Category Archives: love

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Why G*d doesn’t answer your prayers.

Because G*d isn’t a business. G*d is not an old man with a beard, unless that’s how you imagine him. G*d is omniscient – knows everything; omnipresent – everywhere; omnipotent – all powerful. Surely you’ve heard this before. But even the priests, ministers, pastors, who say this in one breath, in the next breath tell you to ask G*d for help, for favors, Christmas presents… The two notions just don’t match.

You don’t need to tell an omniscient consciousness your needs or wants – because “all knowing”.

You don’t need to pray “to” an omnipresent being, because “everywhere.”

G*d is responsible for everything everywhere – your cell mitosis and your cancer diagnosis. “responsible” does not equal “cause.” As far as we know, we exercise freewill. So if you pour garbage into the clean body you were given, G*d lets those cells do their thing. Don’t pray for that to change.

Then there’s G*d’s plan. G*d is also ineffable. Sorry we’ve lost that word through our poor educational system. It means it’s not possible to explain G*d. Doesn’t mean we just don’t know how to explain G*d – it means there is no human with the capacity to explain the Creator of Everything. So, might be smart to stop trying. Anyway, what good would it do you?

These are the building blocks. But the best building block is this: Jesus actually told you how to pray! Jesus didn’t really leave us a lot of information – or, you could say, he left us just enough. First, he pared down the 10 commandments – they weren’t his, and were probably made up by Moses, or the politburo that represented Moses – these “commandments” seem a lot like human laws, and coincide neatly with the Jewish norms at the time. Always gotta be suspicious when some guy says “G*d agrees with everything I say.” Convenient for an authoritarian system.

But totally the opposite of what we said above: free will. No, G*d doesn’t tell you not to do anything. Go for it! And for sure, the human machinery – the way humans work – will deliver to you the consequences of your actions – not G*d.

Jesus said you only need two “commandments”: love G*d with all your heart, mind, spirit. Any questions? And then: “love your ‘neighbor’ as much and in the same way as you love yourself.” And then the kicker: “on (just) these two commands hang all the law and the prophets.” The Jewish Torah is divided into the Law and the Prophets (so is the old testament: Deuteronomy means the (second) law; and all the books with names on them are Prophets). So, this is also a hard thing for us modern dummies: it’s called (in math) a “discreet system.” Means you don’t need ANY MORE RULES than the two I gave you. All other rules you could think of derive from those two, so you don’t need to add them.

Jesus told you how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer. That’s the only thing you need. There are no other prayers in the New Testament – except for a couple of little ones, but again, they are connected with the Lord’s Prayer.

  1. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” This is Jesus choking up just before he is nailed to a crucifix, saying, “skip me on this one.” But – and this is the big but – he adds the clause from the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy will be done.” He doesn’t expect G*d to not go through with the great plan, which requires a sacrifice – but, never hurts to ask.
  2. “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” A prayer-lite for the sake of the Love of the Neighbor. Also – directly from the Lord’s Prayer!

That’s it! No “please give me that bike for Christmas”, or “please let my son get into Harvard.” Zero (0) requests! It’s not Oprah! Not Grant a Wish! It’s like this

  1. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done. Do what you intend to do – not what WE ask you to do. On earth, just like in heaven. Even if you escape earth, the same deal is in heaven for you.
  2. Give us today our daily bread. Ok. Maybe this is an “ask” – except in the original language – Aramaic (remember Jesus was not a Hebrew) – it’s not “daily” – people argue about this a lot, but mostly about the translation from Greek – which is not the language Jesus said it in. Give us today maybe our last meal – ever. Remember, it’s ok and entirely possible that we will die TODAY, and that’s a good thing. “Daily” is really the wrong word, and confuses the whole meaning. Look at what follows: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them… 34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself…
  3. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Again, back to the “commandments.” First thing is to US: You there! You forgive everybody. Forgiveness is the rule, thy neighbor as thyself. But we can and should ask G*d for forgiveness.
  4. Lead us not into temptation. Again, this is more you talking to yourself – don’t let yourself be led by something else – into something that will harm you.
  5. Deliver us from evil. Not sure on this one. Reminds by of George W. and the “axis of Evil.” Not sure that this was passed down correctly. But ok. G*d does indeed have the power (all-powerful) to quash “evil.” The main point is, it does not mean ” make that car swerve out of the way of my child in the street.” That’s not evil: it’s freewill – your child knows the rules, and still goes out into the street. Something painful might happen. Not G*d’s deal.

