The Bottom Line

If this has not been stated explicitly yet in these pages, here is the bottom line:

Love is no good when saved.

Life is a succession of one moment after another. None of the moments past can be altered, none in the future can affect the present. 

We can only be truly happy (this should be our purpose) if we live as fully as possible in this moment. 

We must be; love; now. 

i.e. Love must rule our lives and we must be fully conscious of the MAIN EVENT - Now.

Scenes and Myths

As we attempt to understand the hidden form and meaning of what could be termed 'reality' (that which is truly in control of our perceived reality), it becomes clear that this reality (or God) has many levels. 

Among these, at the personal level, are the 'scenarios' which individuals plan in dreams and are carried out with the aid of (as a small conspiracy of scenarios) other souls who are available for 'bit parts'. *

At the higher level we have grand schemes or 'myths' which can create the mass experiences of vast numbers of people. 

* It may seem to be quite bizarre for some, but I really believe we are all connected and inspired at the soul level and even if we are not conscious of the part we play in other peoples scenes, we are bit players for them and they for us. 

Inevitable Changes?

I just read The Transformation: A Guide to the Inevitable Changes in Humankind by George B. Leonard*.
Mass culture craves a return to life and freedom. 

Witness the popularity of two shows:

1. t.v. - Kung-Fu, about a man who is brought up in a Buddhist monastery in China; people were fascinated by this Kung-fu master's ONENESS with everything; a man of peace confronted by others whose only thoughts were violent and death-filled. 

2. movie - Rambo - a man comes home from the Vietnam war; a commando able to exist in any physical surrounding. He is hounded by violent, death-filled people - all he wanted was to be left alone. 

In both cases these were very popular programs. 

Because of this, their violence was exploited. 

The powers in the industry did not really understand their appeal. 

*Published 1972 by Delacorte Press

Looking back, it is my naivety that jumps out from the page. Now it is quite obvious that the media understood only too well the appeal of these and other programs of the time. The slow turning of the public appeal to movies and television that feature and glorify violence is only too obvious now. The heroic aspects are minimal; sometimes only hinted at in the current media. 

Yin and Yang

It is difficult when you don't believe in fire and brimstone, or judging or forgiving Gods, to interpret the prayers of some Christians. 

What forgiveness is needed if I played my part in your drama?

After all, how do you expect to learn love in the absence of the challenges of hate?

How can we recognize faith if we have no desperation and hopelessness to challenge it?

Where is light when all around is brilliance?

As long as we are incapable of accepting the 'all there is ~ love' that is all around us, we will draw challenges to learn what love is not. 

DON'T CURSE 

GOD'S MESSENGERS

Thoughts on food and shelter for all

We should ask ourselves, "Is work in return for food and shelter good in and of itself?"

This might seem like a simply-answered question. We must guard against allowing a 'knee-jerk' response, however. 

In the past it has never been possible for all the members of a society to have free food and shelter without the voluntary or involuntary submission of others for the provision of these needs. 

Slavery provided such a situation. 

Welfare systems provide it in our time. 

Personally I cannot advocate slavery. 

Welfare systems have traditionally ridden on the backs of a heavily-taxed populace. This is also hard to approve. 

So far our original query gets yes. 

In a world where robot labour can provide food and shelter, will the answer be the same?

If the answer changes, how will our perception of the 'freeloader' or the 'slavedriver' change with it?

Submitting to the system

Someone ought to write a manual for the average person. In it should be some chapters on submitting to the system.

Throughout human history we have benefitted from centralization of power. In return for the "benefits" we have submitted to the authority of some "higher" power. 

Over time, we have experienced an increasingly complicated system, until today* virtually every aspect of living (work, play, travel, foodstuffs, etc.) is controlled for the 'benefit of society'. 

The idea of a house on Walden Pond is almost impossible to imagine in a society where zoning laws, lobby groups, and the like would stifle the freedom to build such a simple structure (especially if the pond contained rare wildlife). The ordinary person attempts to get by, while ignoring the fetters worn in the name of 'benefits of society'. 

Many attempt to 'play the system' while legislators create ever more circuitous regulations. Such a 'tennis match', leading to a Gordian knot of do's and don'ts is inevitable in our world, and is leading to an almost incomprehensible jumble. 

Meanwhile, the average Joe and Josephine attempt to put food, shelter, and creature comforts ahead of working the system ~ somewhat unsuccessfully. 

We are constantly reminded of the confused bureaucracy by an onslaught of media-hype, driven by pseudo-experts in various fields, giving their analysis of each new turn in the already too complex road we attempt to travel. 

