing patience. Now, whenever there is a situation when we feel that one of the five vices are overtaking our thinking, just take a deep cool breath & hold back. We will certainly cool down.
You could say that the other person would brag/boast that he has proven his point, just because we have stopped responding to the negative arguments. We should remember that nobody has ever won an argument & his/her bragging could just be their 'false-ego' only.
Let him/her feel happy!! We can't be right each time & the other person can't be wrong each time. So, if we can gain something from others, we should feel grateful to him/her. We can at least give Patience a try. Patience definitely breeds peace of mind.
Come on, let us give it a try. This is what G-d would want us to do. He will assist us if we ask; He always does; He always will.
G-d Bless.
J
Self-discipline comes from Self-realization. Self-realization comes from Self-introspection. Self-introspection comes with Patience & Patience comes from Practice.
When we say that we are fighting these vices, this means we are already aware of these problems, which are hampering our spiritual growth, & we are already on our way. But then this should not be said just for mere saying or for impressing upon others.
Actually, the fact of the matter is that as soon as we are confronted with a critical situation, we simply forget to practice patience with ourselves & are conveniently overtaken by any of the above-mentioned vices.
Example: As soon as somebody offends us, our 'ego' comes forward and we, conveniently, forget about practicing patience. Have we ever analyzed how long a period of time we actually remember an incident that gave us the feeling of hurt or insult, regardless of the magnitude of a dispute?
I would say ... not more than two or three days at the most. And after that, whatever we recollect from that argument, is just a hazy picture of what had actually happened. But the hurt/insult, of whatever derogatory remark she/he said to us, always remains embedded in our mind.
Obviously, the same applies to the other person as well. Those derogatory remarks play games in our minds, for a lifetime in some cases. We hardly remember the cause for which we had argued & tend to remember only the hurt/insult thus caused. Hurt or insult is caused by our false 'ego' or 'ahamkaar' only. This is the reason we are unhappy for most of our lives.
We always say how dare she/he say these remarks to me? (We can't even recollect the remarks ...). But, we do not realize that whatever she/he uttered was restricted by her/his level of thinking/intellect ... we feel this hurt/insult only because we take whatever is said to us to heart & mind and that is where all the problems arise. What if we do not take the insult at all? She/he can do nothing about it.
Patience is a rare state of mind, where we are neither too happy on the happening of a favorable event nor too depressed on the happening of an unfavorable event. Our goal: the state of mind in which we are constantly in 'Anand ... Eternal Joy ... Bliss'.
But this state of mind needs practice; practicing restrain or patience with ourselves. Some would simply argue, "Very difficult!” But: Is it really that difficult? Have we ever strived for it? I am afraid, no, never ever!
So, one derogatory remark from she/he induces another derogatory remark from us & so this vicious circle continues to a point where there can be no looking back.
And in 100% of the cases, we earn nothing from our false ego-based arguments but rather might lose the blessings of our elders or a true friend for a lifetime. By dragging his/her thinking (derogatory words) into our mind again & again, we are not only corrupting our minds but we also don't allow good thoughts to enter our mind.
If we could just practice patience & just listen to what the other person has to say, without blasting him/her out of his/her 'ego', we would solve a lot of problems. We need to practice patience with our minds.
So, whenever we feel bothered with such feelings of hurt/insult, just go to quieter places & try to empty our mind from such thoughts. By giving our mind a feed of positive thoughts or even think about the positive sides of that individual who had hurt/insulted us in the first place, maybe we could reconcile with him/her.
But again, this comes from practicing patience. Now, whenever there is a situation when we feel that one of the five vices are overtaking our thinking, just take a deep cool breath & hold back. We will certainly cool down.
You could say that the other person would brag/boast that he has proven his point, just because we have stopped responding to the negative arguments. We should remember that nobody has ever won an argument & his/her bragging could just be their 'false-ego' only.
