society is on a freeway going NOWHERE. and no off ramps to serenity. fast pace-living=no giving,no recieving.busy-busy-busy.no time to meditate.y2k'ww3'preping'news'news'news-think'think'think.plan'plan'plan-opinions'opinions,go-go-hurry-hurry.like gerbils on treadmill.is this ALL there is? WAIT-A-MINUTE=A WISE MAN ONCE-SAID. LOOK INTO ETERNITY-there is MUCH-MORE to life than present-circumstances.

-- pondering. (dogs@zianet.com), July 30, 1999

Answers

A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!" "It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly. A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!' "It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly.

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is that so?" When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child. For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real father was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The parents immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the baby. With profuse apologies they explained what had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he handed them the child.

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

Is that your question?

-- Feller (feller@wanna.help), July 30, 1999.

Then there are the tragic losses of death, disease and loneliness. The average person suffers through these events as life passes. Many philosophers and teachers tell us that this life "is a veil of tears". We are counseled to be strong and carry on when someone close to us is struck down by tragedy, when there is a sudden accident, or painful death. We are told that we must "allow time to heal the wounds" of a cruel fate. But with an understanding of reality as it is, comes an enormous insight into the real cause of all this human pain.

With the illumination of Spiritual Fusion comes a new view of the human drama which removes the sting of pain from the most tragic of events. With enlightenment comes the amazing understanding that the normal appearance of things is an illusion, a deception. With this new understanding, you will realize an astounding and liberating truth about what is really going on around you and what this really means!

Your heart aches in your breast to go beyond the mean and trivial evils of normal human existence and realize the truth of reality, the hidden and Supreme Truth which answers every important question. There is a deep longing to reach past the painful appearances of the human agony of struggle, starvation, war, disease, aging and death. There is a part of you which cries out to see beyond the fakery of appearance to embrace the incredible joy of knowing the wider truth of mystical reality.

Spiritual Fusion offers that healing of your soul, that completion of your search, that final and perfect understanding of existence in all its hues and colors, sounds and textures, richness and power so that at last you feel completely whole. You will see that the solution was always there for you to grasp. It has always been there for each and every one of us across the whole of this wide, wide world. You will understand. You will know. You will be enlightened.

This is what Spiritual Fusion is about. It is a different way to look at life as it is which produces immediate and verifiable results. It doesn't require faith. It doesn't require belief. Like any truly useful tool, it only requires honest application. Like any tool, you need to put down your other tools long enough to use this new one. And, like any good tool, you need to pick it up and start using it for it to work.

But it works and it works immediately. And that may be the greatest miracle of all!

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

The one who is good at shooting does not hit the center of the target!

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

WHO is GOD' in this not=here-zone??

-- Hmmmmmm. (dogs@zianet.com), July 30, 1999.

A priest was in charge of the garden within a famous Zen temple. He had been given the job because he loved the flowers, shrubs, and trees. Next to the temple there was another, smaller temple where there lived a very old Zen master. One day, when the priest was expecting some special guests, he took extra care in tending to the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long time meticulously raking up and carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the temples.

When he had finished, the priest stood back to admire his work. "Isn't it beautiful," he called out to the old master. "Yes," replied the old man, "but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you."

After hesitating, the priest lifted the old fellow over and set him down. Slowly, the master walked to the tree near the center of the garden, grabbed it by the trunk, and shook it. Leaves showered down all over the garden. "There," said the old man, "you can put me back now."

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

Two people are lost in the desert. They are dying from hunger and thirst. Finally, they come to a high wall. On the other side they can hear the sound of a waterfall and birds singing. Above, they can see the branches of a lush tree extending over the top of the wall. Its fruit look delicious. One of them manages to climb over the wall and disappears down the other side. The other, instead, returns to the desert to help other lost travelers find their way to the oasis.

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

Buddhism sees life as being in process of constant change

and its practices aim to take advantage of this fact. It

means that one can change for the better. The decisive

factor in changing ourselves is the mind and Buddhism

has developed many methods for working on the mind.

Most importantly, Buddhists practice meditation which is a

way of developing more positive states of mind which are

characterised by calm, concentration, awareness and

emotions such as friendliness. Using the awareness

developed in meditation it is possible to have a fuller

understanding of oneself, other people and of life itself.

Buddhists do not seek to 'evangelise' or coerce other

people to adopt their religion, but they do seek to make its

teachings available to whoever is interested and people

are free to take as much or as little as they feel ready for.

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not.--Great God! I'd rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathhd horn.

- William Wordsworth

-- Pagan (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 30, 1999.

Here none think of wealth or fame, All talk of right and wrong is quelled: In autumn I rake the leaf-banked stream, In spring attend the nightingale.

Who dares approach the lion's Mountain cave? Cold, robust, A Zen-person through and through, I let the spring breeze enter at the gate.

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

All of that having been said, where, then, is Jesus? Where, then, dwells the Christ?