Woe to the business-person who tries to create a new product or service without first hiring at least one accountant and a legal expert. 

Even farmers must become expert in international trade laws, marketing boards, and the like, before putting plough to ground. 

The realist will say "It has to be this way these days. We would have chaos otherwise."

At what price do we avoid chaos?

In Canada, a fairly enlightened nation, over half of the productivity of the average person is spent in support of government and its system. We are told that it is necessary to increase taxes to decrease the national debt.

At this point, it seems, I ran out of gas for this rant. Sad to think that in the interim, nothing has improved. Perhaps I am the only one who noticed there was a problem? More likely the problem, when noticed, is much too difficult to correct. 

* written sometime in 1987 likely

Insomnia

When I rarely do have trouble sleeping at night, it is usually because my mind is occupied by some worldly problem. 

~ Money

~Arguments or misunderstandings with family or friends

~ Some incomplete project that is giving me problems

It is not surprising that the average person needs sleeping pills since these seem to be the things that preoccupy the average person constantly. 

Lightness of Heart

All through my life I have been obsessed by the need to have the clarity that comes from an unburdened soul. 

How do you achieve this lightness of heart?

1. Take responsibility for your actions. This means to become accepting of yourself ~ Do not blame others. 

2. Forgive and forget. Accept others and let them be the carriers of their own burden. If I hold a grudge, it loads me down with burdens of another's creation ~ this is counter-productive. 

3. Be honest ~ with yourself and others because the burden of lies is the heaviest. How can people sleep at night worrying about keeping their stories straight?

When you are honest with yourself, you try your best and accept the fact that sometimes you will fall short. 

Love yourself means keep your burdens light.

Empower Your Soul

In your mind, hold the image of what you desire. Desire and visualize this in as detailed a way as possible and it shall exist.

If you need a hero to worship, imagine yourself, endowed with the finest qualities your desires can hold.

Make this marvellous entity your hero and become it.

When you pray, you verbalize your highest truths to your soul. "God" will grant you what your soul has held as true. You only need to believe it is so.

This post almost got left out, out of a fear that my thoughts of that time might be taken too literally. Let me add with emphasis, that the words "what you desire" and "your highest truths" have the same meaning. 

Live it up

If you think that everything is under control, your life is probably dull. You are likely not doing anything interesting. 

Cut loose.

Take risks.

The Nature of Friendship

A friend told me that "you have to work on friendships".

I'm not sure what she really meant. I think her feeling was that people need to consciously nurture others.

This leads to a questioning of the nature of friendship.

"Your friends are your chosen family".

Perhaps mutual support, nurturing is an interpretation of a friendly attitude.

Can anyone be a friend for longer than a while?

To give and receive mutual support and nurturing we have to have compatible goals. Can we expect any two people to share goals for long?

When my goals and yours diverge, are we no longer friends?

In the attempt to "make" friends some people seem to try to remake themselves to fit the required mould - to become a friend for another. When their inability to consistently live up to the part shows them to be phoney, they lose friends.

Surely this "working at being a friend" is a sad way to go through life. 

What shall we do to find a better way? A more permanent basis for friendship is "shared values".

Unlike goals, values are not superficial. A person's values are not obvious at first meeting (although you might feel that your first impression is the best). Also our values do not change readily. 

As with the previous goal-based philosophy, some might try to "make friends", but their true values will eventually show in the way they handle situations.

Unlike goal-based friendship, it is useless to work at a values-friendship. The only way to succeed is to be yourself. 

Start by liking your own values - show them off. 

Likes will attract.

Learner-driven Education

Perhaps the secret to improving the education system is the harnessing of the students to drive themselves. 

To do this we must awaken the student's "character"; that set of values that causes an individual to value their own achievements and their ability to get things done, to control their lives, and to take risks in order to get greater rewards. 

If we can get the student to want to learn because they have a positive self-image that desires the ability to succeed, then we will have only one problem: 

- Keeping up with the demand!

The price of letting go

In Illusions, Bach uses the analogy of creatures clinging to the rocks in a swift stream. The one lets go, goes with the stream and leaves the "clinging life" behind, supposedly for some higher calling. 

What he only hints at is the terrible loneliness of the one who travels with the river. 

When you cling, you are with fellow clingers. When you soar, you do it alone - now and then seeing someone who is only holding on with one hand, or is in an eddy above or below. Before you can spend time with them, you are swept onward - to what?

Richard Bach: Illusions; The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, copyright 1977 by Creatures Enterprises, Inc.

God Knows

If a person really believes in God, they do not have to yell about it for God to know. 