Let him/her feel happy!! We can't be right each time & the other person can't be wrong each time. So, if we can gain something from others, we should feel grateful to him/her. We can at least give Patience a try. Patience definitely breeds peace of mind.
Come on, let us give it a try. This is what G-d would want us to do. He will assist us if we ask; He always does; He always will.
G-d Bless.
J
Friday, July 8, 2011
Changing the World
We would all love to make a difference of some kind in the world; especially in this broken world that we know of as home. I think the retailer, Staples, had the best idea when they came up with the “Easy Button.” For those who don’t know, it’s a magical button that, with one push, instantly solves any office supply dilemma that you could possibly have. Life would be pretty sweet if we actually had an easy button, wouldn’t it? A button that would whip out all the things that are causing this world to slowly break down the way it is. There would be no war, no hunger, tolerance, harmony...one can dream right?
Well there is no easy button and according to the word of G-d, thing are only going to get worse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be the pessimist; I’m being a realist. I believe that while the Earth was made to sustain itself, we were made to sustain each other, the devil has managed to throw wrenches in the system all over the place. The thing is, we don’t require tools from G-d, we are the tools. Some people understand that and they listen and follow and do what they can to make a difference in some way whether it be big or small. When looking at the world as a whole and wanting to make that difference it seem like an impossible task. Sometimes you may wonder why even try. But people don’t really seem to realize that any improvement that will take place in this world isn’t going to result from one or two really big differences, it will result from a lot of smaller ones combining to make the changes that people want to see.
This very thought brings a quote from a movie to mind. How many of you have seen the movie “The Core”. (Starring Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank) Those who haven’t; consider this your spoiler alert. The Core is another “close call-end of the world” kind of movie. The mantel in the Earth’s outer core has stopped spinning. This messes up the electromagnetic field around the planet and basically causes deadly chaos for all of mankind if it isn’t fixed. In an effort to save the world, a sort of submarine/drill is invented that takes a team through the layers of the Earth to the outer core where they will set off explosives that will make the mantel start spinning and cause the Earth to instantly heal itself. OK...I am guessing some of you are saying “that could never happen!” But what can I say...that’s Hollywood for ya. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the movie.
Anyways, there is a point where the team is coming to terms with the first death among them and they are saying “why are we doing this” and “this is too big.” One of the characters, Serge, says something very profound:
“I think you’re attempting the impossible. You’re trying to save the world. It’s overwhelming. I came here to save my wife and two children. Six million lives; that’s too much. I just hope I am smart enough and brave enough to save three.”
Those are very wise words. When we are living our lives wanting to make a difference in this world, sometimes people come to the end thinking that they didn’t do enough. But what’s enough? There are some people that are meant to touch thousands of lives while others are meant to just touch a few. Neither is better than the other because there is no small success in my opinion. I don’t know everything that G-d has in store for me. I don’t know what he expects me to accomplish by the time I die. I have no idea if I am going to touch a lot of lives, or just a few. What I do know is that when my day comes, and it was G-d’s will that I quietly touch the lives of even just one or two people...then it’s all worth it. Because it helped in continuing the chain of events that G-d needs in place.
Don’t ever question if you can make a difference. It’s what we were all made to do. There have been times when I can recall someone helping me without even realizing it. When they have said just the right thing without knowing what was going on in my life. It’s amazing how G-d can use us to reach out to one another isn’t it? In this busy world it’s easy to go day to day with no thought of what is going on around you. It’s so easy to just be focused on your life, your situations, your heartache, and your joys. I am just as guilty as anyone else of this. We need to choose to see through the eyes of G-d. He sees when someone is hurting. He sees when help is needed. He sees when someone simply needs a smile or hug. With this in mind, I am going to tie a song to this blog. It’s by a man named Brandon Heath and it’s called “Give Me Your Eyes”. I hope it can help inspire you to look a little bit deeper when going through your everyday routine. Because you never know who G-d needs you to help or encourage today. And you never know when a chance is upon you to do your part to change the world.
