It has been a while since posting, so I would like to return with some thoughts from a friend of mine... Some interesting points to dwell upon...
Has anyone seen this video!?!?!?!?! Last night, I was watching a documentary on TV. In it, Donald Rumsfeld & Henry Kissinger blatantly admit that the 1969 moon walk was faked! I was shocked and horrified. A 5-minute video clip of this can be found on youtube.comType in "rumsfeld moon" and the video series will come up. Watch part 5. It's called"Moon Landing a Fake or Fact: Part 5". What does this mean?It means that our government cannot be trusted. They are pathetic.
They lied about the moon. And they lied about Pearl Harbor, the bastards!The US government has admitted that they purposely allowed Pearl Harbor to bebombed so that the US had a good reason to enter WWII. Three days before PearlHarbor was bombed, Australia warned the US government of the attack and the USgovernment said, "That's okay. We are already aware." What makes you think that they aren't lying about 9-11?The US government bombed the World Trade Center. What makes you think thatthey didn't!?! Do we actually trust them? Are we that stupid? You bet we are. And when the US government assassinates Barrack Obama in April of 2011, arewe actually going to believe them when they say, "It was the KKK that did it"?Of course we are . . . and even if we don't believe them, we are too apathetic to do anything about it b/c we are too busy just trying to make ends meet.
We will accept their lame excuses and tuck our tails between our legs. But American blacks won't tuck their tails between their legs or their heads up their own asses. When Obama gets shot in April of 2011, expect to see riots in America.But they won't be small riots like when Rodney King was convicted. American blacks are going to lose the plot when Obama gets killed. And rightfullyso. They should be pissed off. America is getting ready to permanently change.
It cannot continue the way it has beengoing. Minimum wage is half of what it should be; the corporations and insurance companiesand pharmaceudical companies own the money. The lower class and lower middle classis growing ever restless. Money is becoming harder and harder to come by. Most middle class baby boomers are waiting for their pensions to mature. And when thosemillions of men and women turn 65 years old between 2011 and 2015, what are they goingto do? Out of fear (justified fear) that the stock market is growing ever weaker, they willpull their money out of the stock market, thus fueling a complete stock market collapse.
In search of better job opportunities, Americans will flee to Mexico! I shit you not. All of these things are inevitable UNLESS . . . we, each of us individuals, seek to change things NOW. I don't exactly what that means. Maybe write to your congressman, or plant your own garden, or treat others as you want to be treated, or put some solar panelson your roof. Maybe we all throw our full support behind Obama. If any single person can fix America, he can. Unfortunately, I do not believe that any single human being can fix it all. WEneed to fix it.
Can't we see that WE are the cause of this mess? "How did I cause this?" you might ask. By blindly accepting their lies as Truth, that's how.Dairy is not a healthy food for humans to consume!!! So why do we consume it? Becausethe dairy industry has spent billions of $$ convincing us to drink it. Who do you honestlythink pays for the research that "proves" milk is good for you? The dairy industry!It is the same with red meat and vaccination and medications for ADHD. It's all a fuckingfarce. "For as long as a man continues to trust in the propaganda machine, he will live as a slaveto it." Do not trust . . . doubt. There are two questions that must be asked of every "authority". Everytime some one tellsyou, "Dairy [or whatever] is good for you . . . it has calcium", you must ask: 1. "Where did you read that?"2. "Where can I get a copy?" 99.9% of the time, you will find that people are merely repeating what the propaganda machine has programmed them to think. 0.1% of the time, they will offer up a piece ofresearch. READ that research and you will see that 99.9% of the time, it has been paidfor by the industry in question!!! Fucking bastards! But we can no longer blame them for the fact that we are stupid! We must open our own eyes. Maybe then, we won't live in fear of our government, the economy, and the propaganda machine.
Jeremy
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
04.12.08 - thought of the day...Interesting
Part of a multimedia presentation, interpreted and narrated by Wes Felty: Chief Seattle's reply to a Government offer to purchase the remaining Salish lands. (737k MP3)
Version 1 (below) appeared in the Seattle Sunday Star on Oct. 29, 1887, in a column by Dr. Henry A. Smith.
"CHIEF SEATTLE'S 1854 ORATION" - ver . 1AUTHENTIC TEXT OF CHIEF SEATTLE'S TREATY ORATION 1854
Yonder sky that has wept tears of compassion upon my people for centuries untold, and which to us appears changeless and eternal, may change. Today is fair. Tomorrow it may be overcast with clouds. My words are like the stars that never change. Whatever Seattle says, the great chief at Washington can rely upon with as much certainty as he can upon the return of the sun or the seasons. The white chief says that Big Chief at Washington sends us greetings of friendship and goodwill. This is kind of him for we know he has little need of our friendship in return. His people are many. They are like the grass that covers vast prairies. My people are few. They resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain. The great, and I presume -- good, White Chief sends us word that he wishes to buy our land but is willing to allow us enough to live comfortably. This indeed appears just, even generous, for the Red Man no longer has rights that he need respect, and the offer may be wise, also, as we are no longer in need of an extensive country.
There was a time when our people covered the land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-paved floor, but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes that are now but a mournful memory. I will not dwell on, nor mourn over, our untimely decay, nor reproach my paleface brothers with hastening it, as we too may have been somewhat to blame.
Youth is impulsive. When our young men grow angry at some real or imaginary wrong, and disfigure their faces with black paint, it denotes that their hearts are black, and that they are often cruel and relentless, and our old men and old women are unable to restrain them. Thus it has ever been. Thus it was when the white man began to push our forefathers ever westward. But let us hope that the hostilities between us may never return. We would have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Revenge by young men is considered gain, even at the cost of their own lives, but old men who stay at home in times of war, and mothers who have sons to lose, know better.
Our good father in Washington--for I presume he is now our father as well as yours, since King George has moved his boundaries further north--our great and good father, I say, sends us word that if we do as he desires he will protect us. His brave warriors will be to us a bristling wall of strength, and his wonderful ships of war will fill our harbors, so that our ancient enemies far to the northward -- the Haidas and Tsimshians -- will cease to frighten our women, children, and old men. Then in reality he will be our father and we his children. But can that ever be? Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine! He folds his strong protecting arms lovingly about the paleface and leads him by the hand as a father leads an infant son. But, He has forsaken His Red children, if they really are His. Our God, the Great Spirit, seems also to have forsaken us. Your God makes your people wax stronger every day. Soon they will fill all the land. Our people are ebbing away like a rapidly receding tide that will never return. The white man's God cannot love our people or He would protect them. They seem to be orphans who can look nowhere for help. How then can we be brothers? How can your God become our God and renew our prosperity and awaken in us dreams of returning greatness? If we have a common Heavenly Father He must be partial, for He came to His paleface children. We never saw Him. He gave you laws but had no word for His red children whose teeming multitudes once filled this vast continent as stars fill the firmament. No; we are two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies. There is little in common between us.
To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground. You wander far from the graves of your ancestors and seemingly without regret. Your religion was written upon tablets of stone by the iron finger of your God so that you could not forget. The Red Man could never comprehend or remember it. Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors -- the dreams of our old men, given them in solemn hours of the night by the Great Spirit; and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the hearts of our people.
Your dead cease to love you and the land of their nativity as soon as they pass the portals of the tomb and wander away beyond the stars. They are soon forgotten and never return. Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and verdant lined lakes and bays, and ever yearn in tender fond affection over the lonely hearted living, and often return from the happy hunting ground to visit, guide, console, and comfort them.
Day and night cannot dwell together. The Red Man has ever fled the approach of the White Man, as the morning mist flees before the morning sun. However, your proposition seems fair and I think that my people will accept it and will retire to the reservation you offer them. Then we will dwell apart in peace, for the words of the Great White Chief seem to be the words of nature speaking to my people out of dense darkness.
It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many. The Indian's night promises to be dark. Not a single star of hope hovers above his horizon. Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance. Grim fate seems to be on the Red Man's trail, and wherever he will hear the approaching footsteps of his fell destroyer and prepare stolidly to meet his doom, as does the wounded doe that hears the approaching footsteps of the hunter.
A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours. But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see.
We will ponder your proposition and when we decide we will let you know. But should we accept it, I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends, and children. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch. Our departed braves, fond mothers, glad, happy hearted maidens, and even the little children who lived here and rejoiced here for a brief season, will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning spirits. And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall have become a myth among the White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe, and when your children's children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land. The White Man will never be alone.
Let him be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not powerless. Dead, did I say? There is no death, only a change of worlds.
Version 1 (below) appeared in the Seattle Sunday Star on Oct. 29, 1887, in a column by Dr. Henry A. Smith.
"CHIEF SEATTLE'S 1854 ORATION" - ver . 1AUTHENTIC TEXT OF CHIEF SEATTLE'S TREATY ORATION 1854
Yonder sky that has wept tears of compassion upon my people for centuries untold, and which to us appears changeless and eternal, may change. Today is fair. Tomorrow it may be overcast with clouds. My words are like the stars that never change. Whatever Seattle says, the great chief at Washington can rely upon with as much certainty as he can upon the return of the sun or the seasons. The white chief says that Big Chief at Washington sends us greetings of friendship and goodwill. This is kind of him for we know he has little need of our friendship in return. His people are many. They are like the grass that covers vast prairies. My people are few. They resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain. The great, and I presume -- good, White Chief sends us word that he wishes to buy our land but is willing to allow us enough to live comfortably. This indeed appears just, even generous, for the Red Man no longer has rights that he need respect, and the offer may be wise, also, as we are no longer in need of an extensive country.
There was a time when our people covered the land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-paved floor, but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes that are now but a mournful memory. I will not dwell on, nor mourn over, our untimely decay, nor reproach my paleface brothers with hastening it, as we too may have been somewhat to blame.
Youth is impulsive. When our young men grow angry at some real or imaginary wrong, and disfigure their faces with black paint, it denotes that their hearts are black, and that they are often cruel and relentless, and our old men and old women are unable to restrain them. Thus it has ever been. Thus it was when the white man began to push our forefathers ever westward. But let us hope that the hostilities between us may never return. We would have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Revenge by young men is considered gain, even at the cost of their own lives, but old men who stay at home in times of war, and mothers who have sons to lose, know better.
Our good father in Washington--for I presume he is now our father as well as yours, since King George has moved his boundaries further north--our great and good father, I say, sends us word that if we do as he desires he will protect us. His brave warriors will be to us a bristling wall of strength, and his wonderful ships of war will fill our harbors, so that our ancient enemies far to the northward -- the Haidas and Tsimshians -- will cease to frighten our women, children, and old men. Then in reality he will be our father and we his children. But can that ever be? Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine! He folds his strong protecting arms lovingly about the paleface and leads him by the hand as a father leads an infant son. But, He has forsaken His Red children, if they really are His. Our God, the Great Spirit, seems also to have forsaken us. Your God makes your people wax stronger every day. Soon they will fill all the land. Our people are ebbing away like a rapidly receding tide that will never return. The white man's God cannot love our people or He would protect them. They seem to be orphans who can look nowhere for help. How then can we be brothers? How can your God become our God and renew our prosperity and awaken in us dreams of returning greatness? If we have a common Heavenly Father He must be partial, for He came to His paleface children. We never saw Him. He gave you laws but had no word for His red children whose teeming multitudes once filled this vast continent as stars fill the firmament. No; we are two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies. There is little in common between us.
To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground. You wander far from the graves of your ancestors and seemingly without regret. Your religion was written upon tablets of stone by the iron finger of your God so that you could not forget. The Red Man could never comprehend or remember it. Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors -- the dreams of our old men, given them in solemn hours of the night by the Great Spirit; and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the hearts of our people.
Your dead cease to love you and the land of their nativity as soon as they pass the portals of the tomb and wander away beyond the stars. They are soon forgotten and never return. Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and verdant lined lakes and bays, and ever yearn in tender fond affection over the lonely hearted living, and often return from the happy hunting ground to visit, guide, console, and comfort them.
Day and night cannot dwell together. The Red Man has ever fled the approach of the White Man, as the morning mist flees before the morning sun. However, your proposition seems fair and I think that my people will accept it and will retire to the reservation you offer them. Then we will dwell apart in peace, for the words of the Great White Chief seem to be the words of nature speaking to my people out of dense darkness.
It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many. The Indian's night promises to be dark. Not a single star of hope hovers above his horizon. Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance. Grim fate seems to be on the Red Man's trail, and wherever he will hear the approaching footsteps of his fell destroyer and prepare stolidly to meet his doom, as does the wounded doe that hears the approaching footsteps of the hunter.
A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours. But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see.
We will ponder your proposition and when we decide we will let you know. But should we accept it, I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends, and children. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch. Our departed braves, fond mothers, glad, happy hearted maidens, and even the little children who lived here and rejoiced here for a brief season, will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning spirits. And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall have become a myth among the White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe, and when your children's children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land. The White Man will never be alone.
Let him be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not powerless. Dead, did I say? There is no death, only a change of worlds.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
06.11.08 - Thoughts for today
"An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law." Martin Luther the King
"There is no such thing as a "self-made" man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success."
Adam George Matthew
SS
"There is no such thing as a "self-made" man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success."
Adam George Matthew
SS
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A new Era has dawned ...
As we dawn upon a new era of equity, of the true ideology of equality I wonder deeply will change now make a difference? As the first Black President of the United States of America holds his head up high to be voted in will it serve purpose to our slowly deteriorating globe. My personal opinions of Obama's win is one of immense joy, tears of joy swell in my eyes, are we as a people finally acknowledging notions of Equity, are we finally seeing beyong race, ethnicity, skin colour, beyond the parameters and limitations of physical features and doing what is intrinsically right for our survival, our being? I think so, to an extent, people are shifting their mindsets, we are changing, we are acknowledging truth beyond physical limitations such as race, ethnicity, gender, etc. We are on the path to understanding that discrimination is not the path to reconciliation, it is not the path to true justice, it is not the path to love, to acceptance and to progress on any level. Unfortunately in our world today Black people are considered a minority Ethnic group, this is supported by general attitudes, scholars and society in general, regardless of what scholars or people in power think or hold belief to, it is the false ideologies of White man that misplaces us within society. This is evident in our cultural practices, our legislations, our political actions, our laws and our attitudes in genral that are maintained towards minority groups of any sort. This is wrong, demeaning and devolutionary to our progress as a people. As Obama enters the centre stage, on this arena, he appears graceful, eliquant, humble, brilliantly minded, sharp, hopefull, enthusiastic, real, truthful and quite different from other leaders up to now.
