posted October 26, 2004 09:17 AM              

PEACE BE UPON YOU.

posted October 26, 2004 09:43 AM            

In every Seeker lies,
Truth percieving eyes.
Bright blade hidden beneath,
Conditioning's tarnished sheath

You said:

Of course, whilst a guide may provide us with the necessary information we will still have to do the work of cleaning ourselves.

I ask, how may one go about the cleaning of ourselves in preparation of awaiting the Guide or Teacher?

Thank you.

posted October 26, 2004 01:06 PM              

in that case...

TAG YOUR IT!

posted October 26, 2004 06:25 PM              

1. Can you tell when you are lying and when you are telling the truth?

2. Do you deceive yourself and justify your actions?

3.Can you perform an act of service without taking pleasure in the act?

4. Do you listen to your greed, anger and hate and allow it to guide you?

5. Do you know what sincerity really means?

6. Do you know the difference between knowing and opinion?

7. Pick a religion. Follow it's basic tenets as best you can.

8. Take care of your body. Learn something(martial art, dance, whatever) that forces you to use it in a nonhabitual way.

9. Learn to question yourself and everything else. At every level and with great consistency.

10. When an opportunity to create something of intrinsic real value occurs...respond.

11. Play with children regularly.

12. Develop the ability to trust.

OK, enough for the moment. This would be another of those big questions and my answers are no better than anyone else's...

Peace and Grace be with you Juniperb,

posted October 26, 2004 06:41 PM              

7. Pick a religion. Follow it's basic tenets as best you can.

Religion is not synonymous with Spirituality. Nor does it trump Spirituality. You can be quite spiritual with out a shred of religion.

posted October 26, 2004 06:44 PM              

I wouldn't disagree at all. The point being that most religions are works of Divine inspiration and provide a basic set of good practices to follow.

posted October 26, 2004 07:48 PM            

If I chose a favorite, it would have to be:

10. When an opportunity to create something of intrinsic real value occurs...respond

Thank you!

posted October 26, 2004 08:51 PM              

Whose color is green? Whose name is grace? Who has a healing hand? I didn't understand what you meant?

Also earlier you mentioned

quote:

---

For a man of God, Jesus is the extension of the good deeds of Mary. The limited eye ignores Mary and only sees Jesus.

---

What did you mean? The catholics believe she is the immaculate conception? They praise Mary 10 times in the rosary than the father God, or even Jesus. Is it ok for you to comment on above. If not I would understand your silence on questions such as this one.

posted October 26, 2004 09:53 PM              

ROTFLMAO

Librasparkle,

As Rumi once said:

"If you want special illumination, look upon the human face: See clearly within laughter the Essence of Ultimate Truth."

Love and Be Well,

posted October 27, 2004 07:53 AM              

Thank you once more for your words

I have spent some time contemplating your last post to this thread,and hope the understanding I have is right.

The love expansion and the fasting enables the the colour green to become a more visible part of essence. "Green is the color of nature. It brings peace and harmony into our lives. It is the color of Healing and Hope, optimism, freedom, balance." When the colour green becomes more visible as the nafs begin to fall away there is more potential for using the energy for healing others both spirtually and physically.

Grace is a "state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God." May we all work towards this state and find within us the opportunity to be of service to others as we travel along this path.

Much love to you Master, through yourself and others I can now see a direct connection to All that is.

posted October 27, 2004 12:43 PM              

....and back to your first post to me.

The pool was a muddy puddle!

All thats gold doesnt glitter and all that glitters isnt gold. I should have paid attention when I finished the adage myself.

Love to you Master

posted November 01, 2004 03:56 PM              

I feel in my heart that you are true. I believe you. May I ask you this?

Why did these things happen to me?

Why did they leave me?

posted November 05, 2004 03:01 AM              

Whatever happens in life is predestined. God's plan is perfect, don't worry. For further learning, I will allow the moderator to send you my e-mail. I'll explain more in the private e-mails.

Serenity,

posted November 05, 2004 09:02 AM            

quote:

---

Whatever happens in life is predestined. God's plan is perfect, don't worry. For further learning

---

If whatever happens in life is predestined, just a movie whose plot and ending never change, then 'further learning' smells like an oxymoron.

posted November 05, 2004 08:56 PM              

It sounds to me like Marcia is wondering why things happened to her, why certain things entered her domain. But maybe how she reacts to them is still (I hope so anyway) largely under her control? Although, to varying degrees, we are all unwillingly under the control of our lower selfs and maybe that is a form of Fate too. But the idea of a Universe behaving willy nilly is tiresome and disheartening, I think. Surely there is a rhyme and reason to things. I hope I can meet the things the Lord see fits to send in my direction (predestination?)in the best way I see fit(Free Will?)I'm willing to learn to dance with God. I'm even willing to let the Lord lead. Its better than dancing alone.

posted November 05, 2004 10:15 PM            

Tink, I would share anything with you, from my last dollar to my last vegan chocolate chip peanut butter cookie.

You know, Tink, I think of these things too, sometimes I even wrestle with them. But at the end of the day, we choose what we believe, whether we want to call it an epiphany, a feeling, or a knowing. I have found only remnants of truth in religion and dogma, ergo, I generally eschew them both.

Destiny Vs. Free Will does present an interesting conundrum. Is Destiny equal to Predetermined? Maybe, maybe not. It may be our destiny to meet...but only if we can't control our actions is it also predetermined.
Is our destiny written before we are born, or do we write it as we go?

I've no idea.

Tink, have you read the book Illusions by Richard Bach? It's very short, should take you under an hour to read. If you can't get a copy, I will get one for you and send it. I may even have one or two around, and I would be most interested in your reaction.

I do think there is some order to Life. It seems to be predestined that generally, people are born to resemble each other with, generally, the same basic traits. And it seems that cats are cats and are not fish. These things are benign. But if we're just animations in someone else's movie fantasy...then to be so with consciousness means, to me, that we got ripped off.

Our 'lower selves' have validity. Our negative selves have validity. All things do, whether those of us who strain for a higher mind like to accept it or not. The closest I get to dogma is in the Yin and Yang of Life, where things balance out. And if both positive and negative are needed to balance life (and they are)...then, wouldn't it then be valid to say that to achieve a balanced, ultimate understanding of Life, The Universe and Everything, one must be both enlightened and endarkened?

I've no idea.

"We Create Our Problems Because We Need Their Gifts"

I am sure you are absolutely correct, that Marcia is seeking to understand some negative influences in her life. And I wish her well, and I wish her wisdom. But I would submit: How does one empower herself by believing that everything in her life is predestined, and beyond her control?

K. 'Nuff said. Have at it kids.

posted November 05, 2004 10:23 PM              

Do any of US know what comes next? Do any of US know the coming twists and turns in the plot?

Do YOU?

Then why should we flippantly dismiss the notion of fate as we have been conditioned to do throughout our lives?

If I walk into a theatre (am born), to view a documentary film that I've never seen before(existence), on a subject that I know nothing about(life), certainly the plot is fixed, the events will transpire as the writer has written them.

This does not necessarily negate my ability to learn something from the film. On the contrary, it assures me that there will likely be a logical progression to the piece, and that there is something valuable to be learned from it. Otherwise, why would it be showing in the theatre? Why would I be in the audience? Why would the actors be on the stage? For the purpose of running around and randomly doing what they please?

Love,

posted November 05, 2004 10:30 PM              

Can I have your email address?