These are, of course, just words and sounds, but the real question remains: where is everything Jesus, or the Buddha, or Ramana, or any other teacher who has ever meant anything to you? Footsteps of lovingkindness, of joy and freedom that may have been taken thousands of years ago are your steps also. They are your very next step. The Buddha is the beginning, the middle, and the end of your next breath. Ramana lies at the core of your being. They are not different. This not about elevating, clinging to, or getting rid of any particular religion, spiritual path, or teacher. It is about bringing undivided attention to what they all point to.

Awareness is everywhere. Truth is everywhere. Love is everywhere. We could continue, out of habit and defense, to deny it, but to what avail? When all names and divisions have come to silence, what is the purity that always remains?

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

ZenMaster,

Let me ask you a question.

Is there an evil?

Please explain - no stories please, just plain English will suffice.

Thank you.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), July 30, 1999.

Andy,

If you are speaking of the Christian idea of a "devil", no I don't believe there is. But if you are just asking if there is evil, period, yes I believe so! Evil comes in all shapes and sizes. If it is a teenager shooting up a school, or a middle aged man upset cause his savings account isnt what it use to be. Some killing their baby, putting it in a trash can cause they had a bad day at the Dairy Queen, is my idea of evil. Hope that helps!

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

But I should mention that I would never try to convince someone there isnt a "devil". We are all entitled to our thoughts!

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

Thanks.

What I meant was, do your beliefs indicate an existence of an evil force, not necessarily in the Christian sense (i.e. The Devil), in counterpoint to a good, or loving, or Christ force for want of a better word.

Thanks again.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), July 30, 1999.

Evil Force? No!

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

Is that so...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), July 30, 1999.

Nor a "good" force. At least not one that I can see outside the realm of human interpretation. Nature knows neither good nor evil, only the life force, the forces of what we call physics, which is merely the organization of totality. There, and only there, lies truth.

Relative truth and absolute truth (as we bandy those terms about here) are but feeble and incomplete human constructs of reality, a poorly formed filter through which we but incompletely and inaccurately glimpse the magnificence of the universe. That is why I am troubled by the inward-looking even incestuous principles which I see as the basis of human beliefs, the sine qua non of spirituality.

We learned centuries ago that the Earth was not the center of the universe. But most people, including masters, appear to me to set the human mind at the center of reality. There IS an objective reality, whether we acknowledge it, that orders our universe. Many claim without proof that it is externally ordered or created by a superior being. Fewer others see it as self-organised, a painting that paints itself, a symphony without a composer---intellectually less accessible but, ultimately, closer to describing "what is."

However it may appear to our limited intelligence and imagination is of no consequence to what it really is. The incredible hubris of thinking any of us is in the catbird seat of reality leaves me befuddled. We are not the quintessence. Is it not sufficient to take pleasure in being a small part of a system within systems, a player in the symphony---not the composer or conductor?

If it makes living easier to think that they exist, far be it for me to dissuade. But I could never see reality as deriving from within to radiate outward over the universe. Rather, the obverse gives me more comfort and assurance.

Hallyx

"And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should." ---the Desiderata

-- (Hallyx@aol.com), July 30, 1999.

Hey Zen,

Once there was a guy in Georgia who murdered his ex wife and his mother in law, then the woman he remarried, then his two children, then nine innocent people in a busy downtown office building.

And then he killed himself.

And not once was there ever a Zen Master around to stop him from whacking those fourteen people.

The Zen Masters were busy working in the garden, writing stories, and meditating.

-- (The@Tao.of Zen), July 30, 1999.

"This Lord Siva,who is completely independent, has the diversity of creation and destruction existing in His own nature. And, at the same time, this diversity is found existing in its own way as the field of ignorance." Verse 9 Fifteen Verses of Wisdom Abhinavagupta, great master of Kashmir Saivism

-- Barb (awaltrip@telepath.com), July 30, 1999.

What I can examine I am not. I am the examiner. I am not one with God. He does not stand beside me, but inside me as my eternal root being and strength. The universe is a perception of mind, unreal, and does not touch my eternal soul (the examiner). "Nothing unreal exists." (The perceived universe) "Nothing real can be harmed." (My eternal soul) If you cannot harm the real me, the eternal soul me, I can forgive you anything, knowing I am secure in my root being of God......Hope this helps. The expansion of forgiveness lightens one's load considerably. Quotes are from "A Course in Miracles".......Recognizing the God/Christ spirit in you, Tim

-- Tim Johnson (timca@webtv.net), July 30, 1999.

Not a religion, not the truth, just an idea.

Imagine a human being, any one, even yourself.

What experience of "life" or "the world" or "reality" does this human being have ?

Only that which arrives through one of the 5 senses.

They feel something, and are told it is "solid".

They hear something and know it makes a sound.

They see something, and know it is there.

They smell something, and know something about its nature.

They taste something, and know it either has or does not have a flavour.

All this sensory information is perceived to flow from "reality", through the senses to the brain where it is "interpreted".

Anyone who has experienced a hallucinogen knows that "reality" is not quite as solid as many people think. All sensory information passes through the filter of past experience.