I only hope all this is true and that as an individual his truths are followed by many to make the difference we require as a people, as a global society. although I am in Australia, and this president is in America, what happens anywhere, even in the remotest parts of the world, will somehow affect us, the world is small, we are all united and I strongly hope that Obama continues to unite peoples from all diverse cultures, I only hope this era provides us with inner and outer progress.
The journey will be long, arduous, entriguing, difficult, painfull and above all we will be faced with truths that we do not want to know, such as our racist, discriminative pasts and present. We must ace theses fears, these aspects of our being, we must acknowledge our racist personalities and understand that only through acknowledgment and the will to change will change on a global level actually occur. I hope many realize the beauty of what has happend, the fact that the 44th American president is a Black man is of the upmost beauty, it indicates taht many of us are ready for change, for acknowledgment, but we do have many a path to tread before we reach any form of equilibrium. My responsibility at this stage is to acknowledge and recognize the person I am and make the appropriate changes, I will do my best, we are relational beings therefore rely on eachother for guidence, I will extend my hand to those who need it and hope that hands will be extended back to me when I need it, positive progress can only be made via means of collective involvement...
Namaste
SS
I only hope all this is true and that as an individual his truths are followed by many to make the difference we require as a people, as a global society. although I am in Australia, and this president is in America, what happens anywhere, even in the remotest parts of the world, will somehow affect us, the world is small, we are all united and I strongly hope that Obama continues to unite peoples from all diverse cultures, I only hope this era provides us with inner and outer progress.
The journey will be long, arduous, entriguing, difficult, painfull and above all we will be faced with truths that we do not want to know, such as our racist, discriminative pasts and present. We must ace theses fears, these aspects of our being, we must acknowledge our racist personalities and understand that only through acknowledgment and the will to change will change on a global level actually occur. I hope many realize the beauty of what has happend, the fact that the 44th American president is a Black man is of the upmost beauty, it indicates taht many of us are ready for change, for acknowledgment, but we do have many a path to tread before we reach any form of equilibrium. My responsibility at this stage is to acknowledge and recognize the person I am and make the appropriate changes, I will do my best, we are relational beings therefore rely on eachother for guidence, I will extend my hand to those who need it and hope that hands will be extended back to me when I need it, positive progress can only be made via means of collective involvement...
Namaste
SS
Thursday, October 30, 2008
31.10.08 - Thoughts...
Why is it that we age? Does how we approach our life during our living years have a deeply profound effect on how we conduct our selves through our older years. Yes, our body eventually physically breaks down, the efficiency of our cellular prodeuction becomes deminished, this process is faster for some than it is for others, nevertheless we are carbon based life forms, therefore our bodies have a physical expiry date of some form. What I would like to concentrate on is what we do we with ourselves when we are in our latter years. Is how we act when we are younger directly influence how we act when we are older? Let me provide an example; If a man or woman leads a very selfish life does that portray through to their later years? The same applies to any character trait or succession of one's life. I am attempting to not generalize to extremely, I realize that individuals are highly influenced by many factors, such as age, sex, culture, religion, sexual orientation, history (both collective and individual), experiences adn so fourth. What I am attempting to convay is that by an individual living a certain way throughout their life in how their psyche functions, does this way of living directly affect their life in latter years?
Another example, lets dive in tio the concept a person being quite lazy in their approach to life, whilst growing, throughout the adult years and in to their older years. We are all aware of the fact that one of the factors contributing to rapid aging is the fact that we slow down, both mentally and physically, we do less and age quicker. If on is lazy throughout their life, and continues to be lazy through their older years, do they die a pre mature death, do they purposly end their life early, by not being as physical as what they could be, by not maintaining a sharp mind, via practice of any sort. I am not interested in genetically gifted persons, this is not the point I am attemoting to convey.
We must attempt to contemplate on this question? Do we age because we cease to try, we cease to dive in to challenges, in to testing ourselves, in to pushing our being? Or do we age because society says that we must, that once we reach a certain age we believe it is time to stop? I believe these false beliefs are what slow us down, is what kills us pre maturely.
It comes down to one important defining factor, knowing thyself, on as many levels as possible, the only one to do this is to constantly push ourselves, that is how we learn our limits, test our being, make ourselves uncomfortable then find a way back to comfort. Who are we really? why are we? and what governs our existance? Is it our environment that surrounds us and what it contains responsible for what and how we think? Yes ofcourse, BUT, we are responsible for what we do with that information, and how it is processed internally. Again I am well aware that this is circular, the way we process is also influenced by that which surrounds us, as we influence it, BUT again, we should not allow collective ideas govern our existance without carefull thought, reflection and consideration in to the details of all this...
Namaste
SS
Another example, lets dive in tio the concept a person being quite lazy in their approach to life, whilst growing, throughout the adult years and in to their older years. We are all aware of the fact that one of the factors contributing to rapid aging is the fact that we slow down, both mentally and physically, we do less and age quicker. If on is lazy throughout their life, and continues to be lazy through their older years, do they die a pre mature death, do they purposly end their life early, by not being as physical as what they could be, by not maintaining a sharp mind, via practice of any sort. I am not interested in genetically gifted persons, this is not the point I am attemoting to convey.
We must attempt to contemplate on this question? Do we age because we cease to try, we cease to dive in to challenges, in to testing ourselves, in to pushing our being? Or do we age because society says that we must, that once we reach a certain age we believe it is time to stop? I believe these false beliefs are what slow us down, is what kills us pre maturely.
It comes down to one important defining factor, knowing thyself, on as many levels as possible, the only one to do this is to constantly push ourselves, that is how we learn our limits, test our being, make ourselves uncomfortable then find a way back to comfort. Who are we really? why are we? and what governs our existance? Is it our environment that surrounds us and what it contains responsible for what and how we think? Yes ofcourse, BUT, we are responsible for what we do with that information, and how it is processed internally. Again I am well aware that this is circular, the way we process is also influenced by that which surrounds us, as we influence it, BUT again, we should not allow collective ideas govern our existance without carefull thought, reflection and consideration in to the details of all this...
Namaste
SS
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
29.10.08 - Thought of the Day...
How does one psychologically and emotionally disasociate themselves from love, from friendship, from knowing something all of their lives, from understanding and being surrounded by that energy for the most part of their lives, then in one instance in time that energy at a certain level ceases to exist, it simply disapears... Death, how does the human person understand death? How does the human person prepare for death? To prepare for something efficiently, adequately and with inner content and satisfaction we must know in full or at the very least as close to possible what we are pareparing for? how do we prepare for death, our own, another's, how? Death is something that belongs in it's own category, in it's own space, is death something that can be prepared for? can we conditionion ourselves sincerely to death, or is it something that appears to be conditioned for but in reality is a process that is simply surpressed.
The pain at so many levels that accompany death is immense, intense and at the least confusing. Does one understand death via pathways of acceptance? Do we simply accept death as part of life (which it obviously is) a stage of life which is necessary for all, physically but also for our psychological growth, when truly a loved one physically dies we are forced to deal with inner conflict, grief, sadness, anger, an array of intense usually negative emotions that can define either negatively or positively the human person, this is growth, if we as individuals allow growth to take place through critical self reflection, deeper states of consciousness and an attempt to know oneself at a very different level.
What is death though, what significance does it hold with societies? As a method of dealing with death has the human person constructed a mythical or spiritual place where we all go, another destination, a new life begins, one road ends, another starts. Is this all created to simply satisfy the not knowing in all of us? Is death the cause of spirituality, that of abstract thoughts, the divine and more, or is death simply a process, which enables us to know all these truths which exist beyond our primary physical senses?
I leave on that note, I leave by stating that many answers and truths lay in the concept of death and its pyschological and physical act...
namaste...
SS
The pain at so many levels that accompany death is immense, intense and at the least confusing. Does one understand death via pathways of acceptance? Do we simply accept death as part of life (which it obviously is) a stage of life which is necessary for all, physically but also for our psychological growth, when truly a loved one physically dies we are forced to deal with inner conflict, grief, sadness, anger, an array of intense usually negative emotions that can define either negatively or positively the human person, this is growth, if we as individuals allow growth to take place through critical self reflection, deeper states of consciousness and an attempt to know oneself at a very different level.
What is death though, what significance does it hold with societies? As a method of dealing with death has the human person constructed a mythical or spiritual place where we all go, another destination, a new life begins, one road ends, another starts. Is this all created to simply satisfy the not knowing in all of us? Is death the cause of spirituality, that of abstract thoughts, the divine and more, or is death simply a process, which enables us to know all these truths which exist beyond our primary physical senses?
I leave on that note, I leave by stating that many answers and truths lay in the concept of death and its pyschological and physical act...
namaste...
SS
Friday, October 24, 2008
25.10.08 - A message from a friend...
Let us not dwell excessively in the world of theory and subjectivity. To absorb the teachings of those who have gone before us is only useful in understanding where we are in our spiritual journey.
That is not to disregard the intelligence of humanity – those who have committed their lives to expanding their physical minds, to bring others a greater understanding of our physical journey.
If these comments seem simplistic in relation to how much we think we “know” – consider this – life as most people live it, is made up of doing what we have to do, dreaming about what we’d like to do and wondering what it is we should be doing.
Through the ages we quest for a greater understanding of ourselves, of the world as we see it around us.
All of this becomes irrelevant once we are able to un-focus from our upside down reality and understand, all is as it should be.
This does not disregard the poverty, the world at war, the greed, the corruption – but where do you choose to focus? It is not time right now for equilibrium, we are a work in progress.
The answer is simple in life once you “know”. Now listen with the ears of the soul, look with your heart, not with your eyes; “Knowing” is the gift of oneness with the universe, shining through the veil of our humanity, an attainment we all reach at different times.
Consider if you could follow the journey and separate one drop of water in the vastness of our oceans – it is this we try to analyse.
When we feel connectedness to all that is in nature, feel love, euphoria,empathy and compassion for our brothers and sisters, when injustice cuts us to the core in our earthly body – this is our connection to all that is, to unconditional love, to the cosmos.
The cosmos is us, we are all each other, all connected. Such is the illusion of separation , of perceived reality in our journey home.
To those of you who know and love me, who know the mistakes I have made and roads I have walked, to falter yet seek my spiritual path with such unwavering faith and optimistic joy – to understand so much at one level and still succumb to painful lessons – aahh – such is the paradox of spirituality within the shell of humanity.
Would not change one step of my journey. Walk with faith and joy my brothers and sisters.
Arohanui (all my love)
Marangi Ahorangi Tautoru
That is not to disregard the intelligence of humanity – those who have committed their lives to expanding their physical minds, to bring others a greater understanding of our physical journey.
If these comments seem simplistic in relation to how much we think we “know” – consider this – life as most people live it, is made up of doing what we have to do, dreaming about what we’d like to do and wondering what it is we should be doing.
Through the ages we quest for a greater understanding of ourselves, of the world as we see it around us.
All of this becomes irrelevant once we are able to un-focus from our upside down reality and understand, all is as it should be.
This does not disregard the poverty, the world at war, the greed, the corruption – but where do you choose to focus? It is not time right now for equilibrium, we are a work in progress.
The answer is simple in life once you “know”. Now listen with the ears of the soul, look with your heart, not with your eyes; “Knowing” is the gift of oneness with the universe, shining through the veil of our humanity, an attainment we all reach at different times.
Consider if you could follow the journey and separate one drop of water in the vastness of our oceans – it is this we try to analyse.
When we feel connectedness to all that is in nature, feel love, euphoria,empathy and compassion for our brothers and sisters, when injustice cuts us to the core in our earthly body – this is our connection to all that is, to unconditional love, to the cosmos.
The cosmos is us, we are all each other, all connected. Such is the illusion of separation , of perceived reality in our journey home.
To those of you who know and love me, who know the mistakes I have made and roads I have walked, to falter yet seek my spiritual path with such unwavering faith and optimistic joy – to understand so much at one level and still succumb to painful lessons – aahh – such is the paradox of spirituality within the shell of humanity.
Would not change one step of my journey. Walk with faith and joy my brothers and sisters.
Arohanui (all my love)
Marangi Ahorangi Tautoru
Saturday, October 11, 2008
11.10.08 - Thought of the day...
What exactly is evolution from a cultural perspective? How do we measure evolution? Is it based on interpretation or does evolution have some methodological, scientific value and definition? I think that evolution is a very deep topic at every level, and there are so many elements that effect true evolution. I do not want a dictionary definition of evolution, or a scientific one, I would prefer to think openly about it and adjust my position as the topic of evolution changes forum. For example social evolution differs greatly from technological evolution. I see evolution as adaption and growth. Again the problem here is how do we define growth? What measuring apparatus do we refer to; numerical or abstract notions such as wisdom? Intelligence (another complex issue, various cultures measure intelligence in different ways, what western culture consider important for intelligence to be present, a tribe in east Africa wouldn’t) it becomes problematic when so many factors come in to play, there is such difference in this world, socially, culturally, emotionally, the way we function, eat, sleep, practices, the way we conduct ourselves relationally, various religions and spiritual beliefs, the list goes on...