That’s it: 1) let it happen 2) get me through today 3) let’s forgive one another 4) let us choose wisely 5) let us choose wisely. It’s a “personal oracle” – a conversation with everything around you, that echos back to YOU. You are G*d, as long as you are Love.

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Cathartic

We constantly advise our friends to accept change as positive, empowering – there is a cottage industry with signs, mugs, hats, all extolling this, essentially a Buddhist philosophy, that wasn’t available to the masses, when I was a kid.

And it’s getting all the dirty corners of human existence – cancer, divorce, death, re-location – as it should. It is a wonder that we Westerners didn’t catch on earlier. Well, we did actualy. My parents went through the Great Depression – had to accept that, and the shitty life that it brought for regular humans – and even Wall Street stock brokers. My parents also went to World War II, after their parents returned from World War I. So, if they were still alive, they would chastise these new “generations lost in space,” telling them to get over it.

But that’s all just kind of folk wisdom, used as an alt propaganda (who generates the alt propoaganda? the self help cult?). There is always Reality, within easy grasp. If you have evern lived through cancer, or death, or all the real Horsement of the Personal Apocolypse, you did accept it, because it didn’t offer any choices, any placatory respite from the onslaught. The question is, how did you emerge on the other side? That’s what “self help” really means – can you survive with your soul and mind intact, or, will you be filled with hatred of those great mystical beings who seem to toss us mortals about like playthings?

I don’t believe that the Gods control our lives. That’s just a manifestation of our deep-seated belief in the higher power of Justice and Rectitude, both of which are flavors of Kompliance Kool-Aid, not borne of natural experience. We know that in nature, the domestic dog laps up a full nest of baby bunnies, leaving their tiny heads, as inedible. And that’s not Justice – or, it is Justice. But it’s not the created Justice that we hold dear, even though it is a lie.

Let’s separate the Natural and the Inevitable, from the man-made for a second. Just because Nature will ultimately provide us with a fate, doesn’t mean we have to accept the same from human-made Justice. This is where religious morals come in. “Rage, rage..” says John Milton. I don’t know if he was talking about his going blind – in which case he was another mortal fool – or, human injustice, which he definitely struggled with in his Big Book. To be clear, humans create misery and pain for one another, and that is optional, not inevitable. So there is the fight. Just don’t get confused by “inalienable rights”, or other philosophical shit. You are NOT safe, your rights are NOT protected -by God or your Government. It’s up to you, alone, or, with your community, to change what you can, and accept what you can’t (see the Serenity Prayer)

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more on 3-in-1

Can we share Jesus’ nature ? The part that was Man?  And if the Holy Spirt is in us, do we not all simultaneously share in the moment of the Holy Spirit?

If there are three beings in one God, each one must have a unique nature , which the other does not share. We are humans. The Holy Spirit is within is, and we are ” within ” God.

and if God is Love, and it is our mission – the mission assigned to all humans who are awake – to love, and only to love, then we do have a part of God’s nature. a true part. we can have some small feeling of what it is like to be God like. if we love.

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gave up the ghost

May 20th

A Year With Hafiz
“Asking for the Hand of Marriage”

When someone becomes quiet in this world,
really quiet, those who aren’t may turn to
them, even from behind a wall or from a great
distance.

It is like a touch they, the unstill, wanted…
a touch that can come from the invisible, come
from an intimate region of the benevolent spirit
in someone in true peace.

Unknown to most, one asks for the hand of
marriage wherever their gaze falls.

I have to stop myself here; sometimes I just
cannot help but to cheer something that
has never quite been put in words before, as
that last line…about a “marriage” we always
seek.

That is all I can say now. If there is something
in your mind obstructing your vision, let
someone who can see…read all this to you.

The sunflower’s heart is not detectable to most,
but you know what it does. It so gladly turns,
offering its body toward its lover–the sun
all day long.

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How to Become Free of Hatred – repost from Jaya Row

repost from http://www.speakingtree.in/public/jaya.row/profile

What is true devotion? Is it mere allegiance to a particular deity or prophet? Does it necessitate a change in lifestyle? How does one know if one qualifies as a devotee? In Chapter 12 of the Bhagwad Gita Krishna lists 35 qualities of a devotee that help assess our spiritual level as well as develop the qualities to evolve further.

