Happy Easter

Blessed be he, who died for me on the cross
A man of inspiration and enormous quality
An example of the power of creation that lives in us all
A gift to us to help us take the step we all are wishing to take
Jesus, my friend

This is Easter, a time (for Christians) to reflect upon the end (or beginning) of the life of a man that is said to be the son of God. Skeptical of this I am not, I believe we are all from God. Jesus was a man that truly lived. The books we call the bible tell us of his unbelievable miracles, undying faith and most loving nature. This is the apitimy of a good example for others, something we all strive for on different levels of consiousness.

I attended church this morning. I have for many years, however irregular. Church is a nessesity in this world...but only for those who believe it is what they need to find what they are searching for. Church makes it easier to picture Jesus in closer proximity to us, for Christians. Buddhist's to Buddha at the Temple. Muslims to Mohomad. Jew's to almighty God. If this is what you need or feel is lacking in your life I emplore you to visit a church, talk with the people there, read some books there, partake in traditions or customs there. Learn.

There is a very important ideal I try to re-affirm to myself on a daily basis.
I can win, I can succeed and achieve, I can be everything I want to be and therefore be victorious.
...But not at the loosing of another, for when my winning is at the cost of someone outside myself, then the victory that cannot be had is outside of me.

Winning is synonomous with "Right" or to have a belief system, as carried by organised religion. There is a large problem, even a misconception, of modern day religions (although it only exists with those who choose to express it and those who listen). "My God is the right God".

When a person is born into a family they usually are brought up with a specific belief system. This is fundamental for creating values and moralistic reasoning. Although usually laced with fear of sin, we learn there is a God who loves us and is watching over us. Each religion to varying extents humanises their personal God in hopes of understanding or 'winning'. We all know the winning scenario is to ascend to heaven and live happily ever after right?

Question.
Would you be willing to sacrafice that place in heaven you have worked so dilligently to create?
What if your sacrafice made it possible for every other person on earth to enter into heaven?
Would it be worthwile?
Is your love for others stronger than your fear of a fiery, painful, never ending torture in the pits of hell?
It should be, because that love for others is real. The rest is speculation.

Jesus knew this. Jesus lived. Jesus died. He lives now in you, weather you know it or not. He is history and religion. As was Buddha, Muhammad, and countless other real people from humanity's history. Take the opportunity to learn from them. Talk about them. Learn from their examples and apply that living to your life, whatever parts ring true with you and make you shine brighter. Perhaps even visit a building that has dedicated energy for those people. But remember the person reveared is also in you, and thats easier to bring with you than a building, a token or even a book.

Peace
M@

Questions...

To be or not to be...that is the question...perhaps the most important question one must ask themselves.

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?

Yes, by opposing end them. Hamlet from my vantage point was certainly inquisative and somewhat lost while he made this statement, but also a very thoughtful, educated and purely intellegent man. Who is he speaking to here? The fair Ophelia as he later states, should remember his sins. He asks a question, then breaks it down, and finaly states his true desire to end 'them'. Is that not what we all are striving for, an end to the suffering or something to use to fight the struggle? To be or not to be? Hmmm... This is so very intriguing to me.

Hamlet entertains that there is some sort of option...and I agree to some extent. But one must consider that rather than being as in existence, I think the reference is comparable to say; a person's will to live. If they are being they are willing themselves through it, if they are not being there is no consious creation of personal circumstances and therefor no responcibility taken for ones woes.

I emplore the world! Just Be!

Then you get what you want, have the power to deal with what you don't want and...the wisdom to know the difference, all the while being exclusively responcible for your own personal perspective of it all. Half full or the opposite? I think it's hard to see things negativly once the ball is rolling. Like a statue from clay, molding and molding, and the more its molded, the more the beauty shines through and the more inspiration it brings to keep molding in whatever way one chooses. You are not just the clay, God is not only the hands...the two of you are connected and within one is the other. There is no separation. You get to mold the clay, be the clay, and make plans for the clay...all the while with full unending support from your higher self.

Go ahead, 'Just be' a masterpiece today!

Peace
M@

Religion...

Re•li•gionn

1.a) Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
1.b) A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2.The life or condition of a person in a religious order
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

We all know what religion is, although the definition can really get debatable. What I'm talking about is the label kind. Example being with the spiritual leader aspect; Priest = Catholic, Rabbi = Jewish, Minister = Protestant, Monk = Buddhist...etc as applicable! Although I admit there are exceptions to every rule, these 'leaders' have often taken a stance in thier choosen 'religion', and proceed to teach and even sometimes enforce the system that is theirs.

Try this one on.

All religions are perfect...
All religions are a desire to attain the answer...
When we think we have the answer is when we stop asking the question...
When we stop asking the question we believe we have the answer...
When we believe we have the answer we then desire to share it with others...
When we desire to share it with others we think they need it...
When we think they need it we assume they lack it...
When we assume they lack it we see imperfection...
When we see imperfection we subconciously see ourselves...
When we see imperfection in ourselves we therefor see it in the world...
Then we ask Why...
Then we seek help finding out Why...
The problem today is that there is a generalized belief system in our world that says that we personally don't have the answer, but that someone, some organisation, some church or some religion does.
What if I told you that the only place that you (you the person reading this) can find the answer is within you, you are the only person who can answer that question to the extent that you (as a person) is fully asking...
WHY...