The major point that must be taken away is that diversity breeds adaptive qualities for that specific environment. Specificity plays a large part within the context of evolution. Comments were thrown; “why haven’t the Aboriginal people ‘evolved’ or developed, like the English”. This is ignorant, but by no means am I attacking the person who stated this comment, it is by no fault of theirs that they repeated this comment, they, as we all are, are products of our environments, history, families, media, dominant views within society, the list goes on. Many a time as I still do put my foot in my mouth, it is good to do so, ONLY if we learn, in the sense that we reflect upon what we believe, think, say and feel, that is our responsibility, once we have that knowledge or awareness, it is then our duty, our moral obligation to ourselves foremost then those around us, to change, adapt and ‘evolve’ our position. Interesting, back to the comment, based on this, which I acknowledge is my own personal belief based on many before me, from that line of thought, I believe that is the colonizers which could not adapt to their environment successfully or have the capacity to understand diverse cultures and integrate ‘civilly’. Civilization is part of evolution and quite frankly any colonization throughout history really hasn’t been done civilly, where is the evolution here? It seems that Indigenous tribes and Native tribes seem to be far more evolved socially, morally and spiritually than Western civilization. These attributions are an integral part to human existence; technological evolution seems minute compared to the above. Not to misplace the importance of technology, as it is important, and if we trace back through history we can see how evolution on various levels has affected the human race both positively and negatively. This is standard, this is how the human person evolves, through trial, application, then learning and adapting the new more improved skill, but if there is no need for change, why reinvent the wheel? Does this indicate that because there is no tender, no infrastructure and no alphabet, that the Indigenous people are primitive? I somehow doubt so, technology has provided us with much greatness, astronomy, accommodating population growth for survival purposes, cosmology, oceanography, and much, much more, but it has also caused disease, pollution, death, the list again goes on. Because of this more technology is required to fix the past technology, and so the cycle continues? Is that progress? Truly is that evolution? Its adaption, its intelligent, because we are adapting to our evolving and ever changing environment. But Indigenous tribes never required such radical advancements in technology. Indigenous tribes adapted without destruction, isn’t that intelligent, to gain and continue life without the chaos, without draining recourses from the land at a rapid rate? I am well aware that population density amongst Indigenous tribes compared to Western civilization differs dramatically, and that this could have a grand effect on how both civilizations function, but to state that Indigenous tribes are not civilized, advanced as a society or have become ‘evolved’ I feel is ill informed. Because evolution is adaption, Indigenous tribes have adapted marvellously, taking from the land in regards to recourses yet maintaining a harmony and balance where they do not deplete and pollute, or harm the land. Whereas Western civilization struggles to find balance between survival and allowing adequate space for others in the future, we then have foresight, respect, resourcefulness, understanding of habitat and environment, in depth knowledge of the land that is lived on, health, vitality, immunity to harsh external environmental conditions, strength of physical body, deep culture, mythology and history and respect for all living beings. This and more is what Indigenous tribes have, to me this seems extremely civilized.
SS
The major point that must be taken away is that diversity breeds adaptive qualities for that specific environment. Specificity plays a large part within the context of evolution. Comments were thrown; “why haven’t the Aboriginal people ‘evolved’ or developed, like the English”. This is ignorant, but by no means am I attacking the person who stated this comment, it is by no fault of theirs that they repeated this comment, they, as we all are, are products of our environments, history, families, media, dominant views within society, the list goes on. Many a time as I still do put my foot in my mouth, it is good to do so, ONLY if we learn, in the sense that we reflect upon what we believe, think, say and feel, that is our responsibility, once we have that knowledge or awareness, it is then our duty, our moral obligation to ourselves foremost then those around us, to change, adapt and ‘evolve’ our position. Interesting, back to the comment, based on this, which I acknowledge is my own personal belief based on many before me, from that line of thought, I believe that is the colonizers which could not adapt to their environment successfully or have the capacity to understand diverse cultures and integrate ‘civilly’. Civilization is part of evolution and quite frankly any colonization throughout history really hasn’t been done civilly, where is the evolution here? It seems that Indigenous tribes and Native tribes seem to be far more evolved socially, morally and spiritually than Western civilization. These attributions are an integral part to human existence; technological evolution seems minute compared to the above. Not to misplace the importance of technology, as it is important, and if we trace back through history we can see how evolution on various levels has affected the human race both positively and negatively. This is standard, this is how the human person evolves, through trial, application, then learning and adapting the new more improved skill, but if there is no need for change, why reinvent the wheel? Does this indicate that because there is no tender, no infrastructure and no alphabet, that the Indigenous people are primitive? I somehow doubt so, technology has provided us with much greatness, astronomy, accommodating population growth for survival purposes, cosmology, oceanography, and much, much more, but it has also caused disease, pollution, death, the list again goes on. Because of this more technology is required to fix the past technology, and so the cycle continues? Is that progress? Truly is that evolution? Its adaption, its intelligent, because we are adapting to our evolving and ever changing environment. But Indigenous tribes never required such radical advancements in technology. Indigenous tribes adapted without destruction, isn’t that intelligent, to gain and continue life without the chaos, without draining recourses from the land at a rapid rate? I am well aware that population density amongst Indigenous tribes compared to Western civilization differs dramatically, and that this could have a grand effect on how both civilizations function, but to state that Indigenous tribes are not civilized, advanced as a society or have become ‘evolved’ I feel is ill informed. Because evolution is adaption, Indigenous tribes have adapted marvellously, taking from the land in regards to recourses yet maintaining a harmony and balance where they do not deplete and pollute, or harm the land. Whereas Western civilization struggles to find balance between survival and allowing adequate space for others in the future, we then have foresight, respect, resourcefulness, understanding of habitat and environment, in depth knowledge of the land that is lived on, health, vitality, immunity to harsh external environmental conditions, strength of physical body, deep culture, mythology and history and respect for all living beings. This and more is what Indigenous tribes have, to me this seems extremely civilized.
SS
Thursday, September 25, 2008
26.09.08 - Thoughts of the day...
"The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely". Carl Jung.
"We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot of people. A lot of people turn to something that they hope will liberate them without their having to face themselves. That is impossible. We can't do that. We have to be honest with ourselves. We have to see our gut, our excrement, our most undesirable parts. We have to see them. That is the foundation of warriorship, basically speaking. Whatever is there, we have to face it, we have to look at it, study it, work with it and practice meditation with it". Chogyam Trungpa.
"The man who, being really on the Way, falls upon hard times in the world will not, as a consequence, turn to that friend who offers him refuge and comfort and encourages his old self to survive. Rather, he will seek out someone who will faithfully and inexorably help him to risk himself, so that he may endure the suffering and pass courageously through it, thus making of it a "raft that leads to the far shore." Only to the extent that man exposes himself over and over again to annihilation, can that which is indestructible arise within him. In this lies the dignity of daring. Thus, the aim of practice is not to develop an attitude which allows a man to acquire a state of harmony and peace wherein nothing can ever trouble him. On the contrary, practice should teach him to let himself be assaulted, perturbed, moved, insulted, broken and battered – that is to say, it should enable him to dare to let go his futile hankering after harmony, surcease from pain, and a comfortable life in order that he may discover, in doing battle with the forces that oppose him, that which awaits him beyond the world of opposites. The first necessity is that we should have the courage to face life, and to encounter all that is most perilous in the world. When this is possible, meditation itself becomes the means by which we accept and welcome the demons which arise from the unconscious -- a process very different from the practice of concentration on some object as a protection against such forces. Only if we venture repeatedly through zones of annihilation, can our contact with Divine Being, which is beyond annihilation, become firm and stable. The more a man learns whole-heartedly to confront the world that threatens him with isolation, the more are the depths of the Ground of Being revealed and the possibilities of new life and Becoming opened". Karlfried Graf von Durckheim, The Way of Transformation.
"The first necessity for obtaining Self-knowledge is to become profoundly conscious of ignorance; to feel with every fibre of the heart that one is ceaselessly self-deceived. The second requisite is the still deeper conviction that such knowledge - such intuitive and certain knowledge - can be obtained by effort. The third and most important is an indomitable determination to obtain and face that knowledge. Self-knowledge of this kind is unattainable by what men usually call 'self-analysis.' It is not reached by reasoning or any brain process; for it is the awakening to consciousness of the Divine nature of man. To obtain this knowledge is a greater achievement than to command the elements or to know the future". H.P. Blavatsky, Lucifer Vol. 1, No. 2; Oct. 15, 1887.
"We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot of people. A lot of people turn to something that they hope will liberate them without their having to face themselves. That is impossible. We can't do that. We have to be honest with ourselves. We have to see our gut, our excrement, our most undesirable parts. We have to see them. That is the foundation of warriorship, basically speaking. Whatever is there, we have to face it, we have to look at it, study it, work with it and practice meditation with it". Chogyam Trungpa.
"The man who, being really on the Way, falls upon hard times in the world will not, as a consequence, turn to that friend who offers him refuge and comfort and encourages his old self to survive. Rather, he will seek out someone who will faithfully and inexorably help him to risk himself, so that he may endure the suffering and pass courageously through it, thus making of it a "raft that leads to the far shore." Only to the extent that man exposes himself over and over again to annihilation, can that which is indestructible arise within him. In this lies the dignity of daring. Thus, the aim of practice is not to develop an attitude which allows a man to acquire a state of harmony and peace wherein nothing can ever trouble him. On the contrary, practice should teach him to let himself be assaulted, perturbed, moved, insulted, broken and battered – that is to say, it should enable him to dare to let go his futile hankering after harmony, surcease from pain, and a comfortable life in order that he may discover, in doing battle with the forces that oppose him, that which awaits him beyond the world of opposites. The first necessity is that we should have the courage to face life, and to encounter all that is most perilous in the world. When this is possible, meditation itself becomes the means by which we accept and welcome the demons which arise from the unconscious -- a process very different from the practice of concentration on some object as a protection against such forces. Only if we venture repeatedly through zones of annihilation, can our contact with Divine Being, which is beyond annihilation, become firm and stable. The more a man learns whole-heartedly to confront the world that threatens him with isolation, the more are the depths of the Ground of Being revealed and the possibilities of new life and Becoming opened". Karlfried Graf von Durckheim, The Way of Transformation.
"The first necessity for obtaining Self-knowledge is to become profoundly conscious of ignorance; to feel with every fibre of the heart that one is ceaselessly self-deceived. The second requisite is the still deeper conviction that such knowledge - such intuitive and certain knowledge - can be obtained by effort. The third and most important is an indomitable determination to obtain and face that knowledge. Self-knowledge of this kind is unattainable by what men usually call 'self-analysis.' It is not reached by reasoning or any brain process; for it is the awakening to consciousness of the Divine nature of man. To obtain this knowledge is a greater achievement than to command the elements or to know the future". H.P. Blavatsky, Lucifer Vol. 1, No. 2; Oct. 15, 1887.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
21.09.08 - The concept of Awareness? What is it?
A very short thought on what awareness is in its truest form? The question is posed, what constitutes awareness? what is it that makes one aware? Is it a knowing and having confidence of one's physical, emotional, spiritual and / or psychological surroundings? Is it one of these fatcors or all of them? Assuming these various levels of awareness exist, which maintains precedent? Which is more important, or holds more value to an individuals life. I would assume that would depend on an individuals own personal journey in life. What is awareness though on any level? It is having a comfort in knowledge of one's surroundings, on any level. It is being confident in understnading one's own path and being very finely attuned to the circumstances that surround all the clutter and all that is happening in one's life. It is recognising what exactly constitutes all that one experiences and then knowing what to do and how to handle that knowledge.
At it's basic level and in it's most simplistic form this could be awareness. Awareness though runs far deeper than all this and is something that must be worked for. And not to be worked for and reap the reward of something material, such as money, but to work on one's own self, to work on their knowledge and their own development as people, to realize the potentiality of much more than what is immediately in front of the individual. To comprehend expansion...
I will leave it here for the time being, allow us all to ponder and contemplate deeply, what do we truly know, and how do we know when we know?
SS
At it's basic level and in it's most simplistic form this could be awareness. Awareness though runs far deeper than all this and is something that must be worked for. And not to be worked for and reap the reward of something material, such as money, but to work on one's own self, to work on their knowledge and their own development as people, to realize the potentiality of much more than what is immediately in front of the individual. To comprehend expansion...
I will leave it here for the time being, allow us all to ponder and contemplate deeply, what do we truly know, and how do we know when we know?
SS
Sunday, September 14, 2008
15.09.08 - On Pain...
What is pain? And how important is it?
Pain is an avenue to knowing yourself, your body, mind, spirit. It is a means to understand oneself in fullness and beyond any slight knowing of self we think we have. Pain is an access to another part of our being, our existence and a through knowing of our own selves. Pain is good, it is not bad, although at the time physical, emotional or even psychological pain may be so intense, so hurtful that we can not see past this anguish, we cannot possibly understand how this pain can do us any good... The key here isn't even the pain itself, in that moment, that is only part of it. The key to connecting it all together; the apparent useless pain, the anguish, and all negativity attached to it, is post reflection. This post reflection is crucial, vital to understanding why we have experienced what we have and why we have chosen the path of pain. The post reflection allows the individual to believe and to understand why one has past through particular experiences. Post reflection allows us to ask questions; these questions are crucial to growth and self development of the individual, hence various forms of pain promote self growth, awareness, wisdom and intelligence. But alone pain itself cannot accommodate this freedom, post reflection, critical thought and immense immersing in to ones own feelings is what will allow the pain to be understood and the individual to flourish... Performance of any form will increase and results will be prominent.
One must contemplate questions such as; who are the persons involved and why? Why have I experienced this? What choices did I actively make? Why now? The timing of this is very important also. What is the type of pain, length, intensity, and why have I sought this pain in my life at this time? Because we all choose what is in our lives, and because it is a necessity.