The first quality is ‘advesta sarvabhutanam’, one who hates no being. Yet the worst battles have been fought in the name of religion. People who profess to have devotion to the Lord often have conflict-ridden relationships. Devotion is not about professing love to God, it is the ability to love all. How can you love an unknown, unseen God when you dislike those you interact with daily?

The world lacks inclusive love. Everyone is deeply entrenched in feelings of otherness, antagonism and bitterness. This springs from insecurity and you project imaginary enemies. Partners are viewed as opponents, benefactors are viewed with suspicion and you end up utterly lonely and isolated. The Gita says there are no adversaries out there. Your worst foes are within. It is your lack of self-sufficiency that projects enemies outside. Yudhisthira was called ‘ajatasatru’, one whose enemy was not born because he did not consider anyone as a malefactor.

Even the love people claim is not true love. It is attachment, self-love. You expect returns from the person you love, make demands and impose restrictions. Ultimately the relationship breaks down. Attachment is the single most important cause of friction between spouses and the yawning gap between parents and children.

The solution is to become detached. People misunderstand detachment as giving up relationships. Many reject the idea and continue to suffer the devastating effects of attachment. A few give up their families and suffer. There are three states of being – indifference or lack of feeling, attachment or selfish love and detachment or pure love. The Gita asks you to give up selfishness which comes in the way of meaningful relationships. Continue the association but let go of expectations and demands.

Assess the people around you; understand them for what they are. Then you will not have unreasonable expectations of them. Do you hate a lion for its ferocity? Do you dislike a deer for its timidity? Do you get upset if a dog barks at you? No. You understand that they all function according to their nature. But you complain about a neighbour or boss because you have no understanding of their nature. As long as you feel negatively about anyone you will suffer, not the other person. If you want to be free of stress you must address your most intense dislikes.

In the past, the extended family lived together, harmoniously. Now, even nuclear families are breaking up because of selfishness. Single parents are becoming the norm! Enlarge your circle of love. Identify with the larger community. As your love expands, the friction in existing relationships reduces and you become truly happy.

When you think of your body you see maximum separateness. Move to your mind and you see oneness within the family. Identify with the intellect and you see oneness among all. It does not matter whether they are educated or not, wealthy or poor, refined or crude. They are all yours. Take the leap into the realm of the Spirit and all differences vanish. You see yourself in all beings and all beings in your own Self. You will be free of hatred.

Follow Jaya Row on speakingtree.in

ONLY DELHI: For the other 34 traits attend Jaya Row’s lectures on Gita Ch 12 at Kamani Auditorium, Oct 11-14th October, 6.30 to 8 pm. Contact: +91 9769179001. All are welcome

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I burn incense at your feet

in deep devotion I cry out to you, who visited my earth once, when I was barely awake.  whatever others make think of me, I know there is value in persistence.  and this is not pursuance – because it comes to me what is meant for me. persistence and acceptance – these are the words my God hears in my prayers. and these prayers have been answered before.


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doubt and disdain are the poisons

the only poisons that can kill love. and they originate in the “killer”, not the victim. you know that moment? something literally drops, like and elevator, inside you, when you feel that doubt. if you want the love to live (and you do, dumbass!) you need to cure the doubt with thoughts of love and perfection.

but when you hit disdain, the love is dead.  it’s instant. the sad part, it’s not the person whom you disdain who causes the disdain: it’s you, only you, and your stupid ego.  the love of the self supersedes the love of others – this is what makes you a human, but prevents you from being an “über human.”

the one is natural: the prime directive in all animals is kill or be kill, and the second is like unto it: procreate your species. so, killing and fucking are the low bar, and, pretty much pervasive throughout the world.

the next step – and there is only one – is up: love your neighbor as yourself. this contains all the permutations you have heard – we are all one; we are all connected, etc.  but I want to go deeper: not connected – we are the same person. think about it: the bad feeling that comes from despising someone, is a bad feeling about yourself!  double bad.

there is no natural cure – you must address the spirit, to clean it out.  you must consciously look at that person, and concentrate – like they teach you in Yoga – and dredge up the buried feeling of love – right at that moment!  because the poison of disdain works rapidly, and the love will die in you, like a dead fetus, and rot.

