Musings #6

So,

We're here. This is the place we will stay tonight. I know it was some way to walk, but isn't it nice here? There are trees, but not so many that we cannot see The Heavens, and there is the river. Do not let yourself be disturbed by the strange sounds. They begin at this time, but don't you find them charming also? I have often come to this place to sit in peace and contemplation. Now, I have taken you here because there is the river. Do you see how it coils in its movement, slow and undulating? It will help you to see what I want to show you. But first, let us start a fire before dark falls completely.

...

Ah, that is better, wouldn't you agree? Now we do not have to worry about the cold, and it will be easier to concentrate. Look now, to the stars. And look further, further. Maybe you will need to use your minds eye, your imagination. But if you look closely, you will see Him behind everything. There! You see? What looks like part of a big, white, slowly spinning circle, going over the whole of the sky, behind even the furthest of the stars, from horizon to horizon? Now, I will tell you who it is. Listen closely. 

In the beginning was Arh-Hum, and It was Joy. It wanted to play, so It split Itself in two: Half became Arh, The Cosmic Serpent, and half became Hum: The Silent Void of All Possibilities. Arh flew around in Hum, and They were Joyful. After some time, Arh became lonely, and so He opened his mouth and breathed out, breathed Fire. When Hum was full of Fire, She told Him, "Now, Dear, I have had enough. Let me now, and wait", and it was at the exact moment when He had breathed all He had out, and so He held his breath, and He caught the very end of His tail between His sharp teeth, and in this way he came to look like a big circle, circling the outermost reaches of Hum. And The Fire froze in Hum and turned into galaxies and stars, planets and moons. 

Now, Arh and Hum are Joyous to see their children playing. They see that their children sometimes play rough, or that they knock their heads against the world, but They know that this is how it should be. With parents like that, will the children not be spectacular and wild? Arh is still holding His breath, but when He wills, He will again open His mouth, let go of His tail, and He will consume, will breathe the whole of creation into Himself again. Then, He will merge with Hum, and They will again be Arh-Hum, and It will be Joy. It will rest, and when It again wants to play, It will do so. 

Do you think this is just a story? You are free to think whatever you like. Maybe you know a better one? I would like to hear it, if you do. All stories have their place. Some of them have greatly inspired me, and spurred me to better myself. Some of them I think are best forgotten. The good ones, in my mind, constitute a priceless heritage. But me, I like this one, so this is the one I tell you now. 

We can look at our minds as consisting of two halves that are working together. Our brains, even, are divided in two halves. One of them is linear and digital, the he-mind, and the other is circular and analog, the she-mind. Crudely speaking, the he-mind can be said to be reasoning, and the she-mind to be emotional. In a healthy brain, they are both in operation at all times, although not necessarily working at equal strength. Imbalance in these two halves leads to a more or less inharmonious functioning. For the best understanding and functioning, the two halves must be precisely balanced. 

 

Can our human minds understand Reality? I think It more complicated than we are capable of understanding logically, or emotionally. For that, I suppose we at least need higher-dimensional mathematics, but I think that would not be enough. A man called Rodin that I have seen on The Web has something called Vortex. Maybe it is useful? I don't know. The thing about logic is that it needs some fixed point of reference. Therefore it is limited in its application.

Thus, stories, poetic images and metaphors are good, for understanding what is really important. This is not to say that logic and mathematics are useless. Far from it. Look what we can accomplish with them. It's just, for the big things, the he-mind is often not the best one to use. For some of the biggest things, Love, and the question “Why?”, the she-mind is a better choice. For some other things, like logic, mathematics and raw survival, the he-mind is the better choice. Of course, for the greatest potential to be fulfilled, they will work flawlessly and harmoniously together, and there will be a natural discernment between when to use one, and when to use another, and in which ratio of balance. Thus, Wisdom can be said to be a clearly felt understanding of when to use reason, and when to use emotion, and how they should be mixed in any given situation.

You must ask yourself what is most important. Is it to survive, or to live? I am a child of Creation. So are you. My father is Arh, my mother is Hum. They are beautiful, so I will to be beautiful too. Not too vain, certainly not, as this will only lead to trouble, but vain enough that I don't present myself in a needlessly bad light. People do consider looks important, even if I don't, except aesthetically. Again, I look to Nature, and Its other inhabitants, and how they treat this delicate subject. I adore Beauty. Should I not be an exemplar of the things I like? I think so. But, as in all things, balance is the key. To excess, nothing. 

What has been called The Intuition can be likened to a little temple bell. Strike it, and it will ring in a completely pure, unheard tone, with many overtones. If a thought is good, it will resonate with one or several of the overtones, sometimes even with the main tone. The place to look for the intuition is in the center of your forehead. This is also the best place to look when you ask yourself "who am I?", even better than the heart-space, which is also a very good place to look for some of What You Are. This is just the placing in space. I am not talking about physical places, and I am not talking about hearing tones. The intuition is a sense that must be developed, all on its own. Relax, and concentrate. If you stray, gently come back. There is no need to scold yourself, it will only serve to make you less relaxed. Haven't you heard that forgiveness is a Heavenly Thing? You must also be able to forgive yourself. Know, as it has been said, that practice makes perfect. Do not be disheartened by lack of results. Continue, and you will begin to find what you are looking for. It is good to do this every day, and it is good to do it more times than one. A few minutes is better than nothing, an hour is good, and two hours is better. It is best done in a quiet place. Know, that you will need your Will in this quest. You do not come sleeping to It, but it is well worth the effort, in my opinion. And I am not even there yet; perhaps not even close. I do not know, but I do know that others who have gone further than me have spoken warmer words than me about the results of this practice. 