You and I see a red car. The fact that it is a car means something different to me than it does to you. The fact that it is red is also laden with meanings which are unique to the person perceiving it. Then who's "reality" is true, and who's false ? Or are there many realities ?

The absence of equivalence also suggests another possibility. Could it be that we subconsciously agree to "share" an idea of the world, which we then experience through a set of sensory hallucinations ? Its the same process, just in reverse. We "create" the illusion. We "project" reality, through our senses, upon the void. We share some details in order that we may function as a group, rather than alone. These projections could be close enough to allow us to function, while still allowing each person to adapt their experience for their own needs. But why would this be desirable ? What would be the point ?

Suppose that "life" is like a movie. We volunteer to experience it, and we get some kind of benefit from it, whether it be educational, entertainment, or tittilating. At worst, we gain another experience. And we choose the next movie we watch depending on what we wish (need) to learn. Life, or rather the progression of lives, are a long long series of complex movies, designed to furnish our souls with the experience they need to evolve and improve.

When we begin the sequence, we are crude and unevolved. Our "souls" do not have the benefit of the experience of many "lives" and many "lessons". We make mistakes, but from each, we learn. The mistakes (acts of "evil", "sins") made in one "life" (movie, illusion), dictates what we need to experience in the next.

Imagine the delicious freedom of knowing that the murderer, or rapist in this life must be reborn in another as a murder or rape victim. The lesson is learnt by example. The mistake (evil act) will not (cannot) be repeated.

Does this idea make you cry out in anger "But you're saying that its ok to rape, that you wont be punished (until the next life)."

But what punishment can we inflict upon those ("criminals") who make these mistakes ? Of course, if those who fall victim are your closest and most dearly loved family, or friends, your instinct demands revenge, retribution, redress.

But what could ever be done to the agressor to balance the harm they caused ? The death penalty ? Torture ? One act of evil to redress another ?

Will that truly restore the balance ? Or does it simply give temporary relief from the instinct to strike back ?

So what is the answer ?

The answer is simple.

Life itself is unimportant.

Death is nothing more than the temporary interruption of a series of movies, because the projector broke. Oops, sorry, normal service will be resumed.

Except that nothing happens by accident. Even a "bad" experience is one which we learn from.

Imagine the peace of knowing that there will be a next time, and one after that, and another, until each individual has evolved beyond the simple mistakes we call "evil".

Buddhists believe that a sould can achieve perfection, and thereby transcend the need to be reborn. This makes sense. It also makes sense that if some souls are ceasing to be reborn, that some others need to join at the bottom to keep the machine working. (Think of a tall escalator, with some people leaving at the top, while others are just starting out at the bottom).

The answer to the bereaved ones is similarly comforting. The loss of a loved one is a transient matter. Like Christians, it is right to believe that we will meet those we love again. There is no such thing as a total loss.

Those souls who have a bond between them will never be parted. They gravitate together, in any circumstances. The joy of life is that we choose those with whom we experience the shared illusion. So what can be lost ? Except for time. And we have enough time to last us.

By accepting this idea, one accepts the responsibilities and logical rules which accompany it. Doing something "evil" has no positive purpose. Doing something "good" will always move us forward. Christianity, at its purest, teaches the same lesson. It varies from this idea only in the sense that it espouses the theory that we have only one chance to succeed, and should we fail, we risk eternal misery and damnation.

To what end ? To achieve what ? Does the universe gain in the knowledge that the damned, despite being beyond redemption, are punished ? I dont belive so. The idea that nobody is beyond redemption, that we all have to undergo a process, and that we all have the chance to achieve such extraordinary perfection that we may sit with "God", liberates us from the need to commit desparate acts.

So what of God ? If your life benefits from a belief that there is some form of God watching over you, then in my thinking, God exists, for you. I choose to see God as a state of union with the universe. A wholeness. But a tolerant view makes room for different views of the meaning of what "God" is. But if your view of "God" gives you a reason to commit acts of "Evil" in his name, then I am comfortable in the knowledge that sooner or later, in one life or another, you will change that view.

And what of the teachers ? Jesus ? Buddah ? Mohammed ?

Look around at the people you share your lives with. Does it appear to you that everyone begins from the same point ? Do you not see people who just appear more "wise" or "evolved" than others ? regardless of their age or experience ? And others who, despite being of advanced age, and having lived through many experiences in this life, appear to be making one mistake after another ? Just different places on the escalator.

When you see those who commit "evil", do not hate them, for where they are now, you have been, and where you are now, they would dearly love to be.

When you see those who are wise and good beyond your belief, do not deify them, for where they are now, you one day will be, and if you allow them to, they will help you in many ways.

Its only an idea, and I wouldnt kill or imprison anyone who believed something else. I can only say from personal experience though that the simple fact of accepting it as a "truth" makes living a "good life" very easy. And would any "God" of any "Religion" call that a bad thing ?