G-d Bless,
K
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY
Well there is no easy button and according to the word of G-d, thing are only going to get worse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be the pessimist; I’m being a realist. I believe that while the Earth was made to sustain itself, we were made to sustain each other, the devil has managed to throw wrenches in the system all over the place. The thing is, we don’t require tools from G-d, we are the tools. Some people understand that and they listen and follow and do what they can to make a difference in some way whether it be big or small. When looking at the world as a whole and wanting to make that difference it seem like an impossible task. Sometimes you may wonder why even try. But people don’t really seem to realize that any improvement that will take place in this world isn’t going to result from one or two really big differences, it will result from a lot of smaller ones combining to make the changes that people want to see.
This very thought brings a quote from a movie to mind. How many of you have seen the movie “The Core”. (Starring Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank) Those who haven’t; consider this your spoiler alert. The Core is another “close call-end of the world” kind of movie. The mantel in the Earth’s outer core has stopped spinning. This messes up the electromagnetic field around the planet and basically causes deadly chaos for all of mankind if it isn’t fixed. In an effort to save the world, a sort of submarine/drill is invented that takes a team through the layers of the Earth to the outer core where they will set off explosives that will make the mantel start spinning and cause the Earth to instantly heal itself. OK...I am guessing some of you are saying “that could never happen!” But what can I say...that’s Hollywood for ya. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the movie.
Anyways, there is a point where the team is coming to terms with the first death among them and they are saying “why are we doing this” and “this is too big.” One of the characters, Serge, says something very profound:
“I think you’re attempting the impossible. You’re trying to save the world. It’s overwhelming. I came here to save my wife and two children. Six million lives; that’s too much. I just hope I am smart enough and brave enough to save three.”
Those are very wise words. When we are living our lives wanting to make a difference in this world, sometimes people come to the end thinking that they didn’t do enough. But what’s enough? There are some people that are meant to touch thousands of lives while others are meant to just touch a few. Neither is better than the other because there is no small success in my opinion. I don’t know everything that G-d has in store for me. I don’t know what he expects me to accomplish by the time I die. I have no idea if I am going to touch a lot of lives, or just a few. What I do know is that when my day comes, and it was G-d’s will that I quietly touch the lives of even just one or two people...then it’s all worth it. Because it helped in continuing the chain of events that G-d needs in place.
Don’t ever question if you can make a difference. It’s what we were all made to do. There have been times when I can recall someone helping me without even realizing it. When they have said just the right thing without knowing what was going on in my life. It’s amazing how G-d can use us to reach out to one another isn’t it? In this busy world it’s easy to go day to day with no thought of what is going on around you. It’s so easy to just be focused on your life, your situations, your heartache, and your joys. I am just as guilty as anyone else of this. We need to choose to see through the eyes of G-d. He sees when someone is hurting. He sees when help is needed. He sees when someone simply needs a smile or hug. With this in mind, I am going to tie a song to this blog. It’s by a man named Brandon Heath and it’s called “Give Me Your Eyes”. I hope it can help inspire you to look a little bit deeper when going through your everyday routine. Because you never know who G-d needs you to help or encourage today. And you never know when a chance is upon you to do your part to change the world.
G-d Bless,
K
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY
Monday, June 6, 2011
Negative Versus Positive
Few people think what they think they think. Do you know what you think about? The answer is revealed by the life you lead. If you are happy & successful, you are thinking thoughts of happiness & success. If you are wading through an endless stream of problems & finding life painful to bear, it is caused by thoughts of doubt, failure, anger, helplessness, incompetence, & pain. In other words, whether you think life is miserable or great, you're correct, for life is whatever you think it is.
Yes, I am writing about our thoughts again. When you are facing one disaster after another, making compromise after compromise & failing time & time again, how does one keep getting up to face the next problem without losing the will to try?"