When I leave this place, I would like to go sit on one of Arh's countless scales, and smile down at you. Perhaps I will come back after a while. But you might not recognize me, and I might not remember you. In the end, it doesn't matter. Arh is watching us from behind the stars, and has granted His Will to us, and Hum is Everywhere, and in Her we are living, and we are the Children of Them. All is well.

Now, I am finished for tonight. You are free to do what you will. Far be it from me to tell you what to do. If you look inside of you, you will know what it is you should do. As for me, I will listen to The Silence in my Self.

I wish you a good night.

Musings #5

Ah!

Look up, do you see? The Heavens are full of Light. All these tiny twinkling dots. I wonder how far away they are. Is it not wonderful to be able to sit here in the silence, and the warmth of a crackling fire, and to witness such magnificence? We have worked hard during the day. Now it is time to relax, and let the imagination fly free. Now is the time for stories.

It can be said that who controls the mythology controls the mind, and who controls the mind controls the world. If someone is telling a story you don't like, do you not think you should try to tell another, better story? Then, the people can decide which one they like. The one they like best is the one they will tell to others in turn. This way, the stories can change, and take on a life of their own. Stories are central to our lives. It has always been so, and perhaps it will always be so. Why not? It is natural like this. Stories are the lifeblood of culture.

It is very important what stories we tell each other, and what stories we tell the children. If we tell them only ghost-stories, they might become fearful of the unknown. If we tell them only fairy tales, they might become too vain, or keep their heads in the clouds, and stumble. If we tell them stories with morals, of heroes and heroines with integrity and courage, they might learn something about living. The same principle applies to us all. We are deeply affected by the stories we hear, and by the stories we tell. Of course, one has to check everything against ones own Innermost. This is one of the things that Life is trying to teach us. We have, in our day and age, a library to rival that of Alexandria, a global town square to dwarf all previous town squares. I am speaking, of course, of The Web. On It, one can find fine and wise old dragons, some dead, some still very much alive and doing what it is that dragons do; one can find demented midgets screaming at the top of their lungs, and one can find silver-tongued, undead Liars in golden masks, sparkling armours and flowing cloaks, lathered in precious perfumes, but unable to fully hide the foul stench of death that permeates the air that surrounds them. One can find foolish priests, greedy gamblers and tired whores; merchants and scientists, magicians and jesters; red-faced warmongers and naïve peacemakers; criminals and men of law, winners, losers, fearless warriors, ignorant soldiers and shivering cowards; crying mothers, shamed fathers, prodigal sons and lost daughters. One can find the sick, and one can find the healthy. One can find the deluded, the mad, the pedantic, and the downright disturbing; There are scholars and bean-counters. There is royalty, and there are beggars. One can find the hysterical and one can find the sober, the brave, the willing and the just, and more, much and many more. It seems endless, and if one is curious one can spend a long, long, long time looking. It should be obvious that one must choose carefully, eating only what one can swallow in a single setting, and then go to a peaceful place and digest what one has seen. It has been said that you are what you eat. Sometimes it is enough to taste, and you will recognize what it is by its flavour. This Web can consume one whole, if one stares overlong into Its murky corners. And, you know, it is said that Cleanliness is a virtue. I would add Purity of the Mind to that. What one cannot find in the clamour of The Web is The Silent. For That, one has to look elsewhere.

Mothers, you know that when you are feeding a child, you do not put all the food into its mouth at the same time. It must be given in small bites. Similarly it is with our minds. There is a limit to how much they can take in in a day. If we do not respect that the mind must digest what it has taken in, we can cause mental constipation. The mind will grow fat and slow. You do not want the mind to grow fat and slow. You need it sharp and lean. This is a dangerous world. It is not wise to give away through carelessness that which can protect you. And it is generally better to have a little deeply known knowledge than a lot of scattered and meaningless information. What is the most important thing to know? That would be What Is. What Is? Who Is? What's this? What is Existence? What is Real? These are all the same question, just expressed differently. Do not accept anyone else-s answer to this vital question. You must find out yourself, and the place to look is right inside of you. The next question is, how do You want to relate to That Which Is? Again, you must find out for yourself. It is better to spend a whole day considering one of these questions without finding an answer, but looking still, than to spend a whole day getting a lot of possible answers to a lot of questions that are not really that important. Of course, some things we do consider important, and if they really are important, we should take good care to do them well. But enough of that for now.