-- ZenMaster (has.much@to.teach.us.if.we.will.but.listen), July 30, 1999.

Ok Zenmaster, I will bite...

Do you believe in the existence of a human spirit that is bound inside a human body, only to be released when that body dies? Do you believe a different existence awaits all of us once the flesh expires?

Do you believe in a higher power who created us and the world we live in?

If so, do you think we are the only "creation" in the vast universe?

If so, do you think your conscience is you tie with your creator?

I am reading a lot of words with a lot of varying thoughts from you. No offense intended, but I have to tell you some thoughts you have published sound like "lithium moments" to me.

barkin' at the JW...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), July 30, 1999.

2 zenmaster's=much confusion

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

Mr Zen must be in meditation or something. Or maybe I ask too many questions...

loungin' on the porch,

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), July 30, 1999.

"LET ME EXPLAIN the problem science has with Jesus Christ." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand. "You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes, sir."

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could... in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't.

[No answer.]

"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm?

Can you answer that one?"

[No answer]

The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones. "Let's start again, young fella."

"Is God good?"

"Er... Yes."

"Is Satan good?"

"No."

"Where does Satan come from?" The student falters.

"From... God..."

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience.

I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen."

He turns back to the Christian.

"Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"

"Yes."

"Who created evil?

[No answer]

"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness. All the terrible things - do they exist in this world? "

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"Who created them? "

[No answer]

The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!" The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face. In a still small voice: "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"

[No answer]

The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.

Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther.

The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?" The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world.

"All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"

[No answer]

Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?"

Pause.

"Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers, "Is God good?"

[No answer]

"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do."

The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you? "

"No, sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir. I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus... in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"

[No answer]

"Answer me, please."

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"

"No, sir."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"...yes..."

"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling.

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now?"

[The student doesn't answer]

"Sit down, please."

The Christian sits...Defeated.

Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"

The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Christian in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."

The Christian looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"Is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No, sir, there isn't."

The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold.

The second Christian continues. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than 458 -You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.

Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.

"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"

"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"

"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes..."

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word.

In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"

Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him.

"This will indeed be a good semester. Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."

The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!""

"Sir, may I explain what I mean?"

The class is all ears.

"Explain... oh, explain..." The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.

"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains.

"That for example there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."

The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"

"Of course there is, now look..."

"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Christian pauses.

"Isn't evil the absence of good?"

The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless.

The Christian continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing? The Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil."

The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't vie this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."

"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the Christian replies.

"Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.

"Professor. Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an ongoing endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"

"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.

"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"

"I believe in what is - that's science!"

"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin. "Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."

"SCIENCE IS FLAWED..?" the professor splutters.

The class is in uproar.

The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?" The professor wisely keeps silent.

The Christian looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out in laughter.

The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain... felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?" No one appears to have done so.

The Christian shakes his head sadly. "It appears no-one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science, I DECLARE that the professor has no brain."

The class is in chaos.

-- (just@for.you), July 30, 1999.

Very cool...

gettin' scratched...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), July 30, 1999.

Dog,

I believe you were talking to the other ZenMaster, but if you have a question I will do my best to answer it!

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 30, 1999.

Theoretical religion is only superficially satisfying; its supports give way under the stress of tests.

True religion is the actual experience of God. Man came from God, but lost Him midst the dazzling desires of the world; and this loss is the cause of all human grief and suffering.

As man descended from transcendental Spirit into the body and the sensory world, when his life and consciousness flowed down and outward through the seven subtle cerebrospinal centers, the door to this inner kingdom leading back to God became locked by materialism.

It cannot be opened by theorization and blind belief. It is better to forge by scientific meditation the key of Self-relization, which alone will unlock the door to inner God-communion, rather than remain outside in material consciousness, unable to reach God with useless loud theological lamentations of dissatisfaction.

3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0

-- Paramahansa Yogananda (omnipresence@love.Spirit), July 30, 1999.

Many people, because of inherent inclinations and the advantageous or disadvantageous circumstances into which they were born, wrongly think that God has arbitrarily predestined them to be either good or bad.

But even though, in truth, one is virtuous or vicious owing to tendencies he himself acquired in the past of this life or in the past of many lives, the error-stricken one should not excuse himself by saying: "I am inclined to be bad because of the compulsions of instinct and my karma." This thought is dangerous, for few try to resist evil if they reason in this way.

Evil habits are created only by one's own misuse of the free choice of will. Hence, wrong temptation, no matter how strong, can be counteracted by right discrimination and will power, and by courageous acknowledgment of accountability for one's faults.

No one should seek subterfuges and excuses for continuing in evil ways, blaming fate, Satan, or karma. Assuming full responsibility for all his shortcomings, one should endeavor to rid himself of them as expeditiously as possible.

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-- Paramahansa Yogananda (omnipresence@love.Spirit), July 30, 1999.

Physical, mental, or spiritual imperfections sprout from hidden prenatal seeds of one's own past evil actions or offenses against the exacting laws of God and Nature.

