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Author Topic:   The Path that defines the Way
dafremen
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Posts: 1104
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Registered: Nov 2002

posted August 31, 2003 10:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dafremen     Edit/Delete Message
"In the quest for truth and meaning in life, there is a Path that defines the Way.
None may be led down that road to understanding, still we need not follow its winding curves alone. For as to each falls the task of choosing his footsteps, so also may we choose to mark the trail where we stumble. Look carefully for the signs left to you, my brothers and sisters. They are everywhere, left eons ago by those who, having made the journey, couldn't bear to leave you behind. Hear too the cries of one who has seen the way, and longs for what he had before straying from the Path. Take these offerings of love and find in them the way to your birthright, to your happiness."


Imagination takes us places that reality begs to, but fails to for its substance. Were the mind to see what the heart has forgotten, loneliness would be replaced with solitude and the days of its reign over the human experience would come to an end. Were we to have been taught from birth the truths that our race has all but forgotten, our time would be valued, each individual life cherished for its rarity; each day and the moments they contain would be weighed as gold paid in appreciation, forgiveness and understanding. There is such a truth. On the heels of its discovery follow the signposts that define a path. There are many who believe that there is no such thing as "a Path" or "the Way." With so much stacked against our understanding from the very beginning, it's no wonder that many find the notion absurd. Still, the Path isn't necessarily about faith, or at least it doesn't have to be, for the signs of its existence are there to be seen and understood by those who must see to believe. There isn't just one path, no, there are many paths in fact. Not all arrive at the same destination (some don't even arrive at the desired destination), but most head in the same general direction. This, at least, is an improvement over wandering lost. The direction these paths run is parallel to those which define the Way. The Way is a destination. It is the evolution of the human race. The Path is a teacher. One is the end result of an inner metamorphasis, the other a series of lessons that provide the catalyst for that metamorphasis.

There are those who stumble onto a Path. There are others who search after the Way. These are the Seekers, and they may or may not subscribe to faith in the divine, but regardless, they make their way down one Path or another in pieces and stutters. The trials along the way are each met or hidden from, faced or failed. Even in failure, new pieces can keep coming, and often do, but they only serve as tantalizing reminders of what awaits down the Path, beyond the inner change its testing brings about. Until the tests are passed, there is usually little or no advancement.

At the end of that evolution of the psyche, there is respect, love, appreciation, consideration, purpose of emotion, humility, purpose of mind, courage, empathy, purpose of will and understanding. There is clarity of vision, the unseen is seen, the mind's eye is open to reality as it exists, not as it appears to or may be. Of the many Paths that lead to that destination, some are well-traveled, some remained to be blazed. As one Teacher said, "The Path may be chosen or forged, but the well-worn dirt between the grasses seems to hold more promise than the parted blades beside it." Taking an established Path is generally more reliable, easier, and faster. (Depending upon the Path chosen of course.)

For those of you not inclined to deep, philisophical thoughts, I would highly recommend a theology or method for living which emphasizes:

1. Unity

2. Will's ability to exercise authority over material urges, desires and habits.

3. Humility

4. Appreciation of and reverence for all life, preferably for all things.

5. Acceptance of the need for both darkness and light, joy and pain..for cycles and contrasts.


This theology or philosophy does not have to be a god-based religion or belief system. Most Paths DO come to some terms with the question of divinity. The Way is a destination though, not a set of rules or rituals that lead to that destination. These rules and traditions are simply the tools and guides along each particular Path. Since the Way is a destination, a Path need not require that you make any assumptions about what is waiting at the end or even whether or not there IS an end. A Path's purpose is not to shape your beliefs into a precast mold that will bring you to a state of blissful ignorance (although some do almost that.) The purpose of a Path is to bring each of us to a point in our lives where we are enamored of this infinite march of finite mortal rarities.

Each life is a gem; singular snowflakes of creativity and expression. When you take the time to see them, they're not that hard to enjoy. They enjoy being enjoyed. The ones that we DON'T enjoy? (Sure do make me appreciate the ones that I DO enjoy that much more.) Here then is where the lessons we must learn along the path come into play:

1. Unity brings acceptance of the flaws in others. This, in turn strengthens traits and talents in the self: diplomacy, patience, empathy, tact. They win. We win. Everybody wins. We are kin. We are none of us perfect, but we are brothers and sisters and we are ALIVE. Let's not waste a second of this! Not theirs not yours, none of it. It's just too precious. We can forgive each other; we are family.