I have looked inside. I have not found the complete answer to What Is, but I have found some clues. My will is to continue looking until I am satisfied that I have found what I am looking for, which I don't know what is yet. One thing I seem to have found is that it is very peaceful in the Centre. There seems to be not much movement, and not much desire for anything else than the Centre. It is a very beautiful feeling, though still unstable in my experience. Of course, I do not know if I have found the Centre. I do not think so. But still, It seems to be right there, beckoning me to come closer. I do not know what the future holds, but I hope to come as close as possible to that seemingly Silent Centre.

What I do seem to have found is that just surrounding that Centre is a wild and exuberant Passion. A raw Power, that can take many forms, depending on how It is channeled. It can take the form of Rage, of Lust, of Anger. I think that Hatred is trapped Rage. The raw Power can take the form of Love. To me, it feels like this Power is The Engine that is driving the whole of Existence, and I have no idea just how powerful It really is. It seems to me to be inexhaustible, and that the only limit that is placed upon It is our frail bodies and nervous systems. But It seems to me to be basically good-natured, although I know that It can also grant one too much Power, and overload ones system, resulting in deleterious effects. It can be trapped in byways of a contorted mind and then come out in cruel and unforgiving ways. It is essential that one respects It. It is said that Power corrupts. My advice is to never wish for more Power than you have Wisdom to handle, as raw Power unleashed can be the downfall of even the mightiest. It seems to me that there does not exist a being that can responsibly hold that Power, because It is inexhaustible. There will always be more than what anyone can contain. But, I do not know. It is said that one can learn, if one is absolutely at peace, to harness It. I know that I do not want more Power than I have Wisdom to use for Good. Certainly not. No thank you. I have had access to more than I could handle, and it nearly destroyed me. If you are going somewhere, it is better to walk slowly in the right direction than to run in the wrong direction. It is said that Patience is a virtue. I know this to be true. Patience can save one from many foolish acts. In many cases, Nature will sort things out Herself, without our interference. In some cases, She will sort it out in ways that we do not wish for. In those cases, it can be best to try to direct her, gently if possible, forcefully if necessary.

If you are thirsty, it is better to have one cup of water than ten liters of oil. If you want to start a big fire, it is better to have one cup of oil than ten liters of water. In both cases, what matters is your Will, which in this case is the same as what you want. Will must come from somewhere, wouldn't you say? Perhaps there is a Higher Power that also Wills? If so, would it not be in our interest to align our own Will with that Higher Will? It is said that it is possible to so perfectly align ones own little will with that Greater Will that the two become indistinguishable. I wouldn't know.

One thing I do know is that I am indebted to this world, and its people. Here, I have learned many things. I have been treated well, I would say. In some cases, not so well, but I suppose that is to be expected here. It is my experience that everything that happens can be used to learn something. And if nothing else can be learned, it seems to me that what can always be trained is to stand ones ground, which is a very important thing to learn, in my opinion. Of course, it has also been said that if you yield you need not break. I do believe that in some rare cases, unyielding, great and willing sacrifices are the best way to go about things. I do not know where I will go after I leave here, but I feel a great Trust in this Existence, whatever It is. So I am relatively peaceful. All is well.

I have been talking for long enough now. Go now, and think, or play music, or whatever else you care to do. Maybe you have a story to tell? I do not wish to tell you what you should do. You have your own Innermost to listen to. Just, I will suggest that you sit still for a while, and look up at The Heavens, with Their seeming infinitude of Lights, and dream. Dream. If you can, I suggest that you dream healthy and beautiful dreams. Dreams can sometimes come true, you know?

Musings #4

Dear,

Again we are here, gathered in the dark and silent night. Do come closer to the fire. The rustling animals will not come near it, and, if you do not go to close to it, you will not be burned. I want to tell you some important things, so I want you to listen carefully. Otherwise, please don't disturb those who do wish to listen.

Oftentimes, silence speaks louder than words. First, there is one thing you must understand. Reality is what It is. Only the mind can make something true or false. I repeat: Reality is what It is. Now, the mind can be said to consist of layers, and the innermost centre is the pure, undiluted consciousness of being. There is no distinction in this centre. It is said that the awareness of this beingness can be deepened and expanded. I do not know how deep this Mystery goes, but I have been surprised more than once in this exploration. The next layer of the mind is where the “I” and “The Other” is introduced. It is where one decides what values one will stand for, in relation to the other, and in relation to the Innermost. The next layer is the experiences one has in this life, and the next again, what one thinks is true about the world. This 4^th layer is highly dependent on what others have told one, what stories one has heard. The 5^th layer is what one wants to do about it all, how one will make all of these layers be consistent in relation to each other, especially, how the 2^nd and 4^th layers will be made to fit one another. They can be changed and transformed, according to an applied will, and to new experience. We all have a Free Will, and It is what we use to act and think. It is the bridge between our innermost centre and everything that surrounds It. It should be obvious that discipling the will is a healthy endeavour. Doing this will bear many fruits. Do you disagree? That is your birthright. I am happy that you use your own mind, and don't take everything I tell you to be correct. You yourself must find out if what I say is true, otherwise, it will have no value. I myself might change my perspective on this, based on new experience.

It is how it is how it is. Now is now. Some things change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Are you confused? I understand. It seems to be a confusing world we find ourselves in. Some things, however, never change.