Let us finish with an example of athleticism; an athlete chooses to partake in physical pain every time they decide to train, exercise and achieve whatever their goal may be. they actively make these choices. For what reasons? Sometimes it's just for the pain itself, sometimes other reasons, what ever they are, the only way to find out is to ask yourself the questions, before, whilst and post these painful experiences. The pain, if understood in its fullness and fought through and embraced will assist the athlete to grow, in regards to performance and also mental strength and endurance... In turn strengthening the character of the individual and promoting wisdom. Because when one ventures in to the uncomfortable willingly, and they persevere through intensely, they will come out the other end an enhanced person, but remember this process is never ending, on going and necessary, as we change, the world around us changes, in turn we change again to adapt to our new surroundings. This adaptive phase is what is known as positive change and growth, this adaptive phase is known as survival...
SS
Pain is an avenue to knowing yourself, your body, mind, spirit. It is a means to understand oneself in fullness and beyond any slight knowing of self we think we have. Pain is an access to another part of our being, our existence and a through knowing of our own selves. Pain is good, it is not bad, although at the time physical, emotional or even psychological pain may be so intense, so hurtful that we can not see past this anguish, we cannot possibly understand how this pain can do us any good... The key here isn't even the pain itself, in that moment, that is only part of it. The key to connecting it all together; the apparent useless pain, the anguish, and all negativity attached to it, is post reflection. This post reflection is crucial, vital to understanding why we have experienced what we have and why we have chosen the path of pain. The post reflection allows the individual to believe and to understand why one has past through particular experiences. Post reflection allows us to ask questions; these questions are crucial to growth and self development of the individual, hence various forms of pain promote self growth, awareness, wisdom and intelligence. But alone pain itself cannot accommodate this freedom, post reflection, critical thought and immense immersing in to ones own feelings is what will allow the pain to be understood and the individual to flourish... Performance of any form will increase and results will be prominent.
One must contemplate questions such as; who are the persons involved and why? Why have I experienced this? What choices did I actively make? Why now? The timing of this is very important also. What is the type of pain, length, intensity, and why have I sought this pain in my life at this time? Because we all choose what is in our lives, and because it is a necessity.
Let us finish with an example of athleticism; an athlete chooses to partake in physical pain every time they decide to train, exercise and achieve whatever their goal may be. they actively make these choices. For what reasons? Sometimes it's just for the pain itself, sometimes other reasons, what ever they are, the only way to find out is to ask yourself the questions, before, whilst and post these painful experiences. The pain, if understood in its fullness and fought through and embraced will assist the athlete to grow, in regards to performance and also mental strength and endurance... In turn strengthening the character of the individual and promoting wisdom. Because when one ventures in to the uncomfortable willingly, and they persevere through intensely, they will come out the other end an enhanced person, but remember this process is never ending, on going and necessary, as we change, the world around us changes, in turn we change again to adapt to our new surroundings. This adaptive phase is what is known as positive change and growth, this adaptive phase is known as survival...
SS
Friday, September 12, 2008
Reflections upon Australian & Western Culture - 12.09.08
Our culture claims to be in support of “the little person”, supporting the individual, our culture is no doubt an individualistic based culture, this is emphasized by the simple recent example of the government telling the community that we are in an economic boom and that if you cannot make it happen and be successful or reap the benefits economically and financially from this boom then you are lazy, or there is something wrong with you. This automatically and directly represents an individualistic attitude of how society should function; it does not represent a collectivist approach or attitude towards how people function. So in analyzing this, looking deeply at the structure of our society, at how our society operates, to one’s understanding, it is known that we support the “little man” and support individualism, success and perseverance of that individual to be able to achieve whatever they please, the sky is not the limit, there is no limit.
Now I understand we are not as extreme as other nations, perhaps the most extreme nation of this mentality and culture is the USA, where individualism and self driven success is even promoted highly within their legislations, laws and governing regulations, you need not look further than the structure of the health plans, the structure of their welfare plans, it supports individualism, and that each person is responsible highly for themselves, if you require an ambulance it will cost you, out of pocket $3000 USD, if you lose your job, the government may support you and compensate you economically for approximately 6 weeks, then you are on your own. This culture promotes competition, promotes an individual to rely on themselves, to fend for themselves, to be innovative, to desire, to chase, to be persistant, especially economically. Desires? Mmm, that subject is for another paper. Back to where we were; now this is not necessarily a negative concept, but anything in its extreme form is detrimental to anyone and any institution. Their health plans are tailored to force individuals to work and work hard, at all costs, again there seems to lack compassion here, there seems to lack support from government institutions that are instilled to help individuals and groups of individuals. There seems to lack balance.
Back to the original point of our government advocating always helping “the little person”, I don’t see this. What I see and what I feel is the discrimination at highly subtle levels towards minority groups. Within our culture aren’t minority groups the little people? In a culture dominated highly by white persons, are minority groups not considered “the little person”, minority groups in our culture include anyone who is not socially or culturally accepted by the dominant group, this discrimination is not always made obvious or even made public or is expressed loudly with voice. It is observed and felt at its subtle levels, it is not even understood through laws and legislation, it is a feeling that is felt strongly amongst all people that are open to it, and most of all amongst the people being discriminated against. When a building is built and disabled access is denied, that is discrimination against a minority group, when advertising is created and geared up, that appeals to the dominant group within society, is this not discrimination? Especially when the product is one that would appeal to all human persons. Why is that openly and through established laws the majority of persons detest racism and discrimination, but covertly we are still racist, by our thoughts, our unconscious actions, just because we do not intend racism, that does not mean we are not being hurtful and racist.
Is it because of our racist past? Throughout history dominant groups have constantly oppressed the minority groups, in our country, we have programs such as ABSTUDY, this in itself is racist, it says that aboriginals are not capable of helping themselves so we not only will provide them with all they need, but we will also segregate them and put them under their own category? What is the purpose can they not simply be included with other teenagers? This would not be harmful, not at all! The situation in the rural areas of Australia, where many aboriginals are suffering, they were first left there to suffer and ignored as part of Australia, the government and its people swept the situation under the carpet, until it got to intense, and then they intervened and acted as if they were angels sent down from heaven to cure the hell infested world that people have created for each other. If the government had done its job accordingly and efficiently by acting in time, and foreseeing events, as properly allocated governments do, and in this situation simply treat all people as equals and not segregate them based on their color of skin, or ethnicity, there wouldn’t have been any problem. Aboriginals disagreeing with each other are not only an Aboriginal issue, it is a people issue, people do not disagree with each other. This is the problem, how we perceive issues and circumstance, plays a large role in how we then interpret and act upon that interpretation, whether it’s with a racist slur or whether it’s with openness and equality, and we judge people not on their color of skin and typify them but by simply their actions as persons. But again this is problematic in itself, as our past experiences dictate how we deal with people now, today, and unfortunately we must acknowledge our racist past and influences on our unconscious state of being before we face the world for perhaps how it really is, and that is free of color, free of ethnicity and the only diversity in culture that is observed is one of simply accepting that people are different, different is not bad. This now leads us to attempt to understand to why people are scared to break their old habits?
A possible explanation could be our fear breaking away from old values and what we think to be right in life, but also breaking away from the group mentality and being different from the majority. The conformity individuals hold when it comes to groups, the fear of being ostracized, judged vs. the intrinsically right thing to do. People today still do not accept inter racial mixing of most kinds, we claim to be multi cultural, but are we? Are we really? I feel not. Because I see it on the street every day, different groups stay with whom and what they know, yes different races mix, but are they all comfortable? What happens in extreme cases, where individuals are pushed to their maximum, what happens to individuals then? A though experiment; people stick to what and who they know, they stay with familiarity, and this familiarity is forced upon us as individuals from a young age, there is difficulty at times with cross culture relationships and integration, because of history, our history is very powerful and holds much expectation, it carries the expectations of all those before us and the interwoven embededness within individuals to protect themselves, “their kind”. Survival is crucial, and to identify with family and those “alike” and never go against that. How do you go against all that you have been bought up with? This issue was seen strongly on the movie freedom writers, where people were dissected internally in to sects, groups, they were not treated as people, they were treated as hierarchy, and each group had themselves at the top of the “food chain”, the divisions in themselves were very painful, the degree of discrimination was easy to point out, if you were of diverse ethnicity you were with “your kind” and no one else’s. How can the human race progress morally and with intelligence and logic if segregations and divisions are created by all persons, all the time? It can’t happen, not in that manner. Why is the need to be connected to something to familiarity so powerful to the psyche? That emotional attachment is so powerful, emotions play a large part. But what if we all had a mental shift and attached ourselves to persons, and the familiarity was not of color or culture, but by simply being alive, and living, now, as individuals our scope of justice has increased, now more is allowed in, therefore the emotional aspect of attachment has just been opened to more. This is a positive step, not easy, as it is difficult to break all that past experiences have created but it is a starting point to work from. There is much work to be done, from many areas, from parents, to the role education must play, to the assumptions we make which must be eliminated. Our culture allows much room for selfishness which is shown by the culture itself in which we live in, self sacrifice must be respected more and deep cultural stigmas removed from our understanding. I do not have concrete solutions, as my own experiences are limited in themselves, but I do have options that could be put in to practice. This is a start; we can only make beginnings in order for change to occur…
Now I understand we are not as extreme as other nations, perhaps the most extreme nation of this mentality and culture is the USA, where individualism and self driven success is even promoted highly within their legislations, laws and governing regulations, you need not look further than the structure of the health plans, the structure of their welfare plans, it supports individualism, and that each person is responsible highly for themselves, if you require an ambulance it will cost you, out of pocket $3000 USD, if you lose your job, the government may support you and compensate you economically for approximately 6 weeks, then you are on your own. This culture promotes competition, promotes an individual to rely on themselves, to fend for themselves, to be innovative, to desire, to chase, to be persistant, especially economically. Desires? Mmm, that subject is for another paper. Back to where we were; now this is not necessarily a negative concept, but anything in its extreme form is detrimental to anyone and any institution. Their health plans are tailored to force individuals to work and work hard, at all costs, again there seems to lack compassion here, there seems to lack support from government institutions that are instilled to help individuals and groups of individuals. There seems to lack balance.
Back to the original point of our government advocating always helping “the little person”, I don’t see this. What I see and what I feel is the discrimination at highly subtle levels towards minority groups. Within our culture aren’t minority groups the little people? In a culture dominated highly by white persons, are minority groups not considered “the little person”, minority groups in our culture include anyone who is not socially or culturally accepted by the dominant group, this discrimination is not always made obvious or even made public or is expressed loudly with voice. It is observed and felt at its subtle levels, it is not even understood through laws and legislation, it is a feeling that is felt strongly amongst all people that are open to it, and most of all amongst the people being discriminated against. When a building is built and disabled access is denied, that is discrimination against a minority group, when advertising is created and geared up, that appeals to the dominant group within society, is this not discrimination? Especially when the product is one that would appeal to all human persons. Why is that openly and through established laws the majority of persons detest racism and discrimination, but covertly we are still racist, by our thoughts, our unconscious actions, just because we do not intend racism, that does not mean we are not being hurtful and racist.
Is it because of our racist past? Throughout history dominant groups have constantly oppressed the minority groups, in our country, we have programs such as ABSTUDY, this in itself is racist, it says that aboriginals are not capable of helping themselves so we not only will provide them with all they need, but we will also segregate them and put them under their own category? What is the purpose can they not simply be included with other teenagers? This would not be harmful, not at all! The situation in the rural areas of Australia, where many aboriginals are suffering, they were first left there to suffer and ignored as part of Australia, the government and its people swept the situation under the carpet, until it got to intense, and then they intervened and acted as if they were angels sent down from heaven to cure the hell infested world that people have created for each other. If the government had done its job accordingly and efficiently by acting in time, and foreseeing events, as properly allocated governments do, and in this situation simply treat all people as equals and not segregate them based on their color of skin, or ethnicity, there wouldn’t have been any problem. Aboriginals disagreeing with each other are not only an Aboriginal issue, it is a people issue, people do not disagree with each other. This is the problem, how we perceive issues and circumstance, plays a large role in how we then interpret and act upon that interpretation, whether it’s with a racist slur or whether it’s with openness and equality, and we judge people not on their color of skin and typify them but by simply their actions as persons. But again this is problematic in itself, as our past experiences dictate how we deal with people now, today, and unfortunately we must acknowledge our racist past and influences on our unconscious state of being before we face the world for perhaps how it really is, and that is free of color, free of ethnicity and the only diversity in culture that is observed is one of simply accepting that people are different, different is not bad. This now leads us to attempt to understand to why people are scared to break their old habits?
A possible explanation could be our fear breaking away from old values and what we think to be right in life, but also breaking away from the group mentality and being different from the majority. The conformity individuals hold when it comes to groups, the fear of being ostracized, judged vs. the intrinsically right thing to do. People today still do not accept inter racial mixing of most kinds, we claim to be multi cultural, but are we? Are we really? I feel not. Because I see it on the street every day, different groups stay with whom and what they know, yes different races mix, but are they all comfortable? What happens in extreme cases, where individuals are pushed to their maximum, what happens to individuals then? A though experiment; people stick to what and who they know, they stay with familiarity, and this familiarity is forced upon us as individuals from a young age, there is difficulty at times with cross culture relationships and integration, because of history, our history is very powerful and holds much expectation, it carries the expectations of all those before us and the interwoven embededness within individuals to protect themselves, “their kind”. Survival is crucial, and to identify with family and those “alike” and never go against that. How do you go against all that you have been bought up with? This issue was seen strongly on the movie freedom writers, where people were dissected internally in to sects, groups, they were not treated as people, they were treated as hierarchy, and each group had themselves at the top of the “food chain”, the divisions in themselves were very painful, the degree of discrimination was easy to point out, if you were of diverse ethnicity you were with “your kind” and no one else’s. How can the human race progress morally and with intelligence and logic if segregations and divisions are created by all persons, all the time? It can’t happen, not in that manner. Why is the need to be connected to something to familiarity so powerful to the psyche? That emotional attachment is so powerful, emotions play a large part. But what if we all had a mental shift and attached ourselves to persons, and the familiarity was not of color or culture, but by simply being alive, and living, now, as individuals our scope of justice has increased, now more is allowed in, therefore the emotional aspect of attachment has just been opened to more. This is a positive step, not easy, as it is difficult to break all that past experiences have created but it is a starting point to work from. There is much work to be done, from many areas, from parents, to the role education must play, to the assumptions we make which must be eliminated. Our culture allows much room for selfishness which is shown by the culture itself in which we live in, self sacrifice must be respected more and deep cultural stigmas removed from our understanding. I do not have concrete solutions, as my own experiences are limited in themselves, but I do have options that could be put in to practice. This is a start; we can only make beginnings in order for change to occur…
Sunday, August 31, 2008
31.08.08 - Thought of the day
Awareness
http://www.gymjones.com/schedule.php?date=20080823&GymJonesSess=0e7fca23cf761fa1950c2fb4bc4f3834
Awareness of one’s actual capacities isn’t clear simply on the basis of daily training. The power meter tells an objective tale but it can’t know or predict the level of effort one might produce given adequate stress and motivation. In the gym the weight is the weight and it cannot be deceived – we are quite able, however, to deceive ourselves. But on the day those same plates might feel lighter. They might float upward easier. And how are we going to know if we are limiting ourselves in training or not? How can one have an epiphany by following daily routine? How do you know how you might perform on the day if there never are any of those days? Buy the ticket. Pay the entry fee. Take the test. You will probably surprise yourself.
the above was posted on a site that then my good friend Damon extracted the quote from and placed it on his blog - on strength and spirit... I visit Gym jones regualarly and alos fond the above quote deeply moving and true.
