(The London terrorist attack)We are experiencing a complete social breakdown-nationally and internationally!Look at the masses of refugees,the Civil wars occurring all over the globe,the homeless within the wealthier societies,drug addiction everywhere just to name a few.To blame specific individuals and even specific religious ideologies is disingenuous at best.The most sinister aspect of this breakdown is that all the values that are supposed to represent progress and hope are the very things at the heart of this crisis.So Liberty( much touted) has turned into decadence and licentiousness; Democracy has turned into manipulated electoral politics: Capitalism has become unfair,dishonest and monopolistic and the Rule of Law(and regulations that follow from it) has become paralyzing bureaucracy that the vast majority of individuals, perhaps all in fact.,are unable to manage.Do you see the depth of the problem?! What is being offered as solutions are actually the problems themselves!
Social Injustice
Every society has its injustices.In our society a major form of injustice is made up of audits,inspections,complaint processes and bureaucratic quagmires.The politicians like to call it “due process” but actually it is oppression often enough.I think we just have to acknowledge it and accept it.Trump,for all his faults and shortcomings,is a wonderful teacher here! He is involved in so many audits, lawsuits and investigations,some criminal,that the average citizen would have succumbed to these stressors ,with a heart attack or a nervous breakdown,a long time ago.He,on the other hand,just keeps doing his thing and ignores all the potential personal catastrophes all around him.Intriguing!
The Bottom Line
The bottom line.No one can manage the complexity of the modern world.So the journalists just look for the kaka,people like Obama rationalize things into inaction and paralysis and Trump makes up stories to keep afloat.The only real answer is to start simplifying.(In all fairness Trump is the only one who
touches that base from time to time).If we don’t simplify,we will self-destruct!
The Autism Epidemic
Here it is.The explanation I have been looking for.You don’t have to listen to the whole lecture as the presenter is not a skilled speaker.This IS the bottom line,however,as far as I can figure out.BIG Problem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yydZZanRJ50
Man created in the image of God?!
Most of us raised in the West were taught that man was created in the image of God? Where did that come from?Well,here it is Genesis 27: God created man in His own image,in the image of God He created him.
I always scratched my head in confusion when I heard that.It didn’t make any sense.And it led to nonsense like that famous painting of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel with an image of God as an older bearded man and a man(i’m not sure whom ) trying to touch him. Anthropomorphism at its worst.And some current sadly misled Muslims of the Salafi type also think God has a hand or sits on a chair! Estagfirullah. God has no form and nobody as we know it.He is beyond time and space and limits.
So what is that statement about in the Bible? An inspiration came.This is another error of translation or at least a very poor wording of the original phrase.It should read:God created man as a reflection of Himself (a pale reflection,no doubt).So man has certain characteristics ,like will and choice and speech, that are similar to the Divine Will,Choice and Speech although much less perfect and precise.In that way,he resembles God.The analogy that might best fit here is the sun and the moon.The moon also has light but it is reflected light.And the moon also occupies space but it is much more limited than the sun.
Now there is another likeness here that is even more mysterious.The Quran tells us in Surat 32 .9 that Allah breathed into man of His Spirit (or Soul). So there is an inner connection between our deepest being and the Essence of God.The Sufis call that the secret(sir) and it represents the deepest level of spiritual realization.Hope that clarifies for you what has long been a puzzling issue for me.
A Series of Concentration camps
Thinking about day-cares I have seen,I realized that our society is organized as a sequence of concentration camps!
- The almost mandatory large or even smaller daycare.As opposed to the organic way of kids growing up around their mothers,their extended family and the neighbours,they are herded, often enough kicking and screaming, into commercial daycares where the main purpose is to keep them orderly and to generate income for the owners and workers.As compensation,the parents give in to all the childrens’ demands outside of camp hours and buy them whatever they can afford.(It is intriguing to note here that when they do charity ads for orphanages in Africa,many of the children look so much more alive and real than their counterpart Western zombie kids, despite the fact that the latter have so much more material goods!)
- Then we move into the concentration camp of public schools where young active,creative children are required to sit quietly for long hours and to learn things that have nothing to do with their real lives.This in contrast to learning from their actual living environments and experimenting with their creativity.In compensation ,these concentration camp kids are allowed to play sports in the off-hours and pressure their parents into buying them whatever gadgets are the most in vogue in the marketplace.
- The last, and perhaps longest-lasting camp, is the workplace-conceived of and designed by those least creative of professionals- the MBA’s and modern architects.This is often an airless “open” office space with cubicles separated by artificial dividers where there is only “canned” air, constant sound,no privacy and excessive work demands leading to very high levels of stress and frequent burn -out.The compensation is that you get to have a beer or a glass of wine(for non-Muslims that is) after hours and dream of your once-yearly vacation to Cuba or other southern clime..
- There you have the series:-daycares, public schools and inhuman workplaces.Is it any wonder that people are so crazy and behave so badly.Thoughts?!
Slogan for the Pilgrim’s Progress Process
(From an nde experience)
“I am continuously witnessing beautiful transformations in loved ones who are willing to explore this deeper essence(love). The depth of their transformation is in direct relationship with their openness to look anew. Each person’s transformation is authentically unique!”
Overcoming Racism
This one is controversial but it needs to be said.There is much talk about racism especially in the United States but there is also much misunderstanding.Fortunately I had a very good teacher ,Sheikh Nazim al Qubrusi, who was both universally loving and yet aware of distinctions between people and nations.He had none of those liberal delusions of us all being the same.
So here is what I propose. If you truly want to be free of racism, start with your own nation/race-the one you identify with.Then take a sheet of paper or an electronic note-pad if you insist on being digital. I prefer to be old-fashioned way on this one lol.Divide the sheet into two.On one, side write all the qualities you like about your own natiuon/race.On the other side write down all its faults.
If you have a goods balance between the two sides and have properly identified credits and debits of your own biological origins, you are well on your way to being a non-racist.You will also be in a much better position to accept and deal with other nations.If, on the other hand, you can only see qualities in your people you can be assured that you are still imbued with racism.If you see mostly defects in your racial/national origins then you are a self-hating so and so or a reverse racist.
However,if you don’t believe in national/racial differences and think it’s all about individual differences ,you are living in a delusional world. And I was taught in psychiatric training not to argue with delusions.So I will leave you alone and you can forget entirely about this teaching .
O Seekers, Reflect
The Magic Formula
The Magic Formula
The Magic Formula is UPR– Understanding, Practice, Realization. This book(the upcoming one) is primarily about understanding. In order for it to work, however, you have to put the understanding into practice. That requires intention and effort and even courage. Then your internal state will change (realization).Happy trails to you!