All genuine Faith is constructed on experiential, concrete evidence, like a carpenter will gain faith in his muscled arm and his trusty hammer by using them, and seeing that he can build with them. Belief is opposite, in that there is no evidence for it, except a vague wishful feeling of “I want it to be like that”, or a fearful feeling of “I don't want it to be like that”. Belief and wishful thinking are often found together. Now, generally, but not always, the evidence for Faith is inner, or it is a private happening, where one is the only embodied witness, and thus, it can be said to be subjective. In other cases, one is the only one who understands what the happening means, although many see or hear it. This subjectivity, however, does not lower its authenticity, although others might, and often do, call one insane if one speaks about it. We see that there is a connection between faith and insanity, at least in the minds of those who understand neither. I would like to point out here that materialism and atheism are mere beliefs, hollow and useless. These schools of thought do not deserve to be called Faiths, since they are not interested in Truth, but only in fulfilling their wishes and avoiding their fears. Their search is not based on philosophically sound ground, but on their own myopic and greedy vision of the world. It is unscientific in the extreme to reject theories on the grounds of how one wants something to be, or not to be, as the case may be. A closed mind can be opened, but its possessor must be willing. The basis of all Faith, as well as all beliefs, is consciousness, as consciousness is the basis of all experience. What is consciousness, and from where does it arise? That seems to be two questions, but in Reality it is only one. It is the most important of all questions we can ask ourselves, and it can be asked in many different ways. One of them is: “Who am I?”.

It should be obvious that no-one can answer this question for you. You must dive into yourself, there to find the answer. It is a search that requires a diligent and patient effort, but according to those who have found even some success in the search, this effort was most definitely worth it. Again, Reality is what It is. It is uninfluenced by what we believe or wish about it. It is as solid as iron, as fluid as water, as light as air.

The mind has a wonderful and exciting faculty that we call The Imagination. The imagination can go where-ever it wishes. It can be unbounded and free. It can transcend all laws known to man. It can go to the scariest pits of damnation, and it can soar into the most rarefied spheres where beings of light sing and play. You know the imagination well. Dreams are Its province. The imagination needs just a little cue, and it will fly to where it wants, in a matter of instants. It is like a little healthy child, really, guileless, boundlessly curious and exuberantly alive. But, the imagination can be shackled, too, to old, crumbling walls in a maze, always ending up in the same place, even coming from many different directions. It can be split into many parts. These maze-walls, or worn-out beliefs, wishes, desires, or fears, can be like heavy chains, suffocating the mind, trapping it in patterns one has forgotten whence came. Please understand that beautiful fantasies can be prisons for the imagination, too. The mind cannot necessarily lift these chains off of itself, and especially not if it does not know it is trapped. If the Imagination becomes trapped inside one of these mazes or fantasies, the results can be both painful and terrifying, grotesquely comic or deeply tragic. The trapped imagination can be said to be the root cause of all Insanity, and depending on what mind-mazes we are talking about, the results can be more or less unhealthy.

Now, let me tell you what I consider Insanity to be, in simpler terms. I consider it to be believing in something that is not Real, and to hold onto that belief in spite of evidence to the contrary. However, if one wishes something to be a certain way, or contrarily fears that something is a certain way, one can trap the imagination, by this mechanism of willful and wishful thinking, effectively keeping the imagination holed up in a dusty old maze. I will give an example that I know to have happened. A man walks on an icy cliff, and wishes to go down. The man can see two ways down. One is a long, winding path, and the other is a steep, almost vertical slope, with a few narrow ledges. The man believes he has a Guardian Angel that hears everything he says and thinks, and that answers him inside of his mind, for only him to hear. So he stands on the edge, with a few thin trees, and asks the Angel: “Can I get down here?”, and inside his mind he hears: “Yes, my child, you will have no problems going this way”. Trusting in the Angel, he grabs one of the trees and lowers himself onto the first ledge. Here, he is at a loss how to proceed. He cannot get up again, as the tree is out of reach, he has no cracks or crevices to hold onto, and he cannot see the wall, because leaning out would make him lose his balance. After accepting this turn of events, he tries slowly lowering himself further down the wall, and, he slips, plunging down the cliff-side. He hurts himself badly, but is able to hump back to his living quarters. He is in pain for the next 7 days, and still he does not let go of the idea that he has a Guardian Angel that answers his questions with words in his head. This is Insanity. The man needed stronger medicine to understand the lesson.

Now, I do not know what is possible. Perhaps angels can speak inside peoples heads. But I do know that it is possible to believe that an Angel speaks inside ones head, and that that belief can be just wishful thinking, arising from the wish to have an Angel speaking inside ones head. This is not Faith, and it is no better than atheism. In both cases, we are dealing with wishful thinking, or, Insanity. Perhaps it is possible to have both situations ongoing at the same time, to be spoken to by real angels, and wish-angels. I do not know. One must learn to discern for oneself. It seems there are others out to try and define Reality for us, and not all of them with good intentions. It is important to keep control of ones own mind, lest it fall into the hands of someone who does not wish one well. Reality is a Mystery, but a beautiful, glorious Mystery. One could even call it Sacred. Sacred Reality. Yes, I like that.