2. A philosophy which emphasizes detachment from material items, and which embraces at least the NOTION of establishing the will's authority over material urges and tendencies, is a key. For as long as one cannot control ones wants, desires, actions and urges AT WILL, attachment to the notion of self as individual will continue to dominate over the notion of self as part of a greater whole, severely hampering the progress of our race. Sadly, but truly, the wants and needs of the material self WILL be gratified, without adequate restraint, in spite of the emotional, material and mental consequences that such gratification may create for others. The greater the stake, the harder the want or need becomes to restrain. Would you kill a boy for his shoes? Some would. Make it a fast car, a suitcase full of money and a pretty girl. How many more would pull the trigger then? Why? Material gratification out of control. Nations go to war over it.Your comfort or ours? Your pleasure or ours? This doesn't mean that one has to give up all of one's things, (although that's great if that's what you want to do), but it DOES mean that you are made to prove that you HAVE that control. This may means periods of self-denial. This may mean fasting or atoning. It may mean coming to the realization that part of you is made of dirt, and that it is absurd to let THAT part of you dictate your actions. However it is achieved, self-control should be a high priority for any Path that is taken along the Way.

3. It is also uniformly important that a well-oriented Path lead one to know and embrace humility, to release the ego. Preferably, the method should not be based upon a praise or reward system. Class distinction often rears its head along such Paths as these. Humility is best taught as a matter of perspective, with the best rewards being comprehension, appreciation and gratitude.

4. Most established Paths attempt, through various means, to still the instinctive reaction that most of us have to the notion of our mortality. This should be the yang to the yin of an active love and appreciation of life in its many forms, if a Path or string of truths truly runs parallel to the Way. Again, Unity is key to this appreciation of life and this acceptance of death. How LUCKY are we to have been given the chance to live? We should be excited, not only for ourselves, but for the others that also participate in this incredible miracle. This is their shot too. The most unspeakable tragedy we should know of, is to have taken that chance to be alive away from another living thing. Respect for the sanctity of all life is crucial to the evolution of the human race. If a living thing must be killed, let it be done with respect, reverence and regret, out of necessity. Not with indifference, out of pride, fear, anger or greed.

5. Along with the idea of Unity and acceptance of life and death as natural cycles, should come an embrace of the notion of darkness or negative as a necessary prerequisite to light. There is no darkness without light, nor is there light without darkness. These cycles are necessary. Although the universe balances out gray over the long term, it is through constantly changing cycles that it does so. She swings from dark to light to dark again..over and over. Between black and white lie all of the colors of the rainbow. This is the infinite range from which spring all possibilitities. Between ultimate pain and ultimate ecstacy, lie all of the various combinations of joy and sorrow. Between ultimate hunger or thirst and ultimate satisfaction lie all of the varying degrees of want and need, contentment and desire. An ideal Path will teach the necessity of the "dark" stuff: the black stuff, the negative stuff, the passive stuff, absorbing stuff, the imploding stuff, the attracting stuff..the stuff we need as much as we need its opposite, positive stuff. When one learns to appreciate rude and obnoxious people for providing contrast, it tends to polish one's appreciation of the other people in one's life.

Those, I believe are the main milemarkers along the Path and the best indicators that one has found a Path that heads toward the Way. There may be more, this Seeker has yet to reach the destination himself, however there is one final bit of advice that should be left here with this. It is probably the single easiest thing one might do to begin one's search for the Way:

Begin finding the similarities in EVERYTHING. Even things that seem completely unrelated. Get into this habit and it will be a handy Teacher that you take with you wherever you go.

Having spent a lifetime learning to differentiate, categorize and individualize, we've forgotten, or lost the chance to learn many of the lessons that comparing commonalities can offer. What is of consequence, isn't just how our perceptions are altered..no perception isn't the only thing aided by getting into such a habit.

Perceived similarities often foster empathy, creat bonds between people, forged of shared experiences or common backgrounds, be they only assumed. If one's thoughts went immediately and automatically to what we have in common with others, our differences would appear less glaring. Finding common ground serves to temper frustration, anger and ambition with understanding, patience and sympathy, at some level. Just as differences perceived become the stepping stones in chains of thought which lead to the conclusion that there must be more differences, so too do perceived similarities tend to breed the notion that there must be other similarities as well.

