Wednesday, May 7^th, 2008

Here in the Adirondacks, Spring has finally arrived in a show of earth tones and greens on the mountainsides. The streams are slowly retreating to their normal channels after overflowing for the past few months. One can see order being reestablished. But this is partly illusory—flooding, blizzards, droughts and many other uncomfortable conditions in nature are natural. All operate within the bounds of scientific laws that we seldom ponder. If something seems out of whack in nature, it is more likely that we don’t know the rules by which events occur.

So it is with death. I recently attended a wake for an esteemed woman in my old hometown. Her family and friends gathered to say goodbye to a woman whose entire life had been one of good example, both in raising her children and in community activity. If one had listened in on all the funeral home conversations, the many different dimensions of this woman’s just-ended life would have been apparent. Yet, there was so much of her spiritual essence that escaped all who knew her. We can see how people appear, and even what they do, but we can never know the WHY of these occurrences. What motivations lay behind her love of music and even performance? Where did her inner strength arise from, when she was confronted with the most horrible of family disasters? Where did her spirit, that was both perky and cultured, come from? There is so much about any of us that the world cannot know. Maybe that is because our focus of appearance, activities, beliefs, prejudices, and talents is necessarily narrow in any given life.

The after-death state involves accepting our full cosmic identity, most of which has become obscured while tending to issues great and small in our life. This state also involves slowly letting go of our limited self-definition so that we may merge for a time with the fullness of One, wherein lies our true life. During this transition period it is NORMAL for the consciousness of the departed person to walk old streets, visit old friends, inspect former treasures, and wrestle with unresolved issues. The spirit still walks, seeking peace. The body has been laid aside, as it is no longer required for lessons.

I recently came across this site and hope you enjoy its theme.

http://pixiesplace.com/trainride/ http://pixiesplace.com/trainride/">Train
Ride

April 9, 2008

I do a lot of public speaking and storytelling (mostly about ghosts and hauntings: see the Events button) and encounter many folks who are terrified of dying, especially in a violent manner. If every one and every thing that has ever existed has died in some manner, how can this event, the “last great event in our life” be bad or wrong. My perception is that death is a graduation ceremony of sorts, an event that our unconscious or soul agrees to. My understanding is that, as body life is an opportunity to work on what we believe or say we believe, all of us eventually get tired, unable or unwilling to accomplish any more of our goals. Many times, I suspect, we agree to die simply because we can no longer find happiness in life or become bored. So we agree to our body death, though it is not the end of the real, much more complex, “us.” If life does indeed continue outside the body, what is all the fear about? And, maybe we get to return, refreshed and re-energized at a later time (though there is no “time”).

Looking at the world situation today, I find great ignorance, even here in the US with our vaunted free educational system. Fewer and fewer people take advantage of it any more. With the Internet we have the answer to almost any question just one or two clicks away. Instead (note the national election coverage, no matter how accurate) we rely on seemingly “educated others” to interpret events for us. Fewer and fewer newspapers are sold because we seem happy with sound bites. Those are easier for dozing minds to process, though they can only produce a prejudiced voter; one who dares not admit (s)he has only a portion of the truth. It’s one thing to be ignorant; it’s another thing not even to recognize it.

In any case, today’s irritation on my part is that (regardless of how the election and Iraq War turn out) so much of information put on by e-mails is pure hate and prejudice. Most of it that comes through my computer is directed against Obama, but I’m sure you have found anti-Hillary and anti-McCain (how many cute names have you heard for him?) stuff as well. In case you run out of items to fear, we are about to (remember the Fear of Y2K?) see lots of “end times” stuff, certainly from those who claim to worship an all-loving God. How can one love God and fear Him at the same time? It can’t work.
 
Much of the fear (even though not based in monotheistic scriptures) will be directed at the date of December 21, 2011. “The world is going to end! We are all going to die! But before you go, please send a donation to (fill in your favorite cause)!” Sometimes death is great medicine, I think. Let’s hope it shuts up the fear mongers and maybe inspires more of us who claim to worship a Loving God.

March 1, 2008

Children are born into a world of one-ness. There is no apparent separation from their being and those who nurture them. Only gradually, when “the other” doesn’t change a diaper quickly enough or provide food as fast as the baby desires it, does there come an awakening in the infant’s consciousness.  From then on, there grows an inside world and an outer world. In desperation, we try very hard to please “the other,” whether it be parents, siblings, teachers or other authorities. Probably we do their bidding in order to survive. That is understandable. Ultimately, the goal must become one of thinking for oneself.

Election years are a good laboratory. Look around you now, and see how many fellow citizens are truly thinking (hard work!) for themselves. Too often, our countrymen, brought up by the world of entertainment and fashion, latch onto a seemingly-unassailable position that parrots an outer “authority.”  As a former teacher, I confess that our schools don’t make it a primary goal for students to really think hard. Kids are to learn from the authority of the past. In science classes, they do “experiments” in laboratories, but the outcome of those is always known, so a daring investigation isn’t possible at high school level. Memorization is still too common, and few students, or ex-students (adults, to whom it seems “education” is over) do the hard work of pushing the frontiers of “what everyone knows:” what the 21 minutes of evening news tells us is true.

My current writing is tackling the essence of One-ness. The Deity, religion assures us, is One. How then can we live in a world of confronting “the other” constantly?  Where and how are we going to discover our “neighbor,” unless we are willing to take risks?

Wednesday, February 14, 2008: Today is Valentine’s Day, dedicated to love. So, I think it appropriate to begin my blogging with thoughts on that subject. My interests in writing (especially my next novel, The Explorer: An Adirondack Search,) will involve more expression of the Great Love that we all are invited into.  All it takes is a resolve on our part to be more “one” with our environment and the individuals in it. I believe that no person or situation can come into our experience (so that we have to deal with them/it) by chance. Our soul (as I conceive it) seeks out individuals and situations whereby we can enhance our understanding of the oneness of all life.  As you must have discovered by now, some of those lessons are sweet, but more (probably) are difficult or downright painful. Yet, if we truly are pursuing a greater love than we’ve known, we must persevere.

Our pleasure society teaches us to run from events or people who distress us, but please consider that you may be attempting to evade a situation that can answer your prayers or deepest desires. Difficult at first (as plowing rocky soil often is) but there is a harvest to be reaped from hanging in there. You will grow more loving. If, indeed, The Creative Force is a beneficent and loving energy and consciousness, you will always be guided, even over the sharp rocks.  Less and less, you will see yourself at odds with people and situations around you. More and more, you will see that the events of each day are a new prescription for enhanced loving-ness on your part. And that enhanced love will draw you closer to the great intelligence and peace that formed our world.

I welcome your e-mails on discoveries that you have made, of feeling a part of that Greater Love, Greater Goodness or cosmic One-ness.