Christianity

Christianity, along with all other theistic belief systems, is the fraud of the age. It serves to detach the species from the natural world, and likewise, each other. It supports blind submission to authority. - Unknown

None of us can boast about the morality of our ancestors. The record does not show that Adam and Eve were ever married. - Edgar Watson Howe

Fundamentalist Christianity appeals to pre-civilized, prudish tribal people who are not ready for urban feudal pleasures. - Timothy Leary

He who begins by loving Christianity better than Truth will proceed by loving his own sect of church better than Christianity, and end by loving himself better than all. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The greatest crime in fundamentalist Christianity is to think. - Unknown

The real difficulty with thousands in the present day is not that Christianity has been found wanting, but that it has never been seriously tried. - Henry Parry Liddon

Images / Memes

Suffering - Quotes

The truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering the more you suffer because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt. - Thomas Merton

Without pain, there would be no suffering, without suffering we would never learn from our mistakes. To make it right, pain and suffering is the key to all windows, without it, there is no way of life. - Angelina Jolie

Patience, piety, and salutary knowledge spring up and ripen under the harrow of affliction; before there is wine or oil, the grape must be trodden and the oil pressed. - Walter Savage Landor

Those who have suffered, who have known poverty or oppression, are generally the most prone to kindness. Perhaps it is well to endure some misery if only to learn this lesson. - Arthur Lynch

Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape. - Charles Dickens

The person, the individual, the ego, is but an object of perception, it is only habit or error that we identify ourselves with our perceptions and this is itself the cause of all our suffering. - Jean Klein

Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind. - Aristotle

Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. - Helen Keller

Reflection on Death

“I am subject to death, I have not overcome death – thus should everyone – men, women, the laity and the monks – constantly reflect.”

There are in this world, people in various walks of life, who resent the very word ‘death’, let alone reflect on it. Infatuated by long life, good health, youth and prosperity, they completely forget the fact that they are subjected to death. Immersed in the evanescent pleasures of the five-fold senses, they seek only after material progress in this world completely disregarding a future life, and indulging in vice through the mind, body and speech. They regard this impermanent and evanescent life as permanent and everlasting. It is to rouse a sense of dissatisfaction in such blind and ignorant people, to allay the pangs of sorrow caused by the separation of animate objects like parents and children, and inanimate objects like wealth and property, to inculcate the doctrine of impermanence in all beings, and thereby convince them of the unsatisfactorines of life, and direct them towards the attainment of everlasting peace, that the Buddha preached these words.

A person who has not comprehended the doctrine of the Buddha, is infatuated by long life and considers himself as immortal, even though he may see deaths around him: he is infatuated by good health and considers himself free from disease even though he may see countless diseased persons around him; he is infatuated by youth even though he may see many aged persons and considers himself as one who is not subjected to old age; he is infatuated by wealth and prosperity even though he may see countless persons rendered destitute through loss of wealth; and he never thinks for a moment, that he too might be subjected to such a state.

Thus infatuated, the ignorant ones lead a life of vanity, heedless of the perils of this world and the next, deluded by the evanescent pleasures of life. Their only aim in life is to satisfy their five-fold senses. To such persons who are blinded with the greed for worldly pleasures and worldly honours, death comes quite unexpectedly. Since they had not even dreamt of disease, old age and death, they are taken aback when such calamities strike them and they lose their senses; they are frightened and they lament, not knowing what to do. To such blind persons, immersed in the satisfaction of carnal pleasures, reflection on death certainly gives a true view of life. It also helps them to destroy their vanity and pride.

Furthermore, reflection on death affords solace to the multitudes who lament and torment themselves, unable to bear the pangs of sorrow caused by separation from their beloved ones.

Whoever constantly keeps in mind the fact that he would someday be subjected to death and that death is inevitable, would be eager to fulfil his duties to his fellowman before death, and this would certainly make him heedful in respect of this world and the next.