If they have love in their heart, they will not shout at their fellow beings: "Go to church" or "Tithe regularly". 

The loving being who knows God does not need to prove anything to others; the caring being who loves God will love themselves enough to let others learn in their own way. 

Those who manipulate others by fear do not believe in God.

Heroes

By your choice dwell you now in the world you have created. What you hold in you heart shall be true, and what you most admire, that shall you become."

Richard Bach, one, A novel: copyright 1988 Alternate Futures Inc.

This is interesting, since I can never recall wanting, consciously at least, to be like anyone else. Who are my heroes? 

The best approximation of a hero is a vision I can hold of myself. 

In this vision, I have found a way to manifest my highest values; my work is my life; my family shares it with me. 

Be your own hero. 

This is someone you can truly become. 

Define the word, stay in charge

In our language, there are words that are corrupt, in the sense that their meaning is filled with connotation. "Selfish" comes to mind as an example. 

Another such word is "Normal". Meaning originally 'of the norm' it is a statistical term. It does not mean correct or proper but has come to be seen as such. 

This word is, I think, the best weapon that those who would rule others possess, for the fear of being abnormal is one that is widespread. 

Advertising relies heavily upon normality. To sell a product, we need to create the impression that to be normal, everyone needs the product. 

What parent has not heard the cry "... but it's not fair; everyone else has one! Why can't I?"

Churches and other social organizations rely on normality. A world of true individuals would be "dis-organized" and so would be useless to such groups. 

Government can only function with the tacit approval of the populace. It is simply not done to expect laws to be made or unmade to suit individuals - we need to suppress our "selfishness" and bow to the "common good" - Normality.

Spirituality or Religion?

There is nothing wrong with the ideas in the New Testament that cannot be corrected by burning every copy of the Bible and levelling every church and disbanding the religions called Christian.* It was not "love your neighbour as you love yourself" that led to the witch trials. It was not "take the beam from your own eye" that led to a succession of religious wars up to the present day. It was the vested interests of the religion. 

Jesus would be appalled at what His love has begot!

It is wrong to try to teach with a stick. If what you believe is really righteous, then by living your love you will light the way for others who can benefit from your way. 

There is no need for conversions or fear of anyone else. The love of God is a free gift. He will not punish those too blind to accept it. He will let them come in their own time.

If we truly comprehend that gift, we will leave others in peace and show them our love by letting them be.

*In the intervening years, my feelings have broadened upon this subject of religion and its disconnect with the spirituality that spawned it. If I was writing this now, the desire to eliminate religion would extend to all, not just the Christian religions. 

While the passionate desire to liberate my fellow travellers from what I see as a scourge is still here, it is clear to me that many need the churches, and the religions. Many are better off with some sort of structure in their lives because for some reason, they do not feel confident enough to draw from their own inner spirit. 

There are so many rudderless souls and perhaps that is the real problem for humanity. 

Laws and commonly-held beliefs

The reason for laws in society would seem to spring from the fact that much of what is deemed to be "correct behaviour" is not commonly understood or accepted. 

The basic laws as outlined by Yahweh to Moses seem simple enough, and yet the coveting of the neighbour's spouse aspect does go against the grain in some cases, as in fact do all the rest!

Why is it that so many people resist "buying into" our formal society?

A possible key

Maybe, just maybe this is the key to my conflict with society.

~ The whole world is being brainwashed into thinking that pleasing others is (more important than; no; that pleasing others is) INDISPENSABLE.

Why does our son need me to come to his hockey game?

I think, tie his skates... nope this isn't it.

I think, for safety's sake ~ no, but someone should be there.

No, I missed it.

Thanks to my spouse ~ here is the real reason that our son wants me to come:

He does not play hockey because he likes hockey! He plays to please us!

He needs me to come to show my approval!

Here is the start...

We teach this outrage from the cradle onward and I am a pawn.

This is the lever and I am the fulcrum.

You can move anyone to believe in anything as long as their basic motivator is to seek the approval of others.

Because I resist it, I am outcast.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Today as I read this, that feeling of being outcast can only be described as a feeling of "othered" and therefore ignored. It was certain that my opinions were not welcome to anyone I knew then. Here is the next essay, clearly a follow-up to the one above.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Given the previous knowledge, how can a feeling of self-worth be consistent with a philosophy that you must please others in order to find happiness?

Self-worth cannot be conditional upon external factors, by its definition.

In that case, how can my son develop self-worth if he is trapped in this "please me by pleasing others" trap?

He must rebel against this at some point, going through a painful rejection period, otherwise he will be trapped into adulthood. I pray for this rebellion to happen.

