I have been thinking about god. And I have come to the conclusion that god is whatever is the most meaningful to me now.
In other words, whatever is most meaningful to me now, becomes my god, my highest, the ultimate.
My endeavor in life has always been to find the highest, the ultimate. And so, god becomes whatever this ultimate is.
I have found this ultimate in all of the many religious and spiritual scriptures I have read. I have also found it in some of the great philosophical works that humans have produced. Was this so, because they are writings inspired by the ultimate, and therefore I was able to find this ultimate in them?
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Sunday, November 18, 2018
God is great
In the name of god, who is always present. When I walk, I walk with god. When I sit, god sits with me. This is a god that is close to my heart. A god that is together with me within the cave of my heart. God is a very close companion. God is a close friend.
I am calling god “him”, because I feel him as a masculine god. He is with me. What more can I say? This is not going to be an inspirational, inspired piece of writing. It simply states a few facts based on my personal experiences.
The state of god-consciousness is highly attractive. Once in it, I don’t want to lose it again. And who says that one needs to ever lose it again? Mundane things come and go, more or less on the surface, and this god-consciousness is quietly resting right below the ever-moving facade.
I am calling god “him”, because I feel him as a masculine god. He is with me. What more can I say? This is not going to be an inspirational, inspired piece of writing. It simply states a few facts based on my personal experiences.
The state of god-consciousness is highly attractive. Once in it, I don’t want to lose it again. And who says that one needs to ever lose it again? Mundane things come and go, more or less on the surface, and this god-consciousness is quietly resting right below the ever-moving facade.
About god:
God is great. God provides. These two statements are really the essence of all religious and spiritual tenets. All else flows from them.
I wrote about this before, but I want to add some more of my thoughts based on my personal experiences.
When I say that god is great, then I am saying that based on my seeing the greatness of this creation; therefore, its creator also must be great.
When I say that god provides, then I am saying that I accept whatever happens in my life, whether it be the good things or the bad things.
I wrote about this before, but I want to add some more of my thoughts based on my personal experiences.
When I say that god is great, then I am saying that based on my seeing the greatness of this creation; therefore, its creator also must be great.
When I say that god provides, then I am saying that I accept whatever happens in my life, whether it be the good things or the bad things.
The creator
This blog is called “The Art of Self-Inquiry” and it is so true that Self-Inquiry becomes almost an individualized art when practiced for a long period of time.
This is only natural, since one begins to see more and more what one’s own personal truths are. In Self-Inquiry, the focus is on the Self. “Who am I?” “What is my place in life?” “Who created me?” And so on.
The question about a creator will come up in every person’s quest for self-discovery. But, so will the question about what effect this creator has on me. How does this creator affect me personally?
Is my life happier, more peaceful, more fulfilled because of my belief in this creator? Or, am I running into nothing but problems with the world when desperately trying to live up to my creator’s expectations and wishes?
How does my creator make my life better? Of course, life will not always be only on the up and up. There will be difficult times, but on the whole, life should be pretty good, otherwise, what is the benefit I get from believing in a particular God?
This is only natural, since one begins to see more and more what one’s own personal truths are. In Self-Inquiry, the focus is on the Self. “Who am I?” “What is my place in life?” “Who created me?” And so on.
The question about a creator will come up in every person’s quest for self-discovery. But, so will the question about what effect this creator has on me. How does this creator affect me personally?
Is my life happier, more peaceful, more fulfilled because of my belief in this creator? Or, am I running into nothing but problems with the world when desperately trying to live up to my creator’s expectations and wishes?
How does my creator make my life better? Of course, life will not always be only on the up and up. There will be difficult times, but on the whole, life should be pretty good, otherwise, what is the benefit I get from believing in a particular God?
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Practice of any Kind of a Discipline
Anyone practicing any kind of a discipline is asked to drive the discipline forward, to develop it, to tailor it to the new needs of new moments and to advance the inner spirit of the discipline as intended by its founder.
This principle of advancement is true in the case of science, religion, sports, art, and so on. Some adherents of disciplines want to go back to the origins, back to the way the founders really thought and practiced, but that desire is an illusion, based on personal insecurity. Only someone who is insecure in her/his understanding in this world needs to exclusively hold on to the ways of the past.
Someone who is strong will have imbibed the influences of the past and has them as a living reality within herself or himself. From this base of strength, she or he can then set their foot forwards confidently, to explore the new realm of the approaching future.
Only newborn babies need to keep holding their guardians’ hand, looking up at the guardians face for approval or disapproval. At some point in everyone’s life, the hand must let go and we need to stand on our own two feet, walking down the path of life using our own strengths and abilities to go looking for our own personal goals.
This principle of advancement is true in the case of science, religion, sports, art, and so on. Some adherents of disciplines want to go back to the origins, back to the way the founders really thought and practiced, but that desire is an illusion, based on personal insecurity. Only someone who is insecure in her/his understanding in this world needs to exclusively hold on to the ways of the past.