Those who are ignorant of the just law of cause and effect are often moved with self-pity, and blame their Creator for the evils that afflict them. A sufferer of short-comings should blame neither God nor fate, but should reconcile his mind to the truth that one attracts misfortune through his own forgotten misdeeds in the past.

This does not mean that one must therefore resign himself to his karmic state; nor should he harbor feelings of guilt for being the cause of it. Each new lifetime -- each moment of that lifetime -- is a God-given opportunity to reconstruct one's life ideally.

Limitation and defeat must never be accepted. The ever perfect soul within will express itself more and more through every opening made possible by the right use of will and discriminative free choice.

The truly admirable are those who transmute adversity into a personal victory.

3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0

-- Paramahansa Yogananda (omnipresence@love.Spirit), July 30, 1999.

How obdurate is mortal human consciousness! Its habit patterns of material pursuits and dependencies are stubbornly resistant to spiritual remolding. The spiritual aspirant hopeful of obtaining ultimate illumination must "take a deep breath" and summon courage for a long-drawn struggle to conquer flesh consciousness.

This principle is equally applicable to transforming any hardened karmic pattern. There must be unceasing determination in order to reshape incarnational bad habits and tendencies. Most people lose the pliancy of their will once they feel constricted by failure or ill-health habits. They can remodel their lives gradually by strong efforts to succeed and by drawing from the brimful soul-keg of ever-fresh inspirations within.

No matter how hardened the molded clay of the mind is, dried and scorched with failed efforts, it can be softened and reformed by renewed infusion of vitalizing courage and right effort.

3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0

-- Paramahansa Yogananda (omnipresence@love.Spirit), July 30, 1999.

Exchange in your life the repulsive noxious weeds of evil qualities for the charming, attractive flowering plants of noble qualities whose beauty and fragrance will inspire others to forsake their slovenly mechanical life and cultivate their own lovely living gardens.

Transmute your weaknesses into vital spiritual strength that you may walk surely on the garden path of life that leads to God, helping others along the way whom you find wandering by the wayside in despondency.

3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0

-- Paramahansa Yogananda (omnipresence@love.Spirit), July 30, 1999.

Devout persons who seriously and earnestly pursue the spiritual path may become objects of ridicule to the material minded, and thus lose soulless social prestige.

Jesus spoke of this worldly condemnation of the righteous: "There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time ... with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." [ Mark 10:29-30 ]

Sincere devotees who drink deeply of the intoxicating divine perceptions of God-communion see how foolish some spiritual seekers are who, being tempted by sensory lures or shamed by social critics, give up their Godly quest and again revert to the world-honored state of delusion.

Those who thus sell their divine joy to acquire the imitation bliss of physical pleasures cannot obtain with the "coins" of that indulgence anything comparable to the true and everlasting Joy of God-realization they have relinquished.

3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0

-- Paramahansa Yogananda (omnipresence@love.Spirit), July 30, 1999.

Good and evil. Buddhism and Christianity. Hmmm..

I think that many of us try to infuse a dualism into our perception when really it's more of a One. That is, as I see it, evil is not a thing in and of itself. It is more of a lacking, a negativity, a vacuum absent of good. It is a lack of Reality.

What is "good?" Goodness is simply what makes you more aware, something that draws you closer to the Source of good. There is nothing more Real than God. Things that are most good are the things that are the most real.

Goodness comes in the form of things that are loving, true, or beautiful. Goodness creates more goodness; it multiplies. On the other hand, evil things cannibalize themselves out of existence in time. Evil acts eventually sabotage the means by which evil can be done. That is why good wins over evil, eventually. Good cannot tear itself apart. Goodness simply Is.

The interplay between good and evil is like weather, where storms occur on the boundaries between a mass of air that has more heat and a mass of air that has less heat.

Are there beings which exist--devils, if you will--that are billions of years older than humans and get sheer, sadistic delight from our suffering? Perhaps. Perhaps there are also good beings as well. Who knows? Why be a chauvanist in favor of only carbon-based life?

Who or what is God? My view is sort of Trinitarian and kind of metaphysical. There is God the Father--the Omega Point, the Beginning and the End, the Source and Destination of Everything, the First Cause, the Singularity of Space/Time before the Big Bang. God the Father just Is what He Is. We refer him as a "Father" not because he is a Dad in the human sense, but because it's the only metaphor that comes close to approximating his nature. This does not mean that God doesn't transcend gender, entirely. He does. But thinking God in the way Jesus did is helpful to understanding.

Then there is God the Christ--that Presence of God in the Physical Universe which is Aware and looking back in awe at God the Father. Christ is, of course, most obviously recognizable in the person of Jesus whose story is the finest example of perfect love we humans can comprehend. But God the Christ is within all of us because we all share in Jesus' death and resurrection. Christ's essence within us is the only way we can approach, embrace, and ultimately understand the mystery and power of God the Father. If God as Christ were never natural and physcial, we would never be able to have any notion of super-natural and metaphysical.