Now, I am tired. The night is also meant for sleeping. You can watch the fire if you wish to, and dream yourself anew. Into the fire you can throw everything you don't need any longer. But, before I go, let me give Thanks to the Mystery that has brought us forth. Let me give Thanks to Being. I do not understand It, but It is right here where we are. Praise!

Interlude: A short story

The Feast

It is a fresh, autumn evening in a medium-sized metropolis. There is peace in the streets. The police are on the watch, keeping the citizens of the city safe. Winter is approaching, but it is not here yet. Still, the weather is pleasant. He opens a bottle of blood-red wine on the terrace overlooking the green neighbourhood. ”Lets drink to the full moon, my dear!”, he says. From the kitchen, she answers playfully: ”The moon, the stars, the clouds, my cunt, whatever! Lets drink to life!”. She is busy preparing their dinner, the feast they have prepared for. He, in a half whisper, half call: ”Oh, my little dove, my little kitten, you know that I love you when you speak dirty like that! It turns on a fire in my loins.”. Although excited, he controls his voice as best he can, for he does not wish to disturb the neighbours, or perhaps children or other persons in the street. What would they think of this kind of language? To him, it is a private matter. Besides, someone might covet his wife if they knew how feisty she could be. He worships her, he wants her, but he does not trust her completely. But to the outside world, they are a well-to-do, successful, respectable, and harmoniously loving couple, with not a problem between them.

Earlier in the day, they were lying in bed. They were trying out a new form of love-play, suggested to them by one of their church-fathers. They had lighted scented candles, and spread them around their bed-chamber. The bed itself was covered in silken sheets, and there were flowers on a little table next to it. The room smelled clean and nice. However, to a sensitive nose, there was a tinge of something metallic in the air. They were lying, naked, on either side of the bed.

In between them was the foetus, an unborn little baby girl. She had a wisp of black curls on her head, and was perhaps 7 months old. They had paid dear money for her, from a man they knew who was also a member of their church, and who did not ask questions. They instinctively reciprocated his delicate diplomacy. Some secrets were meant to be kept. Their secrets were meant to be kept. They respected the man, and he respected them, but they did not trust each other. They were together in the church often, all partaking in its ceremonies and rituals, and the bond in their congregation was strong. The eyes of the foetus were closed, and it was lifeless. He jabbed it with a finger, in its little stomach, saying: ”Ding dong! Anybody home? Is baby happy?”. She laughed, a tinkling laugh, and said, in a teasing voice: ”Oh, my big man, my strong man, you’re so funny! Do you want to play with baby and me?”. He answered cockily: ”I will play with baby and you, and I have a friend who will join us, so that we shall be 4 all together. You know who I’m talking about!”. And for the next hour or so, they were straining their imaginations to the utmost, doing whatever came to their minds, trying to remember all that they had learned about these things, drinking the pleasures of their acts. Afterwards, they were pleasantly exhausted, and had a little nap.

Later, now, the feast is ready to begin. She tells him to come in, and to sit down. He complies. She brings the silvered platter, covered with a big lid, onto the table. There are lighted candles, and fine cutlery. He exclaims: ”Oh, my little dove, how wonderful it smells! Did you prepare it just for me, just for us?”, and she answers: ”Of course I did, my little devil, my big man. It will make us strong, as they have told us.”. She takes off the lid, and reveals the steaming foetus, on a bed of tender vegetables that lie in a fragrant sauce. He: ”Oh my Lord! My dove, how terribly delightful it looks! May I?”, and, without waiting for an answer, he grabs the carving knife and the meat-fork, cuts the meat, and serves her a piece with the fork. Then, he takes the spoon lying on the platter, and serves her some vegetables, the steam pleasantly wafting into their noses. After this, he serves himself in a similar fashion. ”Bon appétit, my dear!”, he says. She lifts her glass and smiles at him, a wicked gleam in her eyes that she knows makes him crazy about her. They eat in reverence, the silence broken only by the clink of their glasses, the scrape of cutlery, and the purring sounds of pleasure they make as they eat. After they have finished, they drink a cup of coffee, and then enter the bed-chamber to spend the night in lusty embraces. They feel drunk on life, intoxicated with pleasure. For them, life is good. Life is beautiful. They can do what they want. They feel strong, and beautiful, and healthy.

The next morning, after they have ingested a small morning meal, showered, cleaned themselves and dressed impeccably, as is their wont, they exit their home and enter the streets, walking together for a little while. Their destinations for the day are different, but the direction they must take at first is the same. They pass a smelly vagrant on the street, who asks them for some spare change. On the inside he is gloating over the vagrants misfortune, but knowing that appearances have a power of their own, the man self-consciously pulls out his wallet, and hands the homeless man a newly minted note, saying: ”I feel good today, my brother, I feel generous. This is for you.”. The vagrant, in surprise, says: ”Oh thank you, thank you, my good man! May the Lord bless you and yours!”. The well-dressed man politely gives a little bow, saying: ”Everything for my fellow man. May you be well, friend.”. The homeless man cannot hold back his emotions, a tear shows in his eye, and he says: ”Good sir, if only there were more people like you, the world would be a better place, I am sure!”. The man bows again, and, taking his wife by the arm, walks on.