SS
http://www.gymjones.com/schedule.php?date=20080823&GymJonesSess=0e7fca23cf761fa1950c2fb4bc4f3834
Awareness of one’s actual capacities isn’t clear simply on the basis of daily training. The power meter tells an objective tale but it can’t know or predict the level of effort one might produce given adequate stress and motivation. In the gym the weight is the weight and it cannot be deceived – we are quite able, however, to deceive ourselves. But on the day those same plates might feel lighter. They might float upward easier. And how are we going to know if we are limiting ourselves in training or not? How can one have an epiphany by following daily routine? How do you know how you might perform on the day if there never are any of those days? Buy the ticket. Pay the entry fee. Take the test. You will probably surprise yourself.
the above was posted on a site that then my good friend Damon extracted the quote from and placed it on his blog - on strength and spirit... I visit Gym jones regualarly and alos fond the above quote deeply moving and true.
SS
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
25.08.08 - Thought of the day
I had an interesting converstaion with a very close friend of mine recently, infact it has been an on going conversation on the complex, deep and ever changing subject of the human person and its place in the universe. This topic involves much, from the human psyche to spirituality, to issues of objective truths vs subjective truths, to religion vs atheism, to science, matter, the planets, our past as people, our evolution as a planet and much more.
Today we spoke of something interesting, he was telling me how faith is basically false, and understood on false premises. I attempted to tell him that the interpretation of faith itself is subjective and not always cut a dry, to a religious extremist, faith could be considered blind following of the masses, so to speak, an outsider may interpret this, depending on their own personal history ofcourse. from there we spoke of how certain scietists, astrologists actually, people of object and matter, science and formulas actually believe in life outside our planet Earth. I am not here to agree or disagree with this argument, what I will comment on is the fact that scientists (certain scientists) believe in this premise. Based on what? I asked my dear friend? They have no evidence, no physical proof, no observatory proof, it is an assumption, a feeling perhaps? based on.... On what? A hunch? would one call this 'Faith' perhaps?? Aaahh. interesting, here my understanding of fsaith is trust, my interpretation of faith is trust, these scientists trust in their own convictions and in their own beliefs. Are they lead blindly to these assumptions? Well that is sunjective, how do you view it?
I was latter bombarded with information about religion and faith, in regards to extremism, but extremists are not all that hard to deal with, their position is one of a simplistic nature, but amongst all this my friend mentioned much of electrical impulses and that, that is real, not faith, to how he puts it. electrical impulses, the nervous system, etc, physical functions of the body.
My response (thought provoking to my understanding) which comes first, the electrical impusle through out the body, or is the electrical impulse simply a by product and a necesssary mechanism as being part of the complex systems that are involved with the body of, for instance a thought process, or a feeling of love, or fear or any emotion? and this physical reaction, the electrical impusle for example simply occurs as part of an integrated system of mind and body, one that requires all parties to come to the table in order for the game to be played. When we become frightened, do we get goosebumps before we get frightened or does our mind first initiate that feeeling of what we know to be fear through our own history and social conditioning, then the physical by product is the goosebump...
The mind exists, we all know this, but then again what is knowing?...
Today we spoke of something interesting, he was telling me how faith is basically false, and understood on false premises. I attempted to tell him that the interpretation of faith itself is subjective and not always cut a dry, to a religious extremist, faith could be considered blind following of the masses, so to speak, an outsider may interpret this, depending on their own personal history ofcourse. from there we spoke of how certain scietists, astrologists actually, people of object and matter, science and formulas actually believe in life outside our planet Earth. I am not here to agree or disagree with this argument, what I will comment on is the fact that scientists (certain scientists) believe in this premise. Based on what? I asked my dear friend? They have no evidence, no physical proof, no observatory proof, it is an assumption, a feeling perhaps? based on.... On what? A hunch? would one call this 'Faith' perhaps?? Aaahh. interesting, here my understanding of fsaith is trust, my interpretation of faith is trust, these scientists trust in their own convictions and in their own beliefs. Are they lead blindly to these assumptions? Well that is sunjective, how do you view it?
I was latter bombarded with information about religion and faith, in regards to extremism, but extremists are not all that hard to deal with, their position is one of a simplistic nature, but amongst all this my friend mentioned much of electrical impulses and that, that is real, not faith, to how he puts it. electrical impulses, the nervous system, etc, physical functions of the body.
My response (thought provoking to my understanding) which comes first, the electrical impusle through out the body, or is the electrical impulse simply a by product and a necesssary mechanism as being part of the complex systems that are involved with the body of, for instance a thought process, or a feeling of love, or fear or any emotion? and this physical reaction, the electrical impusle for example simply occurs as part of an integrated system of mind and body, one that requires all parties to come to the table in order for the game to be played. When we become frightened, do we get goosebumps before we get frightened or does our mind first initiate that feeeling of what we know to be fear through our own history and social conditioning, then the physical by product is the goosebump...
The mind exists, we all know this, but then again what is knowing?...
Thursday, August 21, 2008
21.08.08 - Thought of the day
I would be extremely curious to know where the world as a global culture would be if true reconciliation existed amongst all human persons. The words creed, culture, ethnicity, beliefs, national identity, colour, race and religion would still exist, but I would imagine they would bare and carry quite different meanings to what they do now. Their definitions would not be tainted as they are now, they meaning would not carry burden, verbalizing these expressions would bring about peace and a celebration of simple diversity with an intertwining of oneness. The words would not spark up resentment, discrimination, prejudice or pain. The term scope of justice would not exist in its entirety. Because all human persons would be included in humanity, we would actually live up to our name, “the human race”, “humanity”, these words stem from the word “humane” we would perhaps finally live up to that as people.
The joy of understanding others, no matter how different they appear, no matter how different they act, the simple act of being gracious in accepting another’s way of living, believing. The eradication of fear amongst all beings, too not be sacred that another will take “my land”, my land wouldn’t really exist as such. It would be openness to all, sharing, understanding and being generous of life and supporting fellow human beings. How beautiful this sounds on paper, to live truly free of the worry of fear, “yuk” words such as invasion, terrorism, threat would mean nothing and would seldom be used. But on paper anything is possible, in the mind anything is possible, but in the mind is where it all begins…
For this to physically manifest, much effort would be needed and reconciliation in its truest from would be required, as Susan Oppotow says; Reconciliation is not simply saying sorry for past wrongs, violent acts, acts of discrimination and prejudice or inhumane behavior, reconciliation is a work in process, it is something that must be recognized by all and practiced by all, but not superficially, it must be practiced whole heartedly and with sincere intent, this can be shown by perhaps giving, by sharing material wealth, by not placing economy and money at a higher status than human life, health and basic survival. The world works in sync with itself, all that are part of this global economy and culture are connected one way or the other. For the world to function peacefully all must work together and most importantly have a common goal and understanding of why, why are we different, and does it truly matter that physically we are different by appearance, that our cultural beliefs and practices differ, does it truly matter? I believe not, not in grand scheme of events. The common goal must be unity, a unification of understanding each other as diverse human persons yet part of the same family.
As stated previously, this is problematic at the present because of global history as a whole. For thousands of years “humanity” (not that we live up to that name) has judged each other based on appearance, based on their own insecurities and fears, based on the greediness and need to own and posses. Because of all of this, the human race has been highly conditioned to take what it wants as it wants, power is the goal, not balance and equality, the hunger for power drives the human person to take without thought, to self justify their actions through exclusion of various groups and peoples. To undo this train of thought, this embedded ness of belief in most of us, is not impossible but an arduous task which requires great effort by all, especially world leaders. This effort is strongly tied with the process of reconciliation. Each human person, even major players in regards to countries and world leaders on the global scale cannot reverse the past, and all the prejudice and all the discrimination that has taken place, but what we can do now, as a collective and unified people is take control and be responsible for our own thoughts and actions, self check and reflect upon our behaviors, attitudes, thoughts and actions. If we all could do this and constantly work on ourselves at an individual level with one common and collective goal at mind, over time, attitudes would change, minority groups would become extinct, and power of voice would be equal and dually represented, and majority groups would not exist and be measured by power, monetary wealth or even numbers based on race or global perception of a certain group of persons.
A start must be made, and it must be made with ourselves, many parts make a whole…
The joy of understanding others, no matter how different they appear, no matter how different they act, the simple act of being gracious in accepting another’s way of living, believing. The eradication of fear amongst all beings, too not be sacred that another will take “my land”, my land wouldn’t really exist as such. It would be openness to all, sharing, understanding and being generous of life and supporting fellow human beings. How beautiful this sounds on paper, to live truly free of the worry of fear, “yuk” words such as invasion, terrorism, threat would mean nothing and would seldom be used. But on paper anything is possible, in the mind anything is possible, but in the mind is where it all begins…
For this to physically manifest, much effort would be needed and reconciliation in its truest from would be required, as Susan Oppotow says; Reconciliation is not simply saying sorry for past wrongs, violent acts, acts of discrimination and prejudice or inhumane behavior, reconciliation is a work in process, it is something that must be recognized by all and practiced by all, but not superficially, it must be practiced whole heartedly and with sincere intent, this can be shown by perhaps giving, by sharing material wealth, by not placing economy and money at a higher status than human life, health and basic survival. The world works in sync with itself, all that are part of this global economy and culture are connected one way or the other. For the world to function peacefully all must work together and most importantly have a common goal and understanding of why, why are we different, and does it truly matter that physically we are different by appearance, that our cultural beliefs and practices differ, does it truly matter? I believe not, not in grand scheme of events. The common goal must be unity, a unification of understanding each other as diverse human persons yet part of the same family.
As stated previously, this is problematic at the present because of global history as a whole. For thousands of years “humanity” (not that we live up to that name) has judged each other based on appearance, based on their own insecurities and fears, based on the greediness and need to own and posses. Because of all of this, the human race has been highly conditioned to take what it wants as it wants, power is the goal, not balance and equality, the hunger for power drives the human person to take without thought, to self justify their actions through exclusion of various groups and peoples. To undo this train of thought, this embedded ness of belief in most of us, is not impossible but an arduous task which requires great effort by all, especially world leaders. This effort is strongly tied with the process of reconciliation. Each human person, even major players in regards to countries and world leaders on the global scale cannot reverse the past, and all the prejudice and all the discrimination that has taken place, but what we can do now, as a collective and unified people is take control and be responsible for our own thoughts and actions, self check and reflect upon our behaviors, attitudes, thoughts and actions. If we all could do this and constantly work on ourselves at an individual level with one common and collective goal at mind, over time, attitudes would change, minority groups would become extinct, and power of voice would be equal and dually represented, and majority groups would not exist and be measured by power, monetary wealth or even numbers based on race or global perception of a certain group of persons.
A start must be made, and it must be made with ourselves, many parts make a whole…
21.08.08 - Interesting projects...
http://blog.longnow.org/2008/08/20/very-long-term-backup/
The above is a very interesting website, and this article in particular is worth a look at! Click on it and immerse yourself in what this organisation is attempting to achieve...
Namaste
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Perseverance...
What makes one strive for excellence? As i sit and watch the Olympic games in ore at the physical capabilities of some, i wonder in amazement at their natural talent, their worked capabilities and their mind of such purity, blankness and strength. As each event passes, some excell beyond recognition, some leave the rest of the best of the world for dust. But in most events it is very close, and each individual competitor is well aware of this, they have worked years for this one event, to prove to themselves and to the world, to their peers, to their families and loved ones, and to those they hold dear to them, that they are the best in the world, all that compete, believe they can do it, otherwise they wouldn't be there. So what distinguishes Athlete to Athlete? when approaching the line, so close, when running that marathon, with a few kms to go, they all push, they push hard, they are all full of fitness, full of strength, as fatigued as they are, as sore as each joint is, as each of their lower backs scream for softness, for a pain free second, they all push through it, they've been there before, its nothing new.
is it purely physical that gets them over the line, or does something higher drive them to victory? i would like to say it is a combination of bother, as fit and strong and powerful as each individual athlete is, one is always better than the other physically, it is simply how it is, but on the day, it all changes, the past means nothing, now means everything, all the athlete has is NOW! physically the other may be better, but on the day, it can all change...
the mind prepares the body for everyday work, for those gruelling training sessions that you don't want to do because your body is burning, it is aching, another 3 years before the olympics, you can't do it your mind keeps telling you, but then you focus, your mind alters its position within yourself in relation to yourself and your mental state of being. your mind allows you to focus, your mind allows you to persevere, its about setting a mind set and having the single mindedness and commitment to hold that close to your reach, as your body strengthens through focus and intelligent wise training, your mind also strnegthens.