The Holy Spirit is the Energy permeating all living things, the vibration of love between Christ and God the Father. This Feedback magnifies the power of both the God that is in Creation (Christ) and the God that originates this Creation (Yaweh). This Energy is what enables life to be possible. Without It, things would tend toward infinite disorder without ever getting a chance to bloom. Without It, God would be infintely small and useless and completely unknown.

So as I see it, when you look into God, you see all things at all times in every age. The mystery is that we are all One in God, yet separate in our own identities. Why? I think it has something to do with free will, and how things must be free to love in order to love, in the first place.

-- coprolith (coproltih@rocketship.com), July 30, 1999.

How many souls have come on earth, only to slip away into the secret silence! Never mind. Leave to their folly those who are indolent or engrossed in mundane life. Let not sadness or attachment hinder the progress of your soul. Follow the ancient wisdom that leads to soul emancipation, heeding not the relativities, dualities, and complexities of this existence; for life is nothing but a Cosmic Dream.

There are moody metaphysicians who like to philosophize over the dismal fate of souls and of civilizations, which now and again bloom on this earth with great pomp and splendor, only to droop in the hot breeze of death. Brooding over the temporality of this world, these metaphysicians turn up their noses at all materially beautiful things just because they must someday perish. But nothing is gained either by disdaining the beautiful creations of civilization, or by gloomily dwelling on the fate of man and his accomplishments. Wisdom alone offers solution to the conundrum of life.

Behind brittle walls of false material security, the opulently rich and powerful while away their time and roam the pleasure fields of delusion, heedless of approaching death.

Like automatons, ordinary worldy-minded people eat breakfast, lunch, and supper with rigid regularity, and, in between, painstakingly pursue their material duties; yet they die dissatisfied and disheartened. Like the gold-laden mule, they laboriously carry the burden of daily duties, unaware of the value and opportunities of life. Eventually they become lost in the hopelessness of old age and the unhappy prospect of oblivion.

The divine philosopher is the truly happy man. A spiritual poet, he uses his imagination to envision the immortality of the soul-image of God in all beings. With faultless gaze he peers through the windows of ever-changing physical forms and beholds God's changeless beauty.

Therefore, lament not over destiny, nor laze away life's golden hours in useless pastimes, nor follow this material existence insensible of its purpose. Cultivate in yourself God's age-old, ever-new wisdom, which alone gives lasting happiness, ultimate contentment, and soul freedom.

3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0 3~0

-- Paramahansa Yogananda (omnipresence@love.Spirit), July 30, 1999.

Position Available Immediately: Apprentice Sith Lord, Dark Side Consulting Group

An unexpected position has opened up in the Dark Side Consulting Group for an Apprentice Sith Lord. The ideal candidate for this position would like galactic travel and possess a complete understanding of and competence with the Force, or demonstrate a willingness to learn.

Duties include: Performing competitive intelligence, hands-on intervention in support of the Sith Master's planning initiatives, ability to travel the galaxy widely, and operating a variety of laser-powered hand weapons and high-powered space/air vehicles.

Some slaying of enemies of the Dark Side is also required, which may be performed using the Force or hand weapons.

Qualified applicants would possess good communications skills (especially when speaking in menacing whispers), and would be action-oriented individuals and risk takers. A background in study of the Force (light side or dark) is desirable, as would typically be acquired by those with advanced degrees or significant course work in Jedi Arts from the University of Coruscant. Applicants should also be familiar with holographic projection equipment, possess a valid galactic pilot's license (for all classes of ships), and must show a willingness to give in to their hate. A proven track record of using fear and/or Jedi mind tricks to control others is also desirable, as is the ability to speak several galactic languages.

Ideal candidates for this position would also have no children or other living relatives who are strong in the ways of the Force. (A new hire would be given several weeks to meet this requirement.)

Compensation for this position is commensurate with experience, and is extremely competitive for this field. Benefits include a generous severance package, a company starship, and a dark-colored clothing allowance.

The Apprentice Sith Lord reports to and works closely with the Sith Master, and experience in such small, team-based organizations is vital to the success of the master's plans. Discretion is also highly valued, as is the ability to see the future before it happens.

Applications will be accepted until the end of July. Transmit them holographically to: jobs@darkside.com .

***************************************************** Dark Side CG (tm) is a small and highly-focused organization, founded a long time ago. Our core values reflect the short-term advantages of harnessing hatred for institutional power and the long-term desirability of controlling the galaxy. We provide direction to our partner organizations through knowledge management, incident control and our rapid on-site intervention expertise. Our partnered organizations include the Imperial Senate, the Hutt Gambling Collective of Tattooine, and many large software companies.

-- Zenmaster's (university@of.high), July 30, 1999.

Modern people get so good at pretending to be satisfied that they eventually fool themselves. For a while.

-- stairmaster (no_say@portmeirion.com), July 30, 1999.

Al-d (sp?) led us off on quite the little trip there!

-- mchnst (Gunmkr52@aol.com), July 30, 1999.