There can be no harm in looking for insight in the things that connect us, rather than looking for truth in the things that alienate us from one another. It is through comparison of similarites that some of our wisest have taught us the most:

"He who chases two rabbits at the same time, catches neither one."

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Pick your favorite Buddhist simile.

Pick your favorite Quranic metaphor.

Pick your favorite Biblical parable.

(And yes, yes of course...silly stuff has come from comparing similarites too. Like wearing a cheetah skin on your head in order to run fast and be fierce...etc. Hey, nobody said that we should stop thinking or observing.)

In the end, what you choose to do with your life and what you choose to believe is up to you.

If you seek the path or find religion or both or neither, enjoy yourself. Be good to one another and pass that on to your kids. Do that much at LEAST and you will probably have done alright by most standards. Don't fear the end, because it NEVER ends for us all together, just for each of us alone.

One unique experience to be amazed by and with which to amaze. That's what we KNOW we've got, regardless of what we believe happens after death. A chance to live and learn and love and grow. We have SO much in common you and I, and there are SO many paths out there, that I hope this helps you some.

There IS a Way, and it heads ever upward to the best that you have inside of you. Although some may never get there, rest assured, the best hope for the future of the human race lies dormant within us all. Have a great life, and enjoy the show.

With love from your brother,

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Randall
Webmaster

Posts: 22998
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted September 12, 2003 01:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Randall     Edit/Delete Message

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"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

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Annie Kuzma
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Posts: 412
From: Kettering ,Ohio ,USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted November 18, 2003 07:04 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Annie Kuzma     Edit/Delete Message
Thank You so much, that was beautiful!

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Peace and Love
L.V.X. Annie
"Bind the consciousness of the denial of self-worth that says, "I am not worthy." I AM is the Name of God. To say this is to say, "God is not worthy. God in me is not worthy. I am worthless." When you are worthless and so say it, beloved, you have denied all God within you".

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mooey
Knowflake

Posts: 49
From: mission viejo, ca., usa
Registered: Oct 2003

posted November 19, 2003 02:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mooey     Edit/Delete Message
thanks!!!
you are a wonder-ful

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juniperb
Knowflake

Posts: 5913
From: Big Dipper
Registered: Mar 2002

posted August 30, 2005 07:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for juniperb     Edit/Delete Message

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If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. ~James Herriot

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Lialei
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Posts: 302
From:
Registered: Jul 2005

posted September 02, 2005 03:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lialei     Edit/Delete Message
This was just AWEsome, daf.
Thank you.

Lia

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SunChild
Knowflake

Posts: 2770
From: Australia
Registered: Jan 2004

posted September 02, 2005 11:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SunChild     Edit/Delete Message

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"...and dreams, don't ever forget, are the first step in manifesting wishes into reality"
-Linda Goodman

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juniperb
Knowflake

Posts: 5913
From: Big Dipper
Registered: Mar 2002

posted January 20, 2006 07:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for juniperb     Edit/Delete Message

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We Dance around a ring and suppose, but the Secret sits in the middle and Knows.~Robert Frost~

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TINK
Knowflake

Posts: 2427
From: New England
Registered: Mar 2003

posted January 20, 2006 08:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for TINK     Edit/Delete Message
C'mon juni Evidence for the prosecution or defense?

"he who chases two rabbits at the same time, catches neither one"

thank you though

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Petron
Knowflake

Posts: 1553
From: Paradise
Registered: Mar 2004

posted January 21, 2006 01:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Petron     Edit/Delete Message

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Crazy Commie Liberals have a way of comming full circle.~juniperb~

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jwarner
Knowflake

Posts: 2
From: Belmont,U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2006

posted January 23, 2006 10:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jwarner     Edit/Delete Message
Thank you juniperb. Many navigational errors later, I`ve finally found it.

:>

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juniperb
Knowflake

Posts: 5913
From: Big Dipper
Registered: Mar 2002

posted January 26, 2006 09:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for juniperb     Edit/Delete Message
Hope it`s beneficial! Got my book today


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We Dance around a ring and suppose, but the Secret sits in the middle and Knows.~Robert Frost~

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