To the average man, death is by no means a pleasant subject for talk or discussion. It is something dismal and oppressive – a veritable killjoy, a fit topic for funeral house only. The average man immersed as he is in the self, ever seeking after the pleasurable, ever pursuing that which excites and gratifies the senses, refuses to pause and ponder seriously that these very objects of pleasure and gratification will some day reach their end. If wise counsel does not prevail and urge the unthinking pleasure-seeking man to consider seriously that death knock at his door also, it is only the shock of a bereavement under his own roof, the sudden and untimely death of a parent, wife or child that will rouse him from his delirious round of self -gratification and rudely awaken him to the hard facts of life. Then only will his eyes open, then only will he begin to ask himself why there is such a phenomenon as death. Why is it inevitable? Why are there these painful partings which rob life of its joys?

To most of us at some moment or another, the spectacle of death must have given rise to the deepest of thoughts and profoundest of questions. What is life worth, if able bodies that once performed great deeds now lie flat and cold, senseless and lifeless? What is life worth, if eyes that once sparkled with joy, eyes that once beamed with love are now closed forever, bereft of movement, bereft of life? Thought such as these, if wisely pursued, that will ultimately unfold the potentialities inherent in the human mind to receive the highest truth.

According to the Buddhist way of thinking, death, far from being subject to be shunned and avoided, is the key that unlocks the seeming mystery of life. It is by understanding death that we understand life; for death is part of the process of life in the large sense. In another sense, life and death are two ends of the same process, and if you understand one end of the process, you also understand the other end. Hence, by understanding the purpose of death, we also understand the purpose of life. It is the contemplation of death, the intensive thought that it will someday come upon us, that softens the hardest of hearts, binds one to another with cords of love and compassion, and destroys the barriers of caste, creed and race among the peoples of this earth, all of whom are subject to the common destiny of death. Death is a great leveller. Pride of birth, pride of position, pride of wealth, pride of power must give way to the all-consuming thought of inevitable death.

It is the contemplation of death that helps to destroy the infatuation of sense-pleasure. It is the contemplation of death that gives balance and a healthy sense of proportion to our highly over-wrought minds with their misguided sense of values. It is the contemplation of death that gives strength and steadiness and direction to the erratic human mind, now wandering in one direction, now in another, without an aim, without a purpose.

The Buddha emphasized death as the most forceful reminder of the true nature of existence. Death has always been a puzzle to mankind; it leaves man in a helpless, pitiable condition for none can escape its inevitable sting. The sudden and unexpected occurrence of death all around a person should urge him to find a solution to the inexplicable recurring death. To meditate on death is to seek the elusive meaning of life.

Death had to be accepted as universal and inevitable. But death is not the end; this is a fundamental doctrine of Buddhism. Death is only a passing phase – a brief incident between one existence and another. Thus, the meditation on death leads one to the recognition of law of Cause and Effect and the Doctrine of Dependent Origination.

Law of Dependent Origination will be my next post.

Believe / Believer

Universe

All persons are contained within a single individual, just as all time is in a moment, and the entire universe is in a grain of sand. - Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson

This – the immediate every day and present experience – is IT, the entire and ultimate point for the existence of a Universe. - Alan Watts

The Universe is the mirror of the people, and each person is a mirror to every other person. - Unknown

The universe is energy that responds to expectations. - James Redfield

The universe is none of our business. - Joan Slonczewski

Spiritual

Awareness of your inner and outer world, being conscious through the understanding that as above, so below. When you are aware how you are affecting and being affected through each thought and vibration, you understand the power of intentions and awareness. - Unknown

Love is absolutely vital for a human life. For love alone can awaken what is divine within you. In love, you grow and come home to your self. When you learn to love and let yourself be love, you come home to the hearth of your own spirit. You are warm and sheltered. - John O’Donohue

Look at the lake. When the sun shines, it radiates light and brightness. When the wind comes, there arise ripples and waves. There is a time for peaceful contemplation; there is a time for dynamic action; and all the time the lake remains itself. - Yongming Yanshou

If you make Joy your priority and tune into this Joy daily through your meditation, not only will you feel deeply connected, but you will have a huge impact on the people and circumstances in your life and in the lives of people you don’t even know. - Gabrielle Berbstein

Religion

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. - Blaise Pascal

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Religion is supposed to comfort people, not scare them to death! - Bertram T. Cates

Religion must be a punishment, because nobody gets religion who does not have a bad conscience. - August Strindberg

Wordship

In their efforts to impose universal worship, men have unsheathed their swords and killed one another. They have invented gods and challenged each other: "Discard your gods and worship mine or I will destroy both your gods and you!" - Fyodor Dostoevsky