You see here a domino effect is created between mind and body, the two are seperate, yet the two are one in the same, they are integrated, they are one, and rely on eachother.
What get them over the line before the other, focus, dedication, physical attributions, but primarily it's a purity of mind, this purity is so pure and clean that no other thought penetrates you or exists... It is all that you know, and the athlete is self absorbed and attentive inwardly...
Namaste
is it purely physical that gets them over the line, or does something higher drive them to victory? i would like to say it is a combination of bother, as fit and strong and powerful as each individual athlete is, one is always better than the other physically, it is simply how it is, but on the day, it all changes, the past means nothing, now means everything, all the athlete has is NOW! physically the other may be better, but on the day, it can all change...
the mind prepares the body for everyday work, for those gruelling training sessions that you don't want to do because your body is burning, it is aching, another 3 years before the olympics, you can't do it your mind keeps telling you, but then you focus, your mind alters its position within yourself in relation to yourself and your mental state of being. your mind allows you to focus, your mind allows you to persevere, its about setting a mind set and having the single mindedness and commitment to hold that close to your reach, as your body strengthens through focus and intelligent wise training, your mind also strnegthens.
You see here a domino effect is created between mind and body, the two are seperate, yet the two are one in the same, they are integrated, they are one, and rely on eachother.
What get them over the line before the other, focus, dedication, physical attributions, but primarily it's a purity of mind, this purity is so pure and clean that no other thought penetrates you or exists... It is all that you know, and the athlete is self absorbed and attentive inwardly...
Namaste
Saturday, August 9, 2008
09.08.08 - Thought of the day...
Introduction:
The article below has been re-printed with kind permission of the author, Sharon Pacione. It is an attempt to wake people up out of their complacency and ignorance and see what's really happening around them, right at this very minute. The US launched an attack on Iraq, regardless of the many in the world who opposed it, including most of the nations of the UN. Do we really believe this bullying will stop at Iraq? Country after country will follow the same fate as Iraq, until we wake up to what is going on.
History books are written by the victors, and is never an indication of the truth of what really happened, and the Native Americans are but one example. We are not being told the real truth, whether it be about history, or about current events.
But now, more and more, courageous voices are speaking out against war as a solution to anything. The first step to creating Peace is to arm yourself with the Truth. The second step is to do something about it. Each of us individually has the power to create the Peace we all wish for. And not just the power, but we have a responsibility as Global Citizens. As long as we sit back and do nothing, whether out of fear or out of ignorance, we will all be victims in the end.
I encourage you to arm yourself with Knowledge. Then rid yourself of your fears and start to do something, before it is too late. Let's give our children a world to look forward to. The native americans have the custom of basing all their actions on how it will affect 7 generations into the future; that is, the future we leave our children with. What a wonderful idea for governments to implement before they make any policies. Start to become aware of what's happening, and look behind the scenes. Start questioning. The article posted below is only one of many ways we can begin...........
"War does not determine who's right,only who's left!" Author Unknown
THE LITTLE WHITE LIE
There is a little white lie...that we call history.
It appears that as a nation, the United States government has never considered the original people of the continent of North America to be among "all men" mentioned in the following portion of the Declaration of Independence:-
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- that to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever Any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government." ~~ The U.S. Declaration of Independence ~~As our government continues to try to go to war against the wishes of ever-growing opposition all over the world, I ask you to consider the recommendations listed in this post to educate yourself about Native American Indian cultures. I believe that the United States government has become addicted to war and it started a very long time ago! It is through awareness and understanding that humanity can purify the individual and collective hearts and minds, necessary components to bring about peace on this planet. The great purification spoken about in Native American prophecy can be as kind and gentle as humanity wishes it to be. We can either wake up and do the internal work on ourselves, manifesting peace...or continue harboring the fear and anger, manifesting war. It's as simple as that...and it's our choice!
It is our actions (or lack of them) that are determining this very minute the type of world in which we CHOOSE to live. Mankind cannot become healthy unless there is the realization that we're ill and, as a species, we are very, very sick...having spread the cancers of fear and anger rhat we carry within our collective conscious, manifesting these diseases in our outer world for all to see. Our outer world is but a mirror of our inner world. And, we are a world of pretenders, a great majority ignoring the pain brought about by unjustness in the world in which we live. Most often, we deal with what we see and hear through apathy and anesthetizing ourselves with our addictions.
Perhaps the time has come to silence the drums of wars raging within by diligently working on ourselves. Peace within is the only path to peace without. The vibrations of war enslave not only individual souls but the collective soul of humanity as well.
The following information is being highly recommended to the masses on this planet, especially here in North America. If we can begin to see how our government has treated the original people, those we often call Native Americans, perhaps we can see how prevalent the divide-and-conquer mentality has been since the first moment that colonists set foot on this continent already inhabited by millions of people. Most of these videos will not bring about a warm, fuzzy feeling, but having one's story told and being heard is part of the healing process. Please consider educating yourself and your family and friends, especially the children, so that the big fat lie that became the little white lie we call history can be corrected. Even if it isn't pretty, we should start telling the truth.
Those of us who work for peace care deeply about Mother Earth and what kind of world we are creating for all children, for people of all cultures. Knowledge continues to be power, but let's no longer choose "power-over" in our ways of dealing with people and countries, but power used in a wise way for the greater good of all of life, including the planet herself.
This is the time of a great awakening by humanity, but we must not just wake up if we wish to effect positive change in the world, we must get out of bed!!! We have unlimited opportunities to educate ourselves about what's really happening in the world and be a voice for peace. We can also make ourselves aware of real history that never made it into our history books. And, once we become aware, we might start to wonder just what the agenda really is on our planet by those who continue to enslave the spirit of humanity through the vibrations of fear brought about by war and oppression. There seems to be a constant need to feed the beast of oppression to make a few people rich and comfortable.
Here's one last bit of food for thought. The masses have always been controlled through fear, and what better way to continue the vibrations of fear than through war? It is serving the agenda of the divide-and-conquer "powers that be" (in their minds) to make the prophecies concerning what has been called the "end times" come true. And, we should remember that war is a BUSINESS. How does one justify feeding the beast, if there is no war?
If humanity removes the "sheeple" robe it has so comfortably worn and becomes part of "we the people" instead of "we the sheeple", we can manifest peace instead of war. It is OUR CHOICE and this IS OUR COUNTRY...ISN'T IT?...ALL OF US!!!!
Let's not let the U.S. government mantra of "broken treaties, broken spirits" spread any further into the global scene than it already has!
The time of separation is over...the time of oneness, of knowing the connectedness of everything, is here. Please consider viewing the following to give even a small glimpse of the history that never made it into the history books because the little white lies did instead.
When we start to unpeel the onion of truth, we will realize that this is only the beginning. Be prepared to have this onion of truth make you cry. Part of the tears will come because of the realization of how we have allowed ourselves to be duped by the illusions that have passed (and continue to pass) for truth for so long!
"Only to the white man was nature a "wilderness" and only to him was the land "infested" with "wild" animals and "savage" people. To us, it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery. Not until the hairy man from the east came and with brutal frenzy heaped injustices upon us and the families we loved was it "wild" for us. When the very animals of the forest began fleeing from his approach, then it was for us that the "wild west" began."Luther Standing Bear,Chief of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (1868-1939)Land of the Spotted Eagle, 1933.
The article below has been re-printed with kind permission of the author, Sharon Pacione. It is an attempt to wake people up out of their complacency and ignorance and see what's really happening around them, right at this very minute. The US launched an attack on Iraq, regardless of the many in the world who opposed it, including most of the nations of the UN. Do we really believe this bullying will stop at Iraq? Country after country will follow the same fate as Iraq, until we wake up to what is going on.
History books are written by the victors, and is never an indication of the truth of what really happened, and the Native Americans are but one example. We are not being told the real truth, whether it be about history, or about current events.
But now, more and more, courageous voices are speaking out against war as a solution to anything. The first step to creating Peace is to arm yourself with the Truth. The second step is to do something about it. Each of us individually has the power to create the Peace we all wish for. And not just the power, but we have a responsibility as Global Citizens. As long as we sit back and do nothing, whether out of fear or out of ignorance, we will all be victims in the end.
I encourage you to arm yourself with Knowledge. Then rid yourself of your fears and start to do something, before it is too late. Let's give our children a world to look forward to. The native americans have the custom of basing all their actions on how it will affect 7 generations into the future; that is, the future we leave our children with. What a wonderful idea for governments to implement before they make any policies. Start to become aware of what's happening, and look behind the scenes. Start questioning. The article posted below is only one of many ways we can begin...........
"War does not determine who's right,only who's left!" Author Unknown
THE LITTLE WHITE LIE
There is a little white lie...that we call history.
It appears that as a nation, the United States government has never considered the original people of the continent of North America to be among "all men" mentioned in the following portion of the Declaration of Independence:-
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- that to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever Any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government." ~~ The U.S. Declaration of Independence ~~As our government continues to try to go to war against the wishes of ever-growing opposition all over the world, I ask you to consider the recommendations listed in this post to educate yourself about Native American Indian cultures. I believe that the United States government has become addicted to war and it started a very long time ago! It is through awareness and understanding that humanity can purify the individual and collective hearts and minds, necessary components to bring about peace on this planet. The great purification spoken about in Native American prophecy can be as kind and gentle as humanity wishes it to be. We can either wake up and do the internal work on ourselves, manifesting peace...or continue harboring the fear and anger, manifesting war. It's as simple as that...and it's our choice!
It is our actions (or lack of them) that are determining this very minute the type of world in which we CHOOSE to live. Mankind cannot become healthy unless there is the realization that we're ill and, as a species, we are very, very sick...having spread the cancers of fear and anger rhat we carry within our collective conscious, manifesting these diseases in our outer world for all to see. Our outer world is but a mirror of our inner world. And, we are a world of pretenders, a great majority ignoring the pain brought about by unjustness in the world in which we live. Most often, we deal with what we see and hear through apathy and anesthetizing ourselves with our addictions.
Perhaps the time has come to silence the drums of wars raging within by diligently working on ourselves. Peace within is the only path to peace without. The vibrations of war enslave not only individual souls but the collective soul of humanity as well.
The following information is being highly recommended to the masses on this planet, especially here in North America. If we can begin to see how our government has treated the original people, those we often call Native Americans, perhaps we can see how prevalent the divide-and-conquer mentality has been since the first moment that colonists set foot on this continent already inhabited by millions of people. Most of these videos will not bring about a warm, fuzzy feeling, but having one's story told and being heard is part of the healing process. Please consider educating yourself and your family and friends, especially the children, so that the big fat lie that became the little white lie we call history can be corrected. Even if it isn't pretty, we should start telling the truth.
Those of us who work for peace care deeply about Mother Earth and what kind of world we are creating for all children, for people of all cultures. Knowledge continues to be power, but let's no longer choose "power-over" in our ways of dealing with people and countries, but power used in a wise way for the greater good of all of life, including the planet herself.
This is the time of a great awakening by humanity, but we must not just wake up if we wish to effect positive change in the world, we must get out of bed!!! We have unlimited opportunities to educate ourselves about what's really happening in the world and be a voice for peace. We can also make ourselves aware of real history that never made it into our history books. And, once we become aware, we might start to wonder just what the agenda really is on our planet by those who continue to enslave the spirit of humanity through the vibrations of fear brought about by war and oppression. There seems to be a constant need to feed the beast of oppression to make a few people rich and comfortable.
Here's one last bit of food for thought. The masses have always been controlled through fear, and what better way to continue the vibrations of fear than through war? It is serving the agenda of the divide-and-conquer "powers that be" (in their minds) to make the prophecies concerning what has been called the "end times" come true. And, we should remember that war is a BUSINESS. How does one justify feeding the beast, if there is no war?
If humanity removes the "sheeple" robe it has so comfortably worn and becomes part of "we the people" instead of "we the sheeple", we can manifest peace instead of war. It is OUR CHOICE and this IS OUR COUNTRY...ISN'T IT?...ALL OF US!!!!
Let's not let the U.S. government mantra of "broken treaties, broken spirits" spread any further into the global scene than it already has!
The time of separation is over...the time of oneness, of knowing the connectedness of everything, is here. Please consider viewing the following to give even a small glimpse of the history that never made it into the history books because the little white lies did instead.
When we start to unpeel the onion of truth, we will realize that this is only the beginning. Be prepared to have this onion of truth make you cry. Part of the tears will come because of the realization of how we have allowed ourselves to be duped by the illusions that have passed (and continue to pass) for truth for so long!
"Only to the white man was nature a "wilderness" and only to him was the land "infested" with "wild" animals and "savage" people. To us, it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery. Not until the hairy man from the east came and with brutal frenzy heaped injustices upon us and the families we loved was it "wild" for us. When the very animals of the forest began fleeing from his approach, then it was for us that the "wild west" began."Luther Standing Bear,Chief of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (1868-1939)Land of the Spotted Eagle, 1933.
Friday, August 8, 2008
The relationship between "push" and "pull"
REFELCTIONS ON THE BIKE...
As I sit on the saddle sweating, bleeding, working, the salt from sweat stinging my eyes, the wind burning my face, oxygen deprived, burnt, and hurting, I feel those close to me on my wheel, I sense those in front, just in front of my wheel, my muscles burning and full of lactate, my lungs on fire, as each turn, and revolution burns just a little more, and taxes my energy system, more and more. I feel I am losing touch with those infront of my wheel, so close, yet so far, 1 inch becomes 3, becomes 5, becomes 1 foot, becomes 1 metre, then im on my own, what to do, the feeling of lonlines overcomes, becomes overwhelming, contesting with the physical pain is bearabel, it hurts beyond belief, but you know you can hold on, on his wheel, im there, im not far, there is another behind me, but I dont care, just keep spinning, just regulate and maitain the cadence, thats the goal. I reach for water, as if its your saviour, as if there is some miracle in this liquid thats going to provide me with everlasting energy.. Very quickly, very rapidly it is learnt that, that is not the case, it is far from it, and if anything the more you drink the more you want and the heavier you become...