Gawd, what pathetic bullshit. I'd rather read something by Decker, at least its polished bullshit.

"Enlightened" my ass. Moron.

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), July 30, 1999.

Since y'all have gotten so religious, here's a religious experience for you:

"Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."

- George Orwell (1984)

-- Ct Vronsky (Vronsky@anna.com), July 30, 1999.

Hal

You get my vote any time.

King

You must like style over substance eh? Style covered with mud anyways :o)

-- Brian (imager@home.com), July 30, 1999.

Another toy...

I-Ching Reading...

http://www.iching.com/

Consultation on Friday, July 30, 1999 at 9:06 PM.

Present: 59 Dispersing

Question: What wisdom would be valuable to either know or share about the TimeBomb 2000 Forum?

Nothing survives forever, not even rocks, not even the most rigid of structures. The erosion of that which has been solid is not necessarily bad: it can mean that something new is being created. The image is of ice floes, hardened in winter, dispersing in the warmth of spring; when the ice melts, a mighty river emerges.

Rigidity in the hearts of men tends to breed a separateness which can only be thawed by a greater force: typically, some strong spiritual stirring. The thawing of cold hearts brings good fortune.

The first thing to dissolve is any internal rigidity which separates you from others. Try to work more closely with others, concentrating on common activities which evidence your integrity and native goodwill. Sudden, strong action in support of a greater good can lift the spirit, and lead toward new possibilities in many areas. Spiritual impulses - including righteous indignation and a strong sense of justice - should be honored, and acted upon. They can provide the initial impulse to important and constructive change.

And if you should have any lingering business or other partnerships which are inactive or not working, you might consider dissolving these as well.

The most specific advice with regard to your question is contained in changing line 5:

Crisis means opportunity, but only when all of like mind can be organized behind one compelling visionary ideal. This is particularly true during disorganized times, when energies and resources are scattered. Great energy and generosity are needed to seize the moment, and rally behind the common cause. At such times, remember, if you are not part of the cause, you will become one of the effects.

Future: 04 Youthful Folly

This hexagram represents the quality of likely opportunities and challenges arising from changes that are in process now:

Be on guard for careless or rebellious attitudes characteristic of youthful inexperience. Just as a youth requires instruction, this is a good time to focus on learning your lessons from a patient teacher or life experience. Is there a circumstance in your life, which you have failed to comprehend completely, perhaps because you have failed to appreciate its inherent complexities? Be respectful of anything or anyone who has something to teach you right now.

In order to be ready for challenging times, let education be a continuing part of your life. Be continually developing the strong mind and will necessary to carry one through confusing times. The wise realize that experience, especially difficult experience, is a powerful teacher. But we cannot be forced to learn, even from experience. Be a good student, one who delights in learning, one who nourishes his or her expanding awareness.

Examine your attitude for factors which limit your openness. Observe how you deal with the mistakes of others. You must let people live their own lives and learn their own lessons. Offer others your wisdom or advice, but only if they are receptive. Otherwise, give up trying to convince them that you are right - that is only exhausting and counter-productive. If people are not receptive, let them proceed - even into difficulty or dangerous circumstances. It is the only way they can learn - and without learning, no one can achieve success. This does not mean that you should not care -- just that taking care of someone too much can be harmful. Live and let learn.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 31, 1999.

Buddhism is a philosophy of life expounded by Gautama Buddha ("Buddha" means "enlightened one"), who lived and taught in northern Inda in the 6th Century B.C. The Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world-view. The teachings of the Buddha are aimed solely to liberate sentient beings from suffering. Gautama Buddha taught the four noble truths: that there is suffering, that suffering has a cause, that suffering has an end and that there is a path that leads to the end of suffering. He saw that all phenomena in life are impermanent and that our attachment to the idea of substantial and enduring self is an illusion which is the principle cause of suffering.

Freedom from self liberates the heart from greed hatred and delusion and opens the mind to wisdom and the heart to kindness and compassion.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 04, 1999.

4 Noble Truths The core of the Buddhist teaching is the Four Noble Truths: There is suffering. There is a cause to suffering. There is an end to suffering. The is a path out of suffering (the Noble 8-fold path). The Reality of Suffering--dukkha The Pali word dukkha, in ordinary usage means 'suffering', 'pain', 'sorrow' or 'misery'. But in the context of the First Noble Truth, dukkha also means 'imperfection', 'impermanence', 'emptiness', 'insubstantiality'. There are three kinds of suffering: Ordinary Suffering--dukkha-dukkha Suffering produced by Change--virapinama-dukkha Suffering as Conditioned States--samkara-dukkha Ordinary Suffering--dukkha-dukkha There are all kinds of suffering in life: birth, old age, sickness, death, association with unpleasant persons and conditions, separation from beloved ones and pleasant conditions, not getting what one desires, grief, lamentation, distress--all forms of physical and mental suffering. Suffering produced by Change--virapinama-dukkha Pleasant and happy feelings or conditions in life are not permanent. Sooner or later they change. When they change they may produce pain, suffering, unhappiness or dissappointment. This vicissitude is considered viparimana-dukkha. Suffering as Conditioned States--samkara-dukkha An 'individual', an 'I' or a 'self' is a combination of ever-changing mental and physical forces which can be divided into five groups or 'aggregates' pancakkhandha. Suffering as conditioned states is produced by attachment to these five aggregates: Matter--rupakkhandha Sensations--vedanakkhandha Perceptions--sannakkhandha Mental Formations--sankharakkhandha Consciousness--vinnanakkhandha The Cause of Suffering--samudaya The principle cause of suffering is the attachment to "desire" or "craving", tanha. Both desire to have (wanting) and desire not to have (aversion). desire for sense-pleasures--kama-tanha, desire to become--bhava-tanha, desire to get rid of--vibhava-tanha. The desire for sense pleasures manifests itself as wanting to have pleasant experiences: the taste of good food, pleasant sexual experiences, delightful music. The desire to become is the ambition that comes with wanting attaiments or recognition or fame. It is the craving to "be a somebody".