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God and Love

worn out from cyclical castigation, this old metaphor needs a fresh look. it’s so simple, that we get bored. and when we get bored, we masturbate.

first, try to recall some actual moment in your life where you felt love. you will have to possibly dive down into the muck of bullshit that you yourself have heaped on top of that word, love, so that you can find the feeling, love. no definitions allowed.

it was that overwhelming feeling. heart raced. head swam. some kind of confusion tried to take hold of your brilliant rational mind (and you may have tried to resist it). there you were, you and your lover, and for however long it lasted, you felt safe, whole, but at the same time, there was something like fear in there.  let’s call it awe. do you have this now?  this is love.

and so, if God were ever to reveal himself to you, what would that look like, feel like? you got it. that feeling of love IS God.  that’s it. real simple.

think of how different love is than any other thing you call emotion. most emotions you can control, engender, quell.  but doesn’t love always seem like a surprise? like it came out of nowhere? well, we need to pay attention to that.  in general, we need to pay attention to things that are real. we know they are real, because they happen to everyone, and no single person can claim to be the cause.

up there, I referred to God, and I even used the reflexive “himself”.  and I didn’t really deal with it. some of you got stuck there. the reason I didn’t dwell on is it because “God is Love” takes care of all that semantic bullshit that clouds the reality. God is some dumb English word that doesn’t even have any mystical significance to it. Further, describing God as infinite, omnipresent, etc. is stupid – no one can describe something that is infinite.

But love is easy to understand. you don’t have to describe it.  you just have to submit to its power. be in it. then all the male/female, Christ/Krsna, self-loving Aquinas defining bullshit is just that – bullshit.

Love is born in you, and you feel its birth. and when you deny it, it feels like an abortion (good. thanks. I’m a man, so I don’t know what an abortion feels like). but I do know that denying love feels like killing something. controlling anger, on the other hand, feels nothing like that: it’s just a psycho-chemical process. but when you separate from someone you love (and they love you) it has all the feelings of death, destruction, and turning away from God. my point, exactly.

and in the end, you can not do it. you can not really get rid of the love, like you can with the fetus (“what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder”). it remains a hole in your heart for the rest of your existence. my point exactly. you can not leave God, silly mortal! you can paint the walls with your verbal bullshit, and wear atheist hats and shoes, but you are a nothing without the universe (i.e. “fish bowl”) you live in (“without love, I am nothing“).

but this is not a treatise: it is a warning. if you kill love in yourself, for whatever fucked-up reasons you and your peers and Thomas Aquinas come up with, or reasons from Oprah and Phil – you will feel bad.  Right? It feels bad.  Really bad.  And if you continue to kill love, when it is given you, you will become sicker and sicker.

So, don’t kill love.  Really. Accept it as God. It is difficult, demanding, it breaks your stride, prevents you from self-actualization (the Western Maslov brand). But so what?  Man up.  This is what life is about. It’s simple, but not easy.

 

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I must swallow the pain

I must swallow the pain, for it is not pain. It is love.

And love is painful, at the teeth, not on the tongue, but again, in the throat. etcetera.

the point is, I will not get over it, or ignore it. I will embrace it.

celebrate it with rituals of obsession.

damn you all. I won’t be fixed. I don’t want your mental health, your solutions.

my path has always been to cleave into the obsession, because it must mean something, that it comes so strong.

lust is an outcropping of love, a new growth, tendril, limb,

claw, tooth, arm, leg, leg, arm. and then, it is you, my love. emerged out of me.

and I am glad to be with you, in this, our small world. we never left, although you set up props, tables, and chairs, in a house,

to make believe, to rest from the tumult of our inner room. full of rest, and yet eternally restless.

now, you have no rest; only sleep, lethargy, languor.

meanwhile.

I light the candle. rosin my bow. I will make a pure flame of diamond

Diamond is the purest form of carbon. It is combustible, but requires great heat to burn it.

and I will call to God and to Allah, whom I have known these long years, and the devotion I show to you –

it is not “crazy” – love is never crazy.

you are all crazy.  I am in love.

this devotion is what the universe seeks, what the gods notice, amidst the ant-like movements on your carbon-based ball.

and with all my might and will, I will swallow it whole, and become bigger.