Still dropping off, still dropping back, I contest with the physical pain, and in the same instance my mind (already weakened ) by pain experiences flashes of disapointment, resentment in my self, in my weakness, in my performance, in my weakness of mind, as I fall back further and further, my mind has arlready decided and pre empted my fate, you've failed, you've lost, you are already last, why keep trying, why keep pushing, your becoming weaker, your hurting more, you cannot recover from this, your falling back too far, let it go, just spin over the line, just relax, you cannot win...
The mind self defeats itself and all that is connected to it...
Shame... Its not the body thats weak, yes it's hurting, BUT, if we allow the mind to go, let it go where it wants, allow the mind to partake in any form it chooses, surely the body has no choice but to follow...
As I sit on the saddle sweating, bleeding, working, the salt from sweat stinging my eyes, the wind burning my face, oxygen deprived, burnt, and hurting, I feel those close to me on my wheel, I sense those in front, just in front of my wheel, my muscles burning and full of lactate, my lungs on fire, as each turn, and revolution burns just a little more, and taxes my energy system, more and more. I feel I am losing touch with those infront of my wheel, so close, yet so far, 1 inch becomes 3, becomes 5, becomes 1 foot, becomes 1 metre, then im on my own, what to do, the feeling of lonlines overcomes, becomes overwhelming, contesting with the physical pain is bearabel, it hurts beyond belief, but you know you can hold on, on his wheel, im there, im not far, there is another behind me, but I dont care, just keep spinning, just regulate and maitain the cadence, thats the goal. I reach for water, as if its your saviour, as if there is some miracle in this liquid thats going to provide me with everlasting energy.. Very quickly, very rapidly it is learnt that, that is not the case, it is far from it, and if anything the more you drink the more you want and the heavier you become...
Still dropping off, still dropping back, I contest with the physical pain, and in the same instance my mind (already weakened ) by pain experiences flashes of disapointment, resentment in my self, in my weakness, in my performance, in my weakness of mind, as I fall back further and further, my mind has arlready decided and pre empted my fate, you've failed, you've lost, you are already last, why keep trying, why keep pushing, your becoming weaker, your hurting more, you cannot recover from this, your falling back too far, let it go, just spin over the line, just relax, you cannot win...
The mind self defeats itself and all that is connected to it...
Shame... Its not the body thats weak, yes it's hurting, BUT, if we allow the mind to go, let it go where it wants, allow the mind to partake in any form it chooses, surely the body has no choice but to follow...
My attitude alters, change your inner voice, it's screams at you to pick it up, what you are experiencing is not simply physiological, your body is depleated, yes, but can be reinforced and refuelled by the power of thought and feeling, fill every cell in your body with power, with power of thought, and power of action, your cadence increases, your power out put hightens, your will, your drive is throbbing with one thing and one thing only, do! do! do!
All you can concentrate on is; get them, get them, catch them, work, work, work!
All you can concentrate on is; get them, get them, catch them, work, work, work!
"When they are resting, I am working, when they are working, I am working even harder..." Stef S Sifandos.
Thats is the power of the mind... That is the difference between pulling back and pushing forward...
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
06.08.2008 - Thought of the day
"And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something". Mother Teresa...
I would like to expand on that briefly. to love in purity is to have no limits and no boundries on our fellow neighbours, by neigbours I refer to all that we live beside, near and far, in visual sight and far beyond. A deeper understanding of our surroundings can create the sense of limitlessness within each individual which can then transcend to the greater collective. It is constraint of mind, placing barb wire around one's thoughts which reflects upon our attitudes and expressions, which casues pain and suffering on many levels through discrimination. Love is not discriminatory, acceptance is part of love, it begins with openenss of mind, heart, and will, boundries and borders of demograph and of mind then fall down...
I would like to expand on that briefly. to love in purity is to have no limits and no boundries on our fellow neighbours, by neigbours I refer to all that we live beside, near and far, in visual sight and far beyond. A deeper understanding of our surroundings can create the sense of limitlessness within each individual which can then transcend to the greater collective. It is constraint of mind, placing barb wire around one's thoughts which reflects upon our attitudes and expressions, which casues pain and suffering on many levels through discrimination. Love is not discriminatory, acceptance is part of love, it begins with openenss of mind, heart, and will, boundries and borders of demograph and of mind then fall down...
Sunday, August 3, 2008
03.08.08 - Thought of the day
Training today with a few close souls was good for the spirit. A close friend and mentor is leaving us shortly, travelling overseas with his family to pursue his carreer, further personal development and experience. He will be dually missed. His wisdom, his life, his knowledge of deep training techniques, completely invaluable, a brilliant mind for training.
He was very much with us today training, concentrating, focusing, but I also knew he was far away, already embarking on his new adventure, perhaps nervous, perhaps simply anxious to what awaits, but always calm, he is always calm and reflective and strong willed. I sensed his distance today, but it is situsations such as these, that assist one in reflecting deeply upon what is important in life, and how important certain experiences trully are. His presence is powerful and an authority when we put our minds and bodies through intensity on all and various levels, I, we look to him for guidence, he is strong psychologically and physically. One truly learns to appreciate what they have when the reality of seperation is addressed.
In saying all this though, it is all for growth and strengthening of ties and friendships, this situation has allowed me to deeply reflect upon the goodness that this soul has bought in to my life, the strength, wisdom and courage he has provided me with, and it is not the end, simply the beginning of something new, with today's technology, communication is simple, and i know that he is not far. His mind is easily accessible. A wonderful training partner and friend, I am glad, deeply happy to have met him...
I wish you the best my friend, and this will be the first of other posts dedicated to you, your knowledge and wisdom is priceless and should be shared with all.
Good work today gentlemen, training was intense, yet very relaxed at the same time, a solid atmosphere for training, and reaching deep within ones self and pleasant atmosphere for knowing you are surrounded by sincerity and trust...
He was very much with us today training, concentrating, focusing, but I also knew he was far away, already embarking on his new adventure, perhaps nervous, perhaps simply anxious to what awaits, but always calm, he is always calm and reflective and strong willed. I sensed his distance today, but it is situsations such as these, that assist one in reflecting deeply upon what is important in life, and how important certain experiences trully are. His presence is powerful and an authority when we put our minds and bodies through intensity on all and various levels, I, we look to him for guidence, he is strong psychologically and physically. One truly learns to appreciate what they have when the reality of seperation is addressed.
In saying all this though, it is all for growth and strengthening of ties and friendships, this situation has allowed me to deeply reflect upon the goodness that this soul has bought in to my life, the strength, wisdom and courage he has provided me with, and it is not the end, simply the beginning of something new, with today's technology, communication is simple, and i know that he is not far. His mind is easily accessible. A wonderful training partner and friend, I am glad, deeply happy to have met him...
I wish you the best my friend, and this will be the first of other posts dedicated to you, your knowledge and wisdom is priceless and should be shared with all.
Good work today gentlemen, training was intense, yet very relaxed at the same time, a solid atmosphere for training, and reaching deep within ones self and pleasant atmosphere for knowing you are surrounded by sincerity and trust...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
01.08.08 - Thought of the day
Let us ocus on fear and what it does and why it occurs. Fear; What is it? is it good? is it bad? does it sever purpose to our lives? can it help us? can it hurt us (on the surface)? do we need it? does it promote inner growth? spiritual awareness? emotional discomfort perhaps? the answer is yes to all of the above and more, but only if we allow it to.
Fear is a defense mechanism, on one part, it can allow us to survive and on one level is something that is deeply inate in every human person, it can be the make or break of life, and physiologically provides each person with an integral part of understanding their own body.
this can onl happen though if one is open to self realization, and self reflection. fear is not bad, fear of anything is good, what is required to accomplany this fear, either in the moment or post moment is intense reflection of how this fear can help you, how does it serve here and now, and what can i learn not only from the fear that dwells deep within me, but from the external situation that has arisen this feeling of discomfort and fear within me. And in the future can this situation be prompted to have a natural reaction of another besides that of fear, through perhaps understanding and conditioning and learning of oneself.
Fear is daunting, it is "scary" but that is ok, we must see why we have this fear and constantly work through it, immerse ourselves in it, understand it, learn more of it, and its connection to ourselves and the external object if there is one, we must know everything there is to know about it, becasue only then will we overcome it and move to another realm of being. Immersing yourself and familiarizing yourself with anything means you will be part of it, means you will be familiar with it, and unfamiliarity breeds fear, therefore fear can be felt, worked with and understood then discarded and the individual can move on.
There are many experiences, thoughts and feelings that promote fear in our lives, it is part of who we are and will not go away, nor does it need to, it will only leave when we fully undertsand our selves and relationship with all that surrounds us, until then we must embrace all that we know, and if an experience is felt not to be needed, then understand it in full an dlet it go, of thought and emotion.
Fear is a defense mechanism, on one part, it can allow us to survive and on one level is something that is deeply inate in every human person, it can be the make or break of life, and physiologically provides each person with an integral part of understanding their own body.
this can onl happen though if one is open to self realization, and self reflection. fear is not bad, fear of anything is good, what is required to accomplany this fear, either in the moment or post moment is intense reflection of how this fear can help you, how does it serve here and now, and what can i learn not only from the fear that dwells deep within me, but from the external situation that has arisen this feeling of discomfort and fear within me. And in the future can this situation be prompted to have a natural reaction of another besides that of fear, through perhaps understanding and conditioning and learning of oneself.
Fear is daunting, it is "scary" but that is ok, we must see why we have this fear and constantly work through it, immerse ourselves in it, understand it, learn more of it, and its connection to ourselves and the external object if there is one, we must know everything there is to know about it, becasue only then will we overcome it and move to another realm of being. Immersing yourself and familiarizing yourself with anything means you will be part of it, means you will be familiar with it, and unfamiliarity breeds fear, therefore fear can be felt, worked with and understood then discarded and the individual can move on.
There are many experiences, thoughts and feelings that promote fear in our lives, it is part of who we are and will not go away, nor does it need to, it will only leave when we fully undertsand our selves and relationship with all that surrounds us, until then we must embrace all that we know, and if an experience is felt not to be needed, then understand it in full an dlet it go, of thought and emotion.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
30.07.08 - Thought of the day
To wat extent can one push themselves? And what entails all that is oneself? Is it body, brain, mind, soul, spirit, all of the above and more? on many levels yes it is more, it is our experiences, our history, our upbringing, our race, understandings of the external world, and much more,but this particular discussion isn't focusing on that, it is focusing on what is it particularly that allows a person to push past perceived limits? I would want to discuss here at this point, the power of the mind, and that focussing on the function and capability of the mind, that one can move to another ealm of understanding, on a physical level and on a mental level.
It is greatly believed that if we focus on the strength that the mind can provide the physical body, on can accomplish anything...
I will leave this post on this note, short, yet I believe extremely thought provocative, and will continue to address the mind / body connection continuosly throughout this blog.
namaste
It is greatly believed that if we focus on the strength that the mind can provide the physical body, on can accomplish anything...
I will leave this post on this note, short, yet I believe extremely thought provocative, and will continue to address the mind / body connection continuosly throughout this blog.
namaste
29.07.08 - Aspects of intensity training...
Today i decided to train with physical intensity and maintain high levels of focus without the aid of water, something i have done many times before, for conditioning. this time was different though, i decided to reflect deeply on the tremendous thirst that dwelled from deep within.
I could nothelp but feel pain for those who do not have access to clean fresh revitalizing pure water, the smooth running liquid. When concentrated upon, especially when one is very thirsty, the water transmutes its natural form, and ideologically and physically becomes something far more powerful than simply a thirst quencher. It becomes life saving, but more to that it becomes life. if one focuse you can feeel a debt of gratitude to the life force that proceeds to enter ones domain, on a physical level this is soothing, on a spiritual level something truly amazing is occuring...
I feel a connectedness to something greater, I understand in greater depth what surrounds me, the poverty, the disadvantaged that have no access to this simplicity of living (or at least what should be) I feel their pain and become deeply humbled by something as simple as water.. well it's simple to us.
Reflect on the simplicities of life (or what appear to be, to the majority of the western world) and without fully travelling one can understand and know to some extent the world that surrounds them,, all that is needed is appreciation for one's position in life, and gratefullness to what one has, thought, consideration, reflection, and a little of one's time, it is that simple...
Namaste
I could nothelp but feel pain for those who do not have access to clean fresh revitalizing pure water, the smooth running liquid. When concentrated upon, especially when one is very thirsty, the water transmutes its natural form, and ideologically and physically becomes something far more powerful than simply a thirst quencher. It becomes life saving, but more to that it becomes life. if one focuse you can feeel a debt of gratitude to the life force that proceeds to enter ones domain, on a physical level this is soothing, on a spiritual level something truly amazing is occuring...
I feel a connectedness to something greater, I understand in greater depth what surrounds me, the poverty, the disadvantaged that have no access to this simplicity of living (or at least what should be) I feel their pain and become deeply humbled by something as simple as water.. well it's simple to us.
Reflect on the simplicities of life (or what appear to be, to the majority of the western world) and without fully travelling one can understand and know to some extent the world that surrounds them,, all that is needed is appreciation for one's position in life, and gratefullness to what one has, thought, consideration, reflection, and a little of one's time, it is that simple...