The desire to get rid of the unpleasant experiences in life: unpleasant sensations, anger, fear, jealousy.

The clinging to desire comes from our experience that short-term satisfaction comes from following desire. We ignore the fact that satisfying our desires doesn't bring an end to them. The Cessation of Suffering--nirodha The end of suffering is non-attachment, or letting go of desire or craving. This is the state of Nibbana, where greed, hatred and delusion are extinct. Freedom from attachments to the five aggregates of attachment is the end of suffering. This freedom is not conditioned by causes, as are the conditioned states: Nibbana is the non-attachment to conditioned experience.

To understand the unconditioned, we need to see for ourselves that everything that has a nature to be born has a nature to die: that every phenomenon that has a cause is impermanent. By letting go of attachment to desire for conditioned phenomena, desire can come to an end and we can be liberated from suffering The Noble Eightfold Path--magga The end to suffering (see the Third Noble Truth) will result by following the Noble Eightfold Path--Ariya-Atthangika-Magga. There are three qualities that must be developed to attain Nirvana: Morality-- Sila, Concentration--Samadhi, and Wisdom--Panna.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 04, 1999.

Widsom--Panna Right Understanding--samma ditthi Right Thought--samma sankappa Morality--Sila Right Speech--samma vaca Right Action--samma kammanta Right Livelihood--samma ajiva Concentration--Samadhi Right Effort--samma vayama Right Mindfulness--samma sati Right Concentration--samma samadhi -- Wisdom comes from understanding the three characteristics of existence all conditioned phenomena are impermanent all conditioned phenomena are not personal, not self attachment to desire for impermanent phenomena leads to suffering "Right Understanding" of the impermanent, non-self nature of phenonmena and that attachment to them leads to suffering brings about "Right Thought", i.e. the aspiration or intention to be liberated from suffering and to understand the truth. The deepening of wisdom is enhanced when the lifestyle and mind are calmed through the practices of Morality--Sila and Concentration-- Samadhi. Adherence to moral guidelines--precepts--is an essential protection from causing suffering to oneself and to others. While these guidelines define a code of discipline, the virtues that bring about moral behaviour can also be cultivated with the practice of a culture of the heart. There are 5 basic precepts that Buddhist practitioners undertake (Monks and Nuns undertake many more). A modern analysis of these precepts is offered by the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. They are:

Reverence for Life (refrain from killing) Generosity (refrain from stealing) Sexual Responsibility (refrain from sexual misconduct) Deep Listening and Loving Speech (refrain from lying) Mindful Consumption (refrain from ingesting intoxicants) In the context of the Eightfold path, these 5 precepts imply: Right Speech Right Speach means to tell the truth and speak appropriately in accordance with the 4th precept. Specificially, it implies abstaining from lying divisive gossip rude and abusive language idle and useless chatter Right Action Right actions are the the actions that are consistent with precepts 1,2,3 and 5. They include actions that show reverence for life, generosity and restraint in sexual conduct. Right Livelihood Right livelihood means that one should earn a living that allows the 5 precepts to flourish. Dealing in arms, drugs or violence; exploitation of others and profiteering cannot be conducive to the moral life. The development of Widsom and Morality demand a certain training of the mind. Right Effort--samma vayama Right Mindfulness--samma sati Right Concentration--samma samadhi

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 04, 1999.

Impermanence Everything that has a cause has a begining and an end: conditioned phenomena are transitory. But conditioned phenomena (see five aggregates) are also what the self attaches to and when there attachement to impermanent objects there will always be suffering. No Self -- Anatta Anatta is the view that there is no enduring self. All phenomena are conditioned--have a begining and an end--so there is nothing to which they can attach. Suffering arises from the illusion that impermanent conditioned states are permanent and can be posessed by a 'self'.

Moreover, there is no self or soul which carries on after death. Instead we are merely a collection of groups of grasping (or khandha) which are in a continual state of flux. Rebirth is possible only because we are driven by our desires and volitions.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 04, 1999.