The cost of happiness

You are never given a wish                           

        without also being given the power

                  to make it true

Richard Bach, The Bridge Across Forever ~ a lovestory: copyright 1984 Alternate Futures Inc.

This is an awesome power we have. The power to make ourself happy. To do this, we must disinterest ourself totally from the happiness of others or our perception of what makes them happy.

To do this, we must realize that a) it is not our job to make others happy; and b) only I can make me happy, that is my responsibility, as your happiness is yours.

It must be said that if my pursuit of happiness interferes with yours, or depends on your complicity, I must expect some conflict and disappointment to result.

Model-making & Mathematics

All of life in a body is spent making correspondence with models that only exist in the mind.

I can only write with this pen because in my mind, there is an idealized structure that is "pen and paper". 

Each action we make is modelled first within this internal world, fashioned piece by piece since our first conscious thought.

As I look about me most of what I perceive first took its form within a human mind. Only the trees outside the window deny a totally mind-made world.

In this way, we can see how marvellous the human mind is, for even if the pen I have is unlike any other I have seen or used, my model is flexible enough to accept this as a "pen".

Analogously, we attempt to pigeonhole all objects and circumstance into our marvellous internal world. 

As an infant, we encounter new situations frequently. As an adult, it is sometimes hard to cope with change. This is why "a childlike" way of looking at the world is so much more adaptive. Recent attempts at teaching organized, non-linear thinking attempt to cultivate that childlike flexibility of the mind (non-judgemental brainstorming).

Mathematics is the most organized study of the model-building mind.

This is, of course, a very abstract study however; and is difficult for people not acquainted with self examination of their innate model-building abilities.

Perhaps this is a potential area for instruction to aid in building math skills. If we can train people to be aware of their daily application of models, they might become more inclined to see mathematics, not as an odious chore, but as the most natural of studies.

Traditional mathematics is, of course, tied into an elaborate language system.

Learning the language is the later, secondary concern, however. You could not teach a human language before they had been able to live in the culture and develop an internal scaffold system on which to hang the labels, which is exactly what language is ~ a set of labels for mind-models.

For too long, the teaching of mathematics has taken place in a vacuum where few models exist and little or very weak scaffolding is built.

We cannot expect to put a newborn child in a dark, quiet room, fed intravenously or with tasteless, textureless food, and expect them to emerge at age eighteen reciting Shakespeare!

So with the language of model-building.

The joy of mathematics is the common model that it allows us. It is as if we could all be connected by telepathy, so that each could show their models to all others. Mathematics is the "standardized model kit".

Real Conversation

Observation ~ many times when a person is trying to be friendly, they will ask you questions, such as "how are you?" or "what happened?".

It is puzzling when, as you respond to their question, you receive 'metamessages' of disinterest (the person is easily distracted, starts browsing through a book, etc.).

Is it a social convention to seem interested in others?

Is it that they want you to feel that they care, even if they don't?

What a joy it is to care enough about another so much that you spend time only listening and talking when you want to, and about things you want to talk and listen about.

~ How rare to find!

The old saying "It is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and confirm it"; it means you will not be accepted for speaking your mind carelessly.

How cynical!

How true!!

Self love

Self love shows through the attitude of the individual to life. 

Without it, we "go through the motions".

Lacking a vision of ongoing development, we fall into the trap of hopelessness. 

We come into the world full of hope and love. Without support we collapse like a vine does. The youth of the world need role models for love and hope. They can learn the rest on their own. 

A Deeper Self

This longer document was not included in the little red binder with the others presented here, but was written at the same time. It is dated in another's hand, which means it was read by a friend of the time who added that date; Monday, January 18, 1988.

A disclaimer: I wrote this at that time for myself, and possibly for that close friend. Please, believe what you wish, and blame or take credit yourself for your choices.

All I know is it has worked for me.

We all operate on two levels, at the very least. On the surface, we measure days, weeks, years, and are concerned by events of the past and possibilities for the future. This same level also deals with the present. It consciously registers our feelings, sifts through current input, and attempts to judge their relative merit vis-a-vis past and future. This is the side of ourselves that interacts in society and controls us when we are awake. 

The other side is somewhat mysterious and may in fact have more than one part to it. 

My hypothesis is as follows:

This deeper nature is not bound by time or location. All the entities of the world can communicate using the powers of this deeper self. The reason we do not perceive this is caused by the limited beliefs of the surface self in its control of the conscious mind. 