I've begun worshipping the sun for a number of reasons. First of all, unlike some other gods I could mention, I can see the sun. It's there for me every day. And the things it brings me are quite apparent all the time: heat, light, food, and a lovely day. There's no mystery, no one asks for money, I don't have to dress up, and there's no boring pageantry. And interestingly enough, I have found that the prayers I offer to the sun and the prayers I formerly offered to 'God' are all answered at about the same 50% rate. - George Carlin

The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people as equally true; by the philosopher, as equally false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful. - Edward Gibbon

Tao Te Ching

  Tao Te Ching – The whole series - all 81 chapters of it.

Peace Through Buddhism

The Buddha taught the most deeply rooted, most perfectly developed ethical idealism there has ever been. Beneath the serenity of the Buddha image, underlying the Buddha’s calm reasoning with his followers and inspiring the simple and gentle ceremonies of practicing Buddhists there is a heart-stirring message of universal love. The sublime grandeur of the Buddha’s teaching may be gathered by such utterances as,

“Hatred never ends hatred – only love ends hatred.”

“Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered are unhappy.”

“One may conquer a thousand in battle, but the greatest victor is he who conquers himself.”

Each one of us has Buddha-nature, that is, the potentiality to enter Nirvana, and although we may not do so during our present lives, each of us can, if we choose, take a step towards it by first understanding, and then practicing the teachings of the Buddha. In doing so, we first find peace in ourselves, and then we spread it in ever-widening circles. Here, then is something we can do to make a positive contribution to peace.

Buddhists believe that the consequences of our actions are entirely our own responsibility. If our minds are pure, our thoughts will be pure. If our thoughts are pure our actions will be pure. A peaceful mind brings peaceful actions – and peaceful actions spread peace.

The Peaceful heart of Buddhism

Buddhism teaches that peace must begin in the mind of each and every man and woman. No amount of social and economic development will automatically bring about peace unless each and every one of us, purposefully and consciously directs his or her attitude of mind towards seeking the peaceful heart of Buddhism.

The attitudes of mind that can enable each one of us to make our own personal contributions to peace were taught by the Buddha and are known as the Four Sublimes States. They are:

Loving kindness
Compassion
Sympathetic Joy
Equanimity

They are known as Sublime States, because they are the right, or ideal way of conduct towards living beings. They provide, in fact the answer to all situations arising from social contact. They are the great removers of tension, the great peacemakers in social conflict, builders of harmonious communities and revivers of joy and hope.

If they are developed, by conduct and by meditation, they become the dominating influence in one’s mind. It is stressed that they are not only objects for meditation, but should also be the foundation for our conduct.

If our conduct is guided and inspired by the Four Sublime States, we will not only develop ourselves but will also make our contributions to peace, both by our own actions and by extending the virtues and spirit of the Four Sublime Truth.

Law of Attraction

Think of this random Universe where everything is possible. The organizational skills belong to Law and Attraction. If you will relax and allow Law of Attraction to do the organization and the managing, then you can spend your time doing the things that please you. - Abraham Hicks

Faith

Faith is irrelevant. One could have an infinite amount of faith, and it would still be the equivalent of nothing. - Unknown

Moral Bigotry

Some of the greatest blood baths of mankind have been committed in the furtherance of religious faith. Though most of the declared sacred writings are opposed in their moral codes to the taking of life and advocate the brotherhood of man, hatred and intolerance yet prevail in the name of religion. Devout faith is often blind and even willfully closes the mind to historical fact.

Sacred books have been numerous through the ages; some preceded the Bible by centuries, and many still exist today. Yet some of the most renowned sacred personages never left any writings, as, for example, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed. There were no personally written accounts of their revelations or preachments. Some of their revelations were recorded centuries later by scribes who reduced the verbal accounts that had descended to writing.

The original revelations of such prophets were deemed sacred. Each prophet was considered to be a personal conveyor of a revelatory message that was proclaimed to be inspired by the transcendent, Supreme, Divine Being. However, the eventual written form of these messages, as history relates, suffered from the human interpretations of the original verbal accounts.