1. If you are so mired in problems that you are on the brink of depression, you may be unable to work things out without professional help. If this is your situation, constantly speak to G-d & also go see a counselor or psychiatrist. Your life is too precious to dawdle away.
2. Even if you have some semblance of control over your thoughts, if you are entrenched in dark thoughts, it may not be possible for you to see the sun unaided. In other words, the thoughts I share may fall on deaf ears. If you cannot hear the music, what I say will make no sense to you. If that is the case, seek professional help to get you to the point where you can start to help yourself.
3. When we face one disaster after another, it reinforces the false belief that the cause of our suffering is external events. Be careful not to get caught up in this lie. The problem lies within. It is your thoughts. And you can change your thoughts for the better. Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings, positive behavior, positive consequences, positive beliefs, & a positive life.
4. When you are used to living a life of negativity, any advice you get may appear more like salt in the wounds than as help. That is, you are likely to interpret sound advice as a personal attack. Rather than help you, it may appear to you that the only thing your friends are interested in is in blaming you for your unfortunate circumstances. Because you interpret offers of help as personal attacks, you will resist & fight any thoughts that you are responsible & that you can change. Instead of changing yourself, you will insist that the world change for you, which it will not. The result is endless frustration, with no progress in sight.
5. When you become enmeshed in a web of negative thinking, you are likely to develop a victim's mentality. You will cry out to be rescued. "Help me! Save me! I don't want to change. I don't want to accept responsibility. I don't want to make an effort & work hard. I don't want to struggle. No, I don't want any of that. All I want is to be saved. Won't you rescue me?" All such pleas for help are made in vain. Don't seek to be rescued. Instead, try to reach the point, with or without the help of others, where you will be able to rescue yourself. You are the only one who can do it & if you have G-d by your side, you can & will succeed.
Now, let's look at what some of the brightest minds had to say about the power of thought:
"What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind. Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts. But once mastered, no one can help you as much." Buddha (568 ~ 488 BC)
"A man's life is what his thoughts make of it. Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking." Marcus Aurelius (121 ~ 180 AD)
"There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so." William Shakespeare (1564 ~ 1616)
"Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts." Soren Kierkegaard (1813 ~ 1855)
"All that you accomplish or fail to accomplish with your life is the direct result of your thoughts. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." James Allen (1864 ~ 1912)
You may think that what you think about is unimportant, but your thoughts are the bricks you use to build your life. Negative thoughts build a prison. Positive thoughts build a comfortable home. But beware of intruders in your home. Beware of a home invasion. When a sudden disaster strikes, don't let negative thoughts ransack your home; don't allow these intruders to steal your happiness. Chase uninvited guests out of your home (mind).
How can you master yourself & master life unless you master your thoughts? But how do we master our thoughts? We master them by reading G-ds Holy word & putting to practice in our lives all the lessons taught. By keeping G-d near & in our hearts; by asking ourselves what He would do.
If you cannot help yourself, get outside help. And if you can help yourself, read, study & apply the word of G-d to your life. Welcome the challenge that faces you. With effort & patience you can change your thoughts & change your life. After all, there are only four conditions necessary for the acquisition of any physical skill, mental power, moral virtue or personal excellence. The Courage to try something you do not know how to do, the Patience to try again once you have discovered that you don't know how to do it, the Perseverance to renew the trial, as many times as necessary, until you do know how to do it. Finally, have Faith in yourself & in G-d the Father. Faith is not believing without proof, it is trusting without reservation. Trust yourself. You can do it. Trust G-d your Creator. Start today.
We must not be surprised by calamities & hardship. Such obstacles are the admission ticket to life & a small price to pay to gain admission to the endless joy that await those with a positive outlook & faith in G-d. Let us abandon the attitude of a victim & replace it with that of a victor.
G-d Bless,
J
Yes, I am writing about our thoughts again. When you are facing one disaster after another, making compromise after compromise & failing time & time again, how does one keep getting up to face the next problem without losing the will to try?"