In dreams, the deeper self attempts to communicate with the surface. When we have deep, unexplained feelings, it is as a result of the interplay between the two. Sudden inspiration, which the conscious mind takes as its own, results from the same interaction. 

At another stage in our existence, the human race would have less conscious problems with the existence of this inner self. In that case, there would be less inhibition against acting on the impulses that we say are evil or good. 

Acting in a certain way, once it receives a label, has to be reconsidered as appropriate or not. Once this judgemental behaviour arrives, the death knell for infra-communication ends.* [sic] 

For an example, let us say that two people, who do not consciously know each other are in need of one another, for any purpose (it could be work related, sexual compatibility, ...). The inner minds find their mate in that need or even a set of needs and draws them together physically through "coincidence". This would be seem to be too good to be true. If it really happened that way, why is it that all of humanity is not ecstatically happy? 

                     There's the rub. 

Because the conscious mind sifts and judges everything through a filter of logic, it says "this is impossible. I must be deceived, because there is no way that this person could be so right for me! I've been hurt before when I rushed into something. There's no way I will let that happen again."

We are all free to choose. The secret of choosing well is to attempt to attune yourself to your inner half [sic] by listening deeply. The secret is to try not to be too critical of what seems like a failure in the past. It was probably a failure because your conscious mind tried to tie it down like trying to lasso a cloud. 

Open the lines of communication. Reach out to your inner self and live and learn more. 

Or, you can choose the alternative. If you choose this, however, stop moaning about how "nothing good ever comes to you" or "how awful God is" or any of those other cries for help that frustrate your inner self and its attempts to hibernate successfully in that cold, forbidding world you have chosen to create. 

*the stream of thought here is quite unclear. I suspect what was meant was "the death knell is sounded" but who knows at this point?

How beautiful are the words?

The word is only as beautiful as the soul within the reader. 

The most wonderful thoughts on paper can only be comprehended by beings who, in their soul, already hold those thoughts as precious. 

As an odd corollary, it seems that when you truly comprehend the light in your soul, you can tell if the words have been corrupted from their original beauty. So it is with the New Testament... so many beautiful thoughts on love and peace within... so much corrupted.

A Transcending Purpose

How all-pervasive is the need to justify our lives. 
We heap criticism on the idle of the world for their sloth. Some blame the "Christian work ethic" whatever that is!

Is it possible to find a commitment, a sort of work that transcends life and death?

We generally devote our life to acquisition of material benefits, acting as though we will never die. We try to justify this by suggesting that we need to provide for our family. 

Why does this behaviour persist in people whose families are grown, or in people with no dependants?

Maybe we know instinctively that life has a higher purpose, but are [sic] become blinded to the truth of a transcending purpose. 

Call it God, or the soul or a higher self; any of these could explain this. 

Living Your Honesty

The choice to be an honest person is filled with terrible and wonderful consequences. (I do not believe that honesty is a policy, but a way of life - either you are or you are not.)

When you live honesty [sic], you become less capable of perceiving deceit in others. (We see in others what we believe of ourselves.) 

This inability lays us open to all kinds of shocking disappointments as evidence of our naiveté crashes in. 

On the other hand, there is a terrific peace, for there is no need to 'keep your story straight'. 

When people try to put you on the spot for something you have said or done, you have no need to fear being caught in some lie that you have half forgotten. 

At this point, there is no way to go back and badger the person I was to find out how that first paragraph made any sense. If you are either honest or not, then how is it a choice to be an honest person? 

What is Real?

Only a succession of moments can give the conscious body proof of its own reality. 

When confronted by "memory" as evidence of the unreality of sequential time, the body attempts to reject the evidence. And so the same source that says to us "Use your head! There is no way that past, present and future can exist simultaneously!" has to say from time to time, "Just ignore that 'deja vu' experience. I can't explain it, so it can't be real ... of course, we must have just imagined it!"

This observation leads to the conclusion that the logic of the body is not sufficient to deal with real reality. 

The question is, "how can we deal with it?"

What "On The Other Hand" is about

Have you ever written something with no intention that anyone should read it? That is exactly what I did almost thirty years ago with the documents that will appear here in instalments, as I get them transcribed. 

I remember writing them and will perhaps add some comments as well to explain what I can. 

They flowed from my pen, kept in a small red six ringed binder. These ideas were important but for whom was I writing them? 

Someone whom I care about thinks they are important, and if she says they are, then they are. 

Addendum on June 25, 2016:
Now that those original documents are all faithfully recorded, I've decided to supplement them with new thoughts and ideas as they come to me. Like that small notebook, this can become a repository for my crazy thoughts and maybe some not so crazy ones as well.