Many theological controversies arose as to what sections of these works would be accepted in conforming to the rituals and doctrines that the priests and theologians wished to promulgate. This confusion resulted in the schisms now existing in some of the sects today. Many followers of a faith will nevertheless accept the often-altered accounts of these sacred works as being the revealed word of God. They overlook the fact that, historically, various deletions have been made and that new constructions of meaning were inserted by quite human religionist councils of the past.

It is difficult to reconcile the divine transcendency and compassion of a God with the human attributes that members of religious sects have ascribed to Him. Man has often characterized his God, in various faiths, as jealous, as advocating retribution and even the destruction of the life of disbelievers. Even the human taint of envy and hate has found its way into these sacred tomes.

Intolerant attitude

The religionist may accept the monotheistic concept of a sole God, yet he too often cloaks this same God in a raiment of those limiting definitions established by the theology of his faith. This, however, results in a dichotomy with both commendable and detrimental aspects. It is commendable in that each man may create his God, not in essence but in the image he conceives or which he wants to believe. There cannot, of course, be a universally accepted concept of God, for the mental construct varies with the depth of understanding of the individual. However, the concept is detrimental when man’s individual image of God engenders intolerance; simply, the belief, held in all sincerity, that “the God I envision is the right one; all who think and believe differently are heretical and an affront to my God.”

This attitude of zeal for a religious concept which is believed to be the only true one results in adverse emotional and psychological reactions toward all others who do not subscribed to it. It inculcates a spirit of defiance against all the different promulgated religions. Such other adherents are condemned as ‘non-believers,’ that is, they lack the spirituality that can only be had by the followers of a certain particular faith.

At this point, bigotry and intolerance enter. These bigots expound that their moral precepts and particularly their interpretation of sacred writings should become the social standard of morality. They openly affirm that they are the “moral; majority,” which can be construed as meaning that those who do not think in conformity with their ideas are immoral!

Now, no one religion should have conferred upon it the right of purging moral decay according to its precepts and interpretation. The fact is that some of these fundamentalist sects, of which the “moral majority” is mostly composed, become so constrained in their thinking as to want to prohibit acts which are basically humanitarian.

Each human must find his own spiritual enlightenment. It must be intimate to him. It must represent the sublimity of his moral motivation and understanding. If one’s religious and spiritual beliefs do not obstruct the faith of others or are not detrimental to the welfare of society, and are tolerant of the worthy qualities in others, then no religion can advocate more beneficence for its followers than that. Certainly, such moral idealism and behaviour is worthy of any divine beneficence that may be bestowed upon man.

Extracted from the article Moral Bigotry

Parables

One good anecdote is worth a volume of biography. - William Ellery Channing

Once upon a time a big monk and a little monk were travelling together. They came to the bank of a river and found the bridge was damaged. They had to wade across the river. There was a pretty lady who was stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river. The big monk offered to carry her across the river on his back... The lady accepted. 

The little monk was shocked by the move of the big monk. 'How can big brother carry a lady when we are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?' thought the little monk. But he kept quiet. The big monk carried the lady across the river and the small monk followed unhappily. When they crossed the river, the big monk let the lady down and they parted ways with her. 

All along the way for several miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the big monk.. He was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet. And the big monk had no inclination to explain his situation. 

Finally, at a rest point many hours later, the little monk could not stand it any further, he burst out angrily at the big monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All your teachings to me make you a big hypocrite '

The big monk looked surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?' 

This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the thinking of many people today. We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous. But like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go away. We keep on carrying the baggage of the 'pretty lady' with us. We let them keep on coming back to hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony. 

We should ‘let go of the pretty lady’ immediately after crossing the river, that is after the unpleasant event is over. This will immediately remove all our agonies. There is no need to be further hurt by the unpleasant event after it is over.

Want to read more inspirational, motivational and educational parables? Get a copy of Parables on Amazon or join Kindle Unlimited on Amazon, and read it for free.

Images / Memes

Suffering - Quotes

Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free-wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself. - C. S. Lewis

Deep, unspeakable suffering may well be called a baptism, a regeneration, the initiation into a new state. - George Eliot

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar. - Thich Nhat Hanh

People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don’t suffer any more. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Nothing brings suffering as does the untamed, uncontrolled unattended and unrestrained heart. That heart brings suffering. - Gautama Buddha

It is not permanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent, when they are not. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Suffering is but another name for the teaching of experience, which is the parent of instruction and the schoolmaster of life. - Horatius

To be most fertile, the soil must first be torn up; and shall not thy soul accept suffering for the sake of better growth? - Ivan Panin

All suffering contorts the countenance so woefully that the pain flies to the beholder likewise. - James Vila Blake

Can we find true security in the world?