A little further on, they walk past a church, a big sign hanging by its side proclaiming: ”Jesus sees! Jesus saves!”. With a sneer, he says, to no-one in particular: ”Hah! Jesus sees? Well, I don’t see him, so I guess that settles that. Jesus saves? Jesus saves who? The believers? Well, I sure as Hell don’t believe in Him.”

-Fin

Musings #3

Dear,

Aha! You have come back. I did not scare you away, then? I know I say things that sound terrible. Would you consider a tiger terrible? Is it not a natural thing? The Plague that took so many away, was it not natural? But enough of that for now. Now, I want to speak of beautiful and dignified things.

Scientists are beginning to come to the understanding that the basic building blocks of physical life come from the heavens. Many of the most essential organic molecules, including most of the amino acids and the bases found in DNA have been found in meteorites. Water is common in the Universe, and is one of the main constituents of comets. What this means is that both the medium in which life as we recognize it has come to be, and the building blocks of which it is constructed have come from outer space. The most obvious answer to this conundrum is that both the water and the organic compounds have condensed in the cooling-down process of huge, interstellar gas clouds consisting of the dust of dead stars. This gas has then collapsed and formed massive objects due to the force of gravity. Astronomers have begun to discover planets around other stars, and the number are currently in the thousands. A good percentage of them lie in the “habitable zone”, in relation to the star. So, one can imagine that there are planets, like fertile sun-nourished soil, floating around stars, and the physical necessities of life, like seeds and the life-giving water, being carried by objects that travel through the cold, silent space, sometimes crashing into a planet and leaving their vital payload, not unlike pollination. The star will shine, and the brew will bubble, and one day, perhaps, there will be lushness, sounds of creatures and some sort of plants and flowers. Is it not beautiful?

Scientists have long been puzzled by the fact that all the physical constants of Nature seem to be fine-tuned for life. Were they changed, even by just a little bit, life as we know it could not exist. Curious? Some try to explain this fact by putting forward a multiverse theory, in which all possible universes exist side by side, and we happen to be in one where the numbers turned out right. Otherwise we could not observe it, they say. Does it sound to you like they want to explain something else away? Many humans want to feel special. They want to feel that they are the biggest and the best and the most unique. Some astronomers want humanity to be something special, a special dispensation from a chaotic, random Universe, something unique and alone and unlike anything else. Often, humans choose a theory, and then they make the facts fit. In many cases, this is how we explain things. Atheist, Theist, and others, all construct their world-views on faith in something, whether it be what they consider to be theirs, reason, senses, feelings, something external, or something else. Looking at the intellectual arguments against and in favour of Higher Powers, of them all, the agnostic could be said to be the wisest. He says: “I do not know”, as long as he does not know. It has been said that he who speaks does not know, and he who knows does not speak.

Astronomers agree that in the centres of all galaxies reside a black hole, an object so massive that not even light can escape its gravity. It is holding the galaxy together, so to speak. In the middle is the unknown, the unobservable. It can, however, be felt. Is this not, at the same time, terrifying and fantastic?

On the steppes of Africa, in the days of old, if a mother gave birth to a deformed child, she would leave it for the animals to find. She instinctively understood that letting the child live would endanger the whole tribe. No mother likes to leave her new-born child under a tree, but she considered it necessary. I am sure that she cried. But, in time, her mind would forget and only her heart would remember, and she would bear her sorrow with dignity. She could try to have another child. Life continued. Life is resilient. Life is strong.

Trying to impose our limited understanding on Nature will always leave us blind. One must respect what one is working with, or one will more than likely destroy it, or fool oneself. We have to stay open. Our society has taken the responsibility out of the hands of Nature. Should we not try to see how She takes care, and has taken care of that responsibility, and try to mold our own ways after Hers? Is it inconceivable that a Darwinian selection process is also operating on a planetary scale? That, if we do not learn to live in harmony with each other and Nature, by removing or controlling everything that disturbs that harmony, we will not deserve to live? That, then, we will not have lived up to the responsibility that we have greedily taken out of Natures hands?

A fool, in his eagerness to sound wise, entangles himself in delusion. A wise man holds on to nothing longer than is needed. In that way, he can start anew with every breath. He understands that the foundation of existence is ever untouched, ever pure, ever unsullied by thoughts, deeds and words. He understands that it is unruffled by even the largest cosmic cataclysms. We are alive. We are alive. Life wants to live, and life wants to grow. We see this in Nature. It is a far stronger force than our comparably puny wills. It seems to be, so to speak, inherent in the Universe in which we find ourselves.