Namaste
Monday, July 28, 2008
29.07.08 - Thoughts of the Day
“The problem to be faced is: how to combine loyalty to one's own tradition with reverence for different traditions”. Abraham Joshua Heschel
“Let us not speak of tolerance. This negative word implies grudging concessions by smug consciences. Rather, let us speak of mutual understanding and mutual respect”. Father Dominique Pire
“Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd”. Bertrand Russell
“What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature”. Voltaire
“The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with”. Eleanor Holmes Norton
“Let us not speak of tolerance. This negative word implies grudging concessions by smug consciences. Rather, let us speak of mutual understanding and mutual respect”. Father Dominique Pire
“Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd”. Bertrand Russell
“What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature”. Voltaire
“The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with”. Eleanor Holmes Norton
28.07.08 - A tribute to a man beyond brilliance...
Anthony Imbrusciano...
A beautiful spirit, a wonderful Human Person, an enquisitive soul, an absolutely brilliant mind and a compassionate spirit... I was given the sad news of his passing not too long ago, i was informed that he died whilst i was away in the USA training, i have had a sad feeling in my being regarding the health of Anthony for some time now, and whenever i have contacted his collegues the news has been unpleasant and declining regarding his health...
Dr Anthony Imbrusciano is my Philosophy Lecturer at University, he was one of my first teachers at University, i have been studying for 5 years now (part time) and Anthony has been my Lecturer for a good part of those years. But he was more than that, he was a mentor, and a friend, and upon deep reflection, he assisted me in forming the person i am today, with his friendly open nature, his charasmatic, yet shy approach and his deep wisdom, on life and the universe surrounding us.
Such an informed scholar and individual, highly intelectual and informative with deep maturity of wisdom to match, such a humble person, he was and still is a wonderful role model for all who wish to aspire to being the best possible human person they can be.
His love of Philosophy and the never ending search for wisdom astounded me, his intelectual capacity was overwhelming, but most of all i was humbled by his own humbleness and poise of character. A beautiful man whom i discussed many times with training and training techniques, how to improve ones own performance and ability in that realm of being. Discussions i will never forget. He gave me inspiration to continue to study, deeper, in to the subject matter, deeper in to the "difficult questions", deeper in to life. he gave me a foundation to want to learn and understand more, i would look forward to every semester, hoping i would have him as my lecturer, as hard as a marker he was, i didnt care, i just wanted to be surrounded by his wisdom, and knowledge.
Anthony isn't just an inspiration to myself, I am very sure he is an inspiration to all who have crossed his path, I am sure he influenced and touched many souls in their endeavour to understand and contemplate the deep truths of life and being, he did this for me, and I am certain he did this for others, those close to him (closer than I was, on a different level) were blessed enough to know him in a greater capacity, and I am certain than when faced with the concept of physical death Anthony stood tall within his own being and did not stop fighting and searching to the end...
That's the Anthony I knew, a strong willed spirit, that's one of many qualities and attributes that he has passed on to me, and I will never forget what he is to me, he is an integral part of my own being, and my own search for truth, reality and all that is.
I thank you deeply and with great humbleness for all that you have provided me in this life Anthony, i appreciate deeply your wisdom and all of your time, as I understand that time on this Earth plane is limited and i was given and blessed with the opportunity to consume some of your time on this Earth, and to this I am truly in debt and ever lasting gratitude. As Eastern Philosophy and understanding would state, we are all intertwined in a circle of karma, that is only broken when we have achieved all that our souls must within this Earth Plane, and Nirvana is reached. Christianity states that if one has live their life a certain way, and executed certain thought processes in a particular way that the individual will be rewarded greatly with the prospect of heaven... Whatever "truth" is my friend, i am certain, the integrity of your character, and the essence of your being has bought you to a place where you are free...
I thank you for all that you are to me and to all the souls you have blessed along your wonderful journey we call life, I am sure you simply didn't walk through life blindly, but you embraced life, and you lived life, and maximized your time here.
I believe i could go on forever about the strength and inspiration of your presence and being. i will stop here, because I feel these words are not doing justice to all that you are. I miss you my friend, believe me, you are missed dearly and tremendously, i wish you all that need where you are...
I will see and feel your powerful presence soon, in one way, shape or form...
Love Always, Stef...
A beautiful spirit, a wonderful Human Person, an enquisitive soul, an absolutely brilliant mind and a compassionate spirit... I was given the sad news of his passing not too long ago, i was informed that he died whilst i was away in the USA training, i have had a sad feeling in my being regarding the health of Anthony for some time now, and whenever i have contacted his collegues the news has been unpleasant and declining regarding his health...
Dr Anthony Imbrusciano is my Philosophy Lecturer at University, he was one of my first teachers at University, i have been studying for 5 years now (part time) and Anthony has been my Lecturer for a good part of those years. But he was more than that, he was a mentor, and a friend, and upon deep reflection, he assisted me in forming the person i am today, with his friendly open nature, his charasmatic, yet shy approach and his deep wisdom, on life and the universe surrounding us.
Such an informed scholar and individual, highly intelectual and informative with deep maturity of wisdom to match, such a humble person, he was and still is a wonderful role model for all who wish to aspire to being the best possible human person they can be.
His love of Philosophy and the never ending search for wisdom astounded me, his intelectual capacity was overwhelming, but most of all i was humbled by his own humbleness and poise of character. A beautiful man whom i discussed many times with training and training techniques, how to improve ones own performance and ability in that realm of being. Discussions i will never forget. He gave me inspiration to continue to study, deeper, in to the subject matter, deeper in to the "difficult questions", deeper in to life. he gave me a foundation to want to learn and understand more, i would look forward to every semester, hoping i would have him as my lecturer, as hard as a marker he was, i didnt care, i just wanted to be surrounded by his wisdom, and knowledge.
Anthony isn't just an inspiration to myself, I am very sure he is an inspiration to all who have crossed his path, I am sure he influenced and touched many souls in their endeavour to understand and contemplate the deep truths of life and being, he did this for me, and I am certain he did this for others, those close to him (closer than I was, on a different level) were blessed enough to know him in a greater capacity, and I am certain than when faced with the concept of physical death Anthony stood tall within his own being and did not stop fighting and searching to the end...
That's the Anthony I knew, a strong willed spirit, that's one of many qualities and attributes that he has passed on to me, and I will never forget what he is to me, he is an integral part of my own being, and my own search for truth, reality and all that is.
I thank you deeply and with great humbleness for all that you have provided me in this life Anthony, i appreciate deeply your wisdom and all of your time, as I understand that time on this Earth plane is limited and i was given and blessed with the opportunity to consume some of your time on this Earth, and to this I am truly in debt and ever lasting gratitude. As Eastern Philosophy and understanding would state, we are all intertwined in a circle of karma, that is only broken when we have achieved all that our souls must within this Earth Plane, and Nirvana is reached. Christianity states that if one has live their life a certain way, and executed certain thought processes in a particular way that the individual will be rewarded greatly with the prospect of heaven... Whatever "truth" is my friend, i am certain, the integrity of your character, and the essence of your being has bought you to a place where you are free...
I thank you for all that you are to me and to all the souls you have blessed along your wonderful journey we call life, I am sure you simply didn't walk through life blindly, but you embraced life, and you lived life, and maximized your time here.
I believe i could go on forever about the strength and inspiration of your presence and being. i will stop here, because I feel these words are not doing justice to all that you are. I miss you my friend, believe me, you are missed dearly and tremendously, i wish you all that need where you are...
I will see and feel your powerful presence soon, in one way, shape or form...
Love Always, Stef...
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
27.07.08 - Thought of the Day
"Now my friends, I am opposed to the system of society in which we live today, not because I lack the natural equipment to do for myself but because I am not satisfied to make myself comfortable knowing that there are thousands of my fellow men who suffer for the barest necessities of life. We were taught under the old ethic that man's business on this earth was to look out for himself. That was the ethic of the jungle; the ethic of the wild beast. Take care of yourself, no matter what may become of your fellow man. Thousands of years ago the question was asked; ''Am I my brother's keeper?'' That question has never yet been answered in a way that is satisfactory to civilized society.
Yes, I am my brother's keeper. I am under a moral obligation to him that is inspired, not by any maudlin sentimentality but by the higher duty I owe myself. What would you think me if I were capable of seating myself at a table and gorging myself with food and saw about me the children of my fellow beings starving to death".
1908 speech: Eugen. V. Debs
Yes, I am my brother's keeper. I am under a moral obligation to him that is inspired, not by any maudlin sentimentality but by the higher duty I owe myself. What would you think me if I were capable of seating myself at a table and gorging myself with food and saw about me the children of my fellow beings starving to death".
1908 speech: Eugen. V. Debs
26.07.08 - On Physical Intensity Training...
What allows us to push through and percevere through intense physical pain? what are reasons? the purpose? why expose our bodies to torture? Why be ambitious to climb the highest peak? What are we conquering when we say weve conquered the highest peak in this world? are we physically conquering this peak, this mountain, or are we conquering something much deeper within our own world, not the external world that surround us?
Does this warrent the pain, the lack of oxygen at altitude, the potentiality at losing toes, feet, limbs, becoming disillusioned by whats infront of us, the fear of isolation, of staring death at its face? Is this worth the "conquor"? i believe so? and is it something external that we as individuals are conquering? i believe not.
It is a force driving from deep within the being of the individual, a life force if you will, something that speaks to us, that we do not know,but know, an energy we do not understand, but know it in fullness, it is our essence that comes through, a fighting spirit, not one of survival, becasue fundamentally survival is basic, but a fighting forward spirit of living, to live life, whatever the cost, to experience, to understand in fullness what it is to be alive, not to simply survive. Why, why all this?
To know who we are, we must push ourselves in every direction, in regards to intense physical training it could be; climbing mountains, cycling, fighting for survival,running distances or under the bar, intenity training requires great focus, deep understanding of self and surroundings, post reflection of events and single mindedness, qualities which allow us to be on the path to know ourselves in fullness. The external simply exists based on our perception of it, would the external world be what it is if we werent here to interpret it?? It is a playing field for each and every individual to play their game, to learn how the game is played and to find their way to victory...
Victory represents diversity to all who play, "there are many roads to China" as they say, and intense physical training is perhaps part of a road there, maybe "China" isnt the destination, maybe the destination is unknown and is discovered only through directly experiencing the journey, if this be the case then i say to all, enjoy the journey, if you are rapidly losing the game, change your tactics, take another path, worry not of the destination, but gain immensly and learn rapidly and thoroughly of the "current journey" you tread, only then will your own personal truth be revealed to you in fullness...
Namaste
Does this warrent the pain, the lack of oxygen at altitude, the potentiality at losing toes, feet, limbs, becoming disillusioned by whats infront of us, the fear of isolation, of staring death at its face? Is this worth the "conquor"? i believe so? and is it something external that we as individuals are conquering? i believe not.
It is a force driving from deep within the being of the individual, a life force if you will, something that speaks to us, that we do not know,but know, an energy we do not understand, but know it in fullness, it is our essence that comes through, a fighting spirit, not one of survival, becasue fundamentally survival is basic, but a fighting forward spirit of living, to live life, whatever the cost, to experience, to understand in fullness what it is to be alive, not to simply survive. Why, why all this?
To know who we are, we must push ourselves in every direction, in regards to intense physical training it could be; climbing mountains, cycling, fighting for survival,running distances or under the bar, intenity training requires great focus, deep understanding of self and surroundings, post reflection of events and single mindedness, qualities which allow us to be on the path to know ourselves in fullness. The external simply exists based on our perception of it, would the external world be what it is if we werent here to interpret it?? It is a playing field for each and every individual to play their game, to learn how the game is played and to find their way to victory...
Victory represents diversity to all who play, "there are many roads to China" as they say, and intense physical training is perhaps part of a road there, maybe "China" isnt the destination, maybe the destination is unknown and is discovered only through directly experiencing the journey, if this be the case then i say to all, enjoy the journey, if you are rapidly losing the game, change your tactics, take another path, worry not of the destination, but gain immensly and learn rapidly and thoroughly of the "current journey" you tread, only then will your own personal truth be revealed to you in fullness...
Namaste
Thursday, July 24, 2008
25.07.08
Believe nothing on the faith of traditions, even though they have been held in honor for many generations and in diverse places. Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it. Do not believe on the faith of the sages of the past. Do not believe what you yourself have imagined, persuading yourself that a God inspires you.Believe nothing on the sole authority of your masters and priests. After examination, believe what you yourself have tested and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto.
"Buddha"
"Buddha"
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
24.07.08 - Thought of the day
"When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable". Thich Nhat hanh
24.07.08
to be at harmony with oneself requires patience, requires focus and requires practice and a harnessing of inner quietness that perhaps can only be achieved with habituall input of various sources and energies by oneself...
Training yesterday, physically quite flat, yet i managed to focus inwardly and push through, i chose to focus on my breathing, and although the interval session was rapid on the lungs and inhalation, i chose to bypass that physical pain, and bring attention to quiteness that dwelled somewhere deep within me. I did not manage to find it in full, because, i feel if i did, i would of felt better, but i am on the path to...
time, practice and persistance...
an older pic of me riding..
namaste
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
the labrynth of life
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (Gk. λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure constructed for King Minos of Crete at Knossos and designed by the legendary artificer Daedalus to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and which was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. Daedalus had made the Labyrinth so cunningly that he himself could barely escape it after he built it. Theseus was aided by Ariadne, who provided him with a fateful thread, literally the "clew," or "clue," to wind his way back again.
The term labyrinth is often used interchangeably with maze, but modern scholars of the subject use a stricter definition. For them, a maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage with choices of path and direction; while a single-path ("unicursal") labyrinth has only a single Eulerian path to the center. A labyrinth has an unambiguous through-route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate.
do we create our own twisted and tangled paths in life?
The term labyrinth is often used interchangeably with maze, but modern scholars of the subject use a stricter definition. For them, a maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage with choices of path and direction; while a single-path ("unicursal") labyrinth has only a single Eulerian path to the center. A labyrinth has an unambiguous through-route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate.
do we create our own twisted and tangled paths in life?
23.07.08 - thought of the day
What is love?
Does what we know to be love, really love?
Is love real? Or is it simply in our minds?
The next question would be, is whats in our minds reality?
Namatse
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