Religion is beautiful. In its truest form it is just good intentions. Lets say that the question being asked in the above paraphrase or dialogue if you will is World Hunger. Why does this exist? Perhaps religion is not the first place one would travel to find the answer, but you must agree that most people who consider themselves "religious" would say their answer would be centered around that which they call thier faith. Faith unfortunatly in our world is almost too often attached to ones religion. Hense the question most people (more commonly the "Religious" ones) are asking is "what religion are you?"...sometimes substituted with "What do you believe?" and even sadly "Where are you from?".

It is my belief that in order to be for something, you cannot be against anything. This is the paradox, in order for me to be closer to God, if you will, and find the answers through my faith I must not exclude the possibility that I don't know or fully understand something. That being said it would be the epitome of hipocracy to say that I am a single religion and not any other...especially if I was uneducated about the religion I'm essentially against. May be shocking but almost all are based upon the same foundations and focus on the same ideals. There are different books and different traditions but all are to be learned from that is truly consistant.

Generally the answer to the question is enlightenment, but in its most incomprehensable sense...except to the person that the answer is resonating from and within.

Peace
M@

Zeitgeist...

They say that it takes 3 of anything to set a trend. So if a trio of disturbed boys in separate corners of the world commit hedeious acts of violence, all boys will soon become a part ot this alarming movement. Similar to the events at Columbine, and two or three following incidents. There was an epidemic created within the United States that did leak somewhat into Canada and other countries, that our children were no longer to be trusted. All children everywhere were all of a sudden capable of dispicable pre-planned and vengeful murder...mostly assosiated with thier roles as outcasts in the society that was their school.

There are good outcomes assosiated with what I'm addressing here, for example, Folic Acid. One mother in some place benefited from the effects of folic acid to prevent infant deformaties in the early 80's...then another followed suit, and another and then it was added to white bread of all things. The once very concerning and highly stressful subject has now been reduced to a very small percentage. Basically we learn from each other, our mistakes and successes!

Zeitgeist to my interpretation means to generalise, label, stereotype and in other words cut us off from the truth of how good things really are. Our perseption of others is our reality.

Hypathetically speaking...
I watch the news everyday because I feel the need to see the world through the eyes of the media instead of my own...
I see three segments dispursed over the hour long that I have sat consumed by the light box while eating my evening meal...
First segment is a thief caught at a local grocery store mugging a poor old lady of her purse and life savings....
Second is that a large TV Repair chain has been found to be a cover for import of Herion and the government has been funding it all along through all the tax breaks of a business that essentially collects even more taxes to go into the big pot we have been adding to for the future generations of this great country (So they can shoot Herion too of course)....
Third is that George Bush was on an aircraft carrier today giving a speach that the war is over but the troops will remain in a hostile environment for nothing more than to protect our investment as a country in the persuit of democracy in a place that has no current desire to change, will fight at all costs to uphold the same values of freedom that a mother and father in Pennsylvania sitting watching this very newscast would give thier lives for; thier children and thier childrens freedom...by the way another 43 troops killed today, 208 local civilians, 3 Sergents and a high ranking Admiral were killed by a shrapnel bomb put together by an 11 year old who only wants his dad to go to heaven....
Did any of those segments make you nod your head rather than shake it? Did any of them make you feel wholesome inside and out? Did you feel compeled to go out into the world to help remedy some of the issues you were just shown? Probably not....But oh yeah, you got something to talk about at the water cooler tomorrow with all the other office riff raff...."Holy crap, to think the world is coming to this....in our day in age....with communication so abundant...its a shame all this has to happen....and I pay taxes, but the government does nothing....where will the world be tomorrow if things keep up like this?"

Do you think you may have the answers to some of those problems? I know you do, and I do, and we all do! We can change this world one step at a time.....but I guess most would rather just cuddle up with the remote, and hear about it all...so that the feeling of overwhelming sadness and victimisation can keep us rooted in our lazy-boy, because thats just a wise way of proiritising our energy output right? C'mon PEOPLE! God gives us all the energy we need! Enough to operate all the TV's, remotes, and foot rest extenders in all of America and the world. Lets each pick one thing that we don't like in our own current life (forget the rest of the world), make a change that only we can make, and so on and so on! Do you realise what could happen? I'll tell you for sure, we would finally run out of time....Time to watch the news and indulge in self pity for the world that we are in essense completely responcible for!

You could be the Soldier that stands up and says, "I am a citizen of the United States! I have the right of freedom, not to ever be over wrote by another person if even a commanding officer or elected President! I will not continue doing something that I believe is wrong because of that God given freedom!". Or you are the government worker in charge of a commitee that can change the whole ethics behind how lax we are with the tax money that is all supposed to benifit society as a whole, and today you decide to bring to the table a proposal that just may put your job in jeopardy, but could potentially eliminate millions of lives lost both during and after your lifetime. Or you are the person who decides to ignore the hunger pains, take the time to write a resume, go pass some out, hold the door open for someone even though you barely have the strength....all because you know the extra work involved will give you strength in the long run, because you are capable and willing to make a go of life....rather than wake up, do a line, eat a big mac, watch some TV, then head to the cereal aisle and grab that (probably rich and wont miss it) old lady's handbag.

To think that I am a bitter person would be to take my words too literally, this is just my perseption of the world/media. Be careful not to read the words you want to hear, and rather hear the message between the lines that I'm trying to inspire you with my example of being a person who has decided to take off the 3-d glasses in hopes to get out of this blue and red world, that is being forced on us as a societal misconception for a need to know the business of the rest of the world in hopes of making our own lives seem better in comparison. That is a home built upon mud, when you believe yourself better, the sun comes out and your home melts at your feet, leaving you with less than you started with. We are all equal. Even after everyone elses judgements.