In the times of old, when the elder Eskimos felt that they had imparted their wisdom, their stories and their strength, cracked their last joke, and felt that they were a burden to their tribe, and felt that it was responsible to leave the tribe, that it could take care of itself, they would say a grateful good-bye, and walk onto the ice. There they would leave life in the silent company of their selves, the Sun and the wind, and, depending on how disciplined their minds were, thinking about what they wanted. I imagine they thought about their lives, and ended them in fasting, calm and composed. Thus they left life with their dignity intact. The Aboriginals of Australia would go and sit under a tree. I think it highly likely that all indigenous people have done similar things. The elephants walk alone to their graveyards when they feel it is time, there to lay down to rest. Other animals do similar things. Humans and animals have an inner urge to preserve, regain, and defend their dignity. No-one who respects the circle of life and death wants to die in their own waste in a stuffy room, desperately clinging to something that cannot be held. We are born to be free, and, after a life lived free and strong, to freely leave life under the Sun, in the fresh air, at the time of our own choosing. To me, this is as natural as life itself. May it one day be possible for all to live and to leave in that way.

What was was what was, what is is what is, and what will be is what will be.

Can our longing not build? Can our longing not destroy? We are expressions of Life, something we do not understand. Something immeasurably greater than us. Yet it tenderly lives in us. A plant nurtured will grow, a seed watered will sprout. May you have health and strength always.

Musings #2

Dear,

so, you're here again. Please, sit down, and let us listen to the wind together. I will speak, and you can listen or leave. I want you to be free.

Sometimes, we have to do things that are deeply unpleasant, out of necessity. Sometimes, if we do not do those unpleasant things, we can be certain that something more unpleasant will meet us up the road. On the ships of old, there were ship-doctors. In times of battle, they would sometimes have to cut off limbs of the sailors, in quick and painful operations without anaesthetics, because those limbs had been damaged beyond repair, and because, if they had not been cut off, the sailors would have died. We all know the image of a seaman with a wooden leg. We can be sure that, had his leg not been wooden, he would have been dead. If a limb is stricken by gangrene, it must be sacrificed and cut off, or it will infect the rest of the body, resulting in death.

Life is neither black nor white. Rather, it is black, and white, and everything in between. It is also multicoloured. We see only a small range of electromagnetic frequencies with our eyes. Only in very, very rare instances do we see pure white, or pure black. Even then, it is not pure. In Nature, everything is affected by everything. Move one pebble on a beach, and you will move the centre of mass of the whole solar system. Turn on an electric wire, and you will change the whole collective magnetic field of the Earth. Life feeds on life. The strong survive, and the weak die. In Nature, everything is recycled. Life and death are inextricably linked. What is born must die. What matters most, in my opinion, is how it lives. How it is allowed to live. Who are we to say what is right, and what is wrong? Look at the world. Who are we to judge?

Josef Mengele made medical research on prisoners in German concentration camps during the 2^nd world war. It must have been greatly unpleasant and frightening to be experimented on. Some research subjects even died, we are told. This is probably true. His research was done to help Germany in the war, and today, much of modern medicine is based on research done by Mengele, and it has been used to save people from highly unpleasant, scary and even life-threatening situations. It is being used to this day, to help people survive things that in other times would have killed them. By now, we can safely assume that many more people have been helped because of what he did than had to die and suffer for him to learn what he learned. Can one say that Mengele was a thoroughly evil man, then?

In Nature, everything learns from everything. Every action results in a consequence. A wise man will study the consequences in relation to the actions, and in that way, by changing accordingly, he will come closer to his centre. In that way, he will learn how Nature works. This is the basis of both science, human relations, and relations with the self.

In human society, we have law. One can see that the rulers of our day have great material force, and can quash any rebellion that might begin. They have powerful technology that allows a few men to subjugate many men. A wise man does not run into a wall. What this tells us is that if we wish to change things, it should be done so lawfully.  Maybe, in time, we will be wise enough to not need laws. Nature has provided us with good laws. Nature is beautiful and old, and has been working flawlessly for eons. Why make more laws?

Some human laws are decidedly unrighteous. There is talk of freedom of speech, but some speech is prohibited. Some subjects can only be talked about in certain ways. Some people are silenced. If people see this, will they take those who speak about freedom of speech seriously? Take the Holocaust, as an example. Many hold that 6 million Jews were gassed in German war camps, as part of a mass extermination program. Others, some of whom are professors and scholars, have been willing to risk their freedom, their careers and their social standing to tell another story. Their story is roughly as follows: there was no mass extermination program, and far below 6 million dead. I do not remember being there, so I cannot say what happened. What I do know is that it is wholly unscientific and morally reprehensible to prohibit free discussion, of any subject. What do we call those who say one thing, yet do another?

When a knot is tight, it is no use to tighten it, if you want to untie it. If you want to untie it, you must loosen it. You can cut it, too, but then you will shorten the rope. When a gardener takes care of a rose bush, he will prune it. He will cut off what is unhealthy, so the rest of the plant can stay strong, and free of disease. A wolf mother will snap at her cub if it is too wild. She is tasked with the responsibility of teaching her young to survive in a hard environment. If she teaches them well, they will become strong, and can prosper. When one looks at the starry night sky, with its innumerable stars in the silent, peaceful void, how can one say that anything is wrong?

May your life be healthy and strong, my friend, and, when you die, may you do so with a smile on your lips.