Someone who is strong will have imbibed the influences of the past and has them as a living reality within herself or himself. From this base of strength, she or he can then set their foot forwards confidently, to explore the new realm of the approaching future.
Only newborn babies need to keep holding their guardians’ hand, looking up at the guardians face for approval or disapproval. At some point in everyone’s life, the hand must let go and we need to stand on our own two feet, walking down the path of life using our own strengths and abilities to go looking for our own personal goals.
The Beauty of this World
The beauty of this world is truly immeasurable. Everything that exists is being provided for, provided, it adheres to some basic principles: do not take more than your allotted share, or you encroach an other’s space and you will cause pain to them. When you cause pain to others, you are acquiring a dark cloud that will follow you wherever you may go. You will never, ever, be able to go far enough in time or space to distance yourself from this dark cloud.
Therefore, do not overstep your boundaries that are provided to you by nature. Only you know what those boundaries are, so you must look deep within you to discover them in intense introspection. Whenever you desire to engage in any kind of action, you must look deep within yourself to find your innermost intentions, your honest state of mind, your deepest reason for wanting to engage in this action.
Overstepping your bounds causes pain to others and also injures you in the process. You may not get the payback right away but be assured that it will come in some future form. You may get accused by the insured party in some way, or you may simply feel deep regrets for what you have done. A payment will come your way, that much is certain. It is better not to engage in overstepping your bounds onto others’ territory, either materially or mentally. Respect others’ areas carved out by them, and keep you distance, even if some profit tempts you to move in.
You know what you did, and the other person knows it. Whether someone else, such as judge or a jury agrees with you or the injured party does not matter. You know what was in your heart and you know the outcome of your actions. You cannot hide from your own conscience.
Therefore, do not overstep your boundaries that are provided to you by nature. Only you know what those boundaries are, so you must look deep within you to discover them in intense introspection. Whenever you desire to engage in any kind of action, you must look deep within yourself to find your innermost intentions, your honest state of mind, your deepest reason for wanting to engage in this action.
Overstepping your bounds causes pain to others and also injures you in the process. You may not get the payback right away but be assured that it will come in some future form. You may get accused by the insured party in some way, or you may simply feel deep regrets for what you have done. A payment will come your way, that much is certain. It is better not to engage in overstepping your bounds onto others’ territory, either materially or mentally. Respect others’ areas carved out by them, and keep you distance, even if some profit tempts you to move in.
You know what you did, and the other person knows it. Whether someone else, such as judge or a jury agrees with you or the injured party does not matter. You know what was in your heart and you know the outcome of your actions. You cannot hide from your own conscience.
Life Lessons
We all have to learn our lessons in life. For influential people, that means the lessons come on a level more visible to the public. For ordinary folks, these lessons don’t make the news, but they are just as important to them as the more noticeable lessons for important people.
We are all working to preserve, maintain, and further this universe. We came here to this world because of the actions of our previous generations and because life itself developed on this planet over Billions of years. We are the product and the carrier of the life force that established an outpost on this heavenly body dancing merrily amongst Billions of other heavenly bodies.
The seed of life found itself a fertile environment and blossomed into what we see all around us today. And it is truly amazing was has developed when given the proper environment and nourishing. There seems to be no end to what this life force can accomplish when given the chance.
One stage builds upon the previous one. What was perfect for one moment, now recedes into the dust bin of history. Memories of overwhelming achievements fade only too quickly when new and exciting future accomplishments beckon. Most minds are always forward looking, sometimes worrying to much about what may lie ahead. Some minds want to preserve what has been achieved through great efforts, but the stream of history will pass them by only too soon.
Life moves on. That is a lesson to be learned. What was of utmost importance today will be almost meaningless tomorrow. And so, life stumbles, often clumsily, from perfect moment to perfect moment, in utter silence.
We are all working to preserve, maintain, and further this universe. We came here to this world because of the actions of our previous generations and because life itself developed on this planet over Billions of years. We are the product and the carrier of the life force that established an outpost on this heavenly body dancing merrily amongst Billions of other heavenly bodies.
The seed of life found itself a fertile environment and blossomed into what we see all around us today. And it is truly amazing was has developed when given the proper environment and nourishing. There seems to be no end to what this life force can accomplish when given the chance.
One stage builds upon the previous one. What was perfect for one moment, now recedes into the dust bin of history. Memories of overwhelming achievements fade only too quickly when new and exciting future accomplishments beckon. Most minds are always forward looking, sometimes worrying to much about what may lie ahead. Some minds want to preserve what has been achieved through great efforts, but the stream of history will pass them by only too soon.
Life moves on. That is a lesson to be learned. What was of utmost importance today will be almost meaningless tomorrow. And so, life stumbles, often clumsily, from perfect moment to perfect moment, in utter silence.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)