In the desperate search for happiness, a person places his hopes and dreams on his family, friends, success in business, acquiring wealth and property, pleasure and beauty. Yet, does he get happiness from any of them?

Family and friends? While loving family and good friends can be a constant source of happiness, he cannot depend on them forever, someone he loves may pass away or leave him. If his love is centered on one person, the separation will cause him great sorrow.

Business? His business can go bankrupt. Someone he trusts may abscond with the money. A sudden change in the international political scene may destroy his factories and property overseas.

Money? The only reason people want money is because they think it can get them what they want. While money can ensure a comfortable life, it cannot guarantee happiness. Have you seen how some rich people live? They surround their homes with huge walls and gates. The doors are padlocked and all windows barred. They live in constant fear – fear of being robbed, of having their children kidnapped, of losing the wealth they have so painfully gathered, of relatives and friends who might take advantage, of being cheated when responsibilities are give to others.

Pleasure? For the moment, he is lost in a good show, fine music or a game, he thinks that is all he wants. The entertainment has to be better and more vigorous each time to maintain interest. After it is over, he cannot escape the feeling of boredom and the fruitlessness of these pleasures.

Beauty and Youth? While still young, he spends hours maintaining his looks to draw attention from everyone. But no one can remain young forever. Time will be his greatest enemy. The skin that is smooth and delicate will later be furrowed with wrinkles. Muscles that are agile will become weak. The body that responds to any whims of the mind becomes the home of sickness and pain.

There is no security in family, friends, money, position, youth and beauty. The short-lived pleasures are only brief interludes to pain and drudgery. There is no guarantee against failure and disappointments. There is no guarantee to perfect health. Not even the richest and most influential can buy true joy. In this, the man who owns an empire is equal to a pauper who lives in a lean-to shed. Both have their share of sorrow and disappointments. Both will fall sick, grow old and die.

Where do we learn to solve our sorrows?

Although frustration and sorrow are basic to human life, there is no school, college or university in the country which teaches us how to face problems.

It was Buddha who, so intimately concerned about human suffering, he renounced everything to seek a cure to these universal problems. He was concerned about problems facing you and me – our frustrations, our sufferings and our feelings of hopelessness.

What did the Buddha find?

In his enlightenment, the Buddha found that man suffers because of his wrong views. Being ignorant of the nature of things, he gets infatuated with them - his life, his ideas, his family, his property, his pride. Only after developing wisdom to see and experience the truth of all things will he be able to put an end to suffering.

The Buddha realized that the phenomena rise and fall away immediately. From the largest to the smallest, all are in the state of flux. On a clear night we see millions of twinkling stars. What we do not see are the clouds of gas coalescing into stars and galaxies, the myriad stars and planets in various stages of evolving and decaying, the planets circuiting in their solar systems. The smallest of things, the atom, is in constant flux with the electrons orbiting around its nucleus.

Our physical body replaces its old tissues with new cells. Our thoughts, impressions, perceptions, experiences, wants and desires are changing day-by-day and moment-by-moment. Toy guns and dolls which once made us happy are no longer satisfactory now. Our happiness is short lived. If we emerge top in an examination, the rejoicing will last at the most for a few days. Such happiness evaporates like the early mist in the morning sun.

Because of wrong views, man clings and desires for pleasurable things and avoids unpleasant things. Things which please the senses – fragrant smells, beautiful sights, pleasant sensations, delicious tastes, soothing sounds – he pursues for more. Unpleasant things are avoided. He dislikes people who hurt his ego and turns away from bores. He pursues someone who has captivated him and he tries to possess everything pleasing.

Man then builds his world on concepts which he calls “I”, and “Me” and “Mine”. He will say, “These are my wealth, my property, my children, my youth and beauty, my knowledge.” “Look here,” he shouts, “You are hurting my feelings. Don’t you know who I am?” He clings to things and tries to own them.

Does he realize that in reality none of these things belongs to him? No, when he dies