1. If you are so mired in problems that you are on the brink of depression, you may be unable to work things out without professional help. If this is your situation, constantly speak to G-d & also go see a counselor or psychiatrist. Your life is too precious to dawdle away.
2. Even if you have some semblance of control over your thoughts, if you are entrenched in dark thoughts, it may not be possible for you to see the sun unaided. In other words, the thoughts I share may fall on deaf ears. If you cannot hear the music, what I say will make no sense to you. If that is the case, seek professional help to get you to the point where you can start to help yourself.
3. When we face one disaster after another, it reinforces the false belief that the cause of our suffering is external events. Be careful not to get caught up in this lie. The problem lies within. It is your thoughts. And you can change your thoughts for the better. Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings, positive behavior, positive consequences, positive beliefs, & a positive life.
4. When you are used to living a life of negativity, any advice you get may appear more like salt in the wounds than as help. That is, you are likely to interpret sound advice as a personal attack. Rather than help you, it may appear to you that the only thing your friends are interested in is in blaming you for your unfortunate circumstances. Because you interpret offers of help as personal attacks, you will resist & fight any thoughts that you are responsible & that you can change. Instead of changing yourself, you will insist that the world change for you, which it will not. The result is endless frustration, with no progress in sight.
5. When you become enmeshed in a web of negative thinking, you are likely to develop a victim's mentality. You will cry out to be rescued. "Help me! Save me! I don't want to change. I don't want to accept responsibility. I don't want to make an effort & work hard. I don't want to struggle. No, I don't want any of that. All I want is to be saved. Won't you rescue me?" All such pleas for help are made in vain. Don't seek to be rescued. Instead, try to reach the point, with or without the help of others, where you will be able to rescue yourself. You are the only one who can do it & if you have G-d by your side, you can & will succeed.
Now, let's look at what some of the brightest minds had to say about the power of thought:
"What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind. Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts. But once mastered, no one can help you as much." Buddha (568 ~ 488 BC)
"A man's life is what his thoughts make of it. Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking." Marcus Aurelius (121 ~ 180 AD)
"There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so." William Shakespeare (1564 ~ 1616)
"Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts." Soren Kierkegaard (1813 ~ 1855)
"All that you accomplish or fail to accomplish with your life is the direct result of your thoughts. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." James Allen (1864 ~ 1912)
You may think that what you think about is unimportant, but your thoughts are the bricks you use to build your life. Negative thoughts build a prison. Positive thoughts build a comfortable home. But beware of intruders in your home. Beware of a home invasion. When a sudden disaster strikes, don't let negative thoughts ransack your home; don't allow these intruders to steal your happiness. Chase uninvited guests out of your home (mind).
How can you master yourself & master life unless you master your thoughts? But how do we master our thoughts? We master them by reading G-ds Holy word & putting to practice in our lives all the lessons taught. By keeping G-d near & in our hearts; by asking ourselves what He would do.
If you cannot help yourself, get outside help. And if you can help yourself, read, study & apply the word of G-d to your life. Welcome the challenge that faces you. With effort & patience you can change your thoughts & change your life. After all, there are only four conditions necessary for the acquisition of any physical skill, mental power, moral virtue or personal excellence. The Courage to try something you do not know how to do, the Patience to try again once you have discovered that you don't know how to do it, the Perseverance to renew the trial, as many times as necessary, until you do know how to do it. Finally, have Faith in yourself & in G-d the Father. Faith is not believing without proof, it is trusting without reservation. Trust yourself. You can do it. Trust G-d your Creator. Start today.
We must not be surprised by calamities & hardship. Such obstacles are the admission ticket to life & a small price to pay to gain admission to the endless joy that await those with a positive outlook & faith in G-d. Let us abandon the attitude of a victim & replace it with that of a victor.
G-d Bless,
J
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