Musings #1

Dear,

We are together in this. We walk on the same planet. I ask that you open your mind, and walk with me for a while. What I would like is that we learn to think. Because, in my opinion, we will need our brains to survive as a species.

Would you consider our culture to be in good health? Would you say that it is right to treat animals like they are treated in the factory farms? If it was not to satifsy the palates of the people, but for another, nobler goal, would that change things? Do you consider it right that people throw trash into nature, both on an individual and collective scale? Do you consider it sane?

The way we treat our planet and its other inhabitants show us for what we ourselves are. It shows us the amount of respect we have for life. The same planet that has been our cradle, the same life that has been our companions, our sustenance and our inspiration, for longer than we remember, either through our stories or our books. How does it reflect on us to treat this planet and its life like we do? What does that make us?

Humans have made religions, we have made culture, we have made art and music and litterature. Throughout history, there has been people that has left a brave and beautiful impression on the world around them. We have made libraries, temples and aquaducts. We have made science. We have sent huge telecopes into space, and stared into the void with its countless stars and galaxies. It is obvious that we have potential. Looking at a child, a fresh, guileless and innocent child, it is obvious that we have potential. So curious, so free, so impressionable. We can tell that child anything, and if we say it confidently enough, it will believe us. It should be obvious that that brings a huge responsibilty with it. What do we teach our young, the guardians of the future?

The child is affected to such a great degree by the environment it is raised in, that we can say that it is a product of the environment, without sounding too foolish. The child not only learns from what it hears, but also from what it sees. How does the culture and the child stand in relation to each other? If a culture is unhealthy, how will that affect the children? What will they become?

Looking at the mother of the child, it is obvious that we have the ability to feel love, and, in the case of the mother, if she is a natural mother, a love so fierce, so powerful, that it will kill anyone who threatens the child, if necessary. What does that tell us about love?

Would you say that it is right that there is war, and that there has been war going on for such a long time, almost constantly it seems? Do you consider our culture to be morally healthy, with it’s pornography, obsession with violence in entertainment, undercurrent of desperation driving people to drink and drugs and mind-numbing TV-binges, vote-hungry politicians, and rising inequality?

It has been said ”we corrupt in order to rule”. What kind of creature would say such a thing? Would it be said by someone humbly trying to lead the people to prosperity, happiness and peace? The principle ”divide and rule” has been known by rulers for a long time. Does division have much relevance on a spherical planet? Can the wheel roll if it is split in two?

By the definition of the word ”organism”, we can consider the entire planetary ecosystem to be one single organism. This means that the whole is dependent on the individual parts, just as the individual parts are dependent on the whole. When this is so, who do we want to rule us? Would you prefer the rulers to be selfless servants of the whole, or greedy servants of themselves? Where is the power concentrated in the world? In whose hands does it lie?

It has been said that ”money is power”. If this is true, then to find where the power lies, one can follow the money trail and see where it leads. Money is issued from central banks. The interest on debt makes sure that money flows towards money, and thus that those who have much will be given much. In whose hands are the central banks?

If one was a ruler, one would understand just how important is the mentality of the people to ones rule, and to the time that one could stay in power. To influence this mentality of the people, one would be interested in exerting a degree of control on the information that the people were exposed to. The main issuer of information is the media, newsprint, television and publishers. Who controls the media?

When tending a garden, a gardener will prune the trees to keep them healthy. He cuts away what is unhealthy, so the rest of the plant can stay strong and free of disease. In human society, we have law. Law is said to be an impartial template, judging everyone by the same standards. Is this what you see?

There is much talk of freedom of speech. Speech are utterings of sound from the vocal chords. This is a natural function. Speech and the written word are used for the transfer of ideas and/or information. Freedom means to be unbounded, unlimited. There are laws against so-called ”hate speech” and there are laws against ”Holocaust denial”. What does that mean for our freedom of speech? Is it really free, then, and is it even morally right to talk of freedom of speech when these laws are in operation? The meaning of the term ”slippery slope”, is that one starts with a seemingly innocent little thing, and then less and less innocent things follow.

In nature, there are no moral laws. In nature, actions carry in them implicit judgement in the form of the consequences of those actions. We come from nature. Nature can be said to be our Mother, without twisting the words too much. A human child learns from its mother. Should we not learn from Nature, then?

Witness the incredible violence inherent in Nature. Earthquakes, solar storms, tsunamies, volcanic eruptions, stampeding elephants. The circle of life is the circle of death. Who are we to say what is right, and what is wrong? I do not like to see others suffer. It hurts me. When I feel like this, should I accept the suffering in the world? Should I try to change it? Should I allow people to abuse others?

Without law, human society would descend into chaos. If people felt responsibility for the world around them, do you think that would be the case? Without love, children stop living. With insufficient love, children become emotionally and intellectually stunted. It has been said ”forgive them, for they know not what they do”. It is a beautiful thing to say.

The Sun can be said to be the source of all energy on this planet. All the oil has once been dinosaurs, plants and perhaps other living things. All that we eat is part of the food chain. The foundation of the food chain is plants. Plants need sunlight to grow. Even when clouds are covering the sky, the sun is shining, and even when it is night, the sun will rise in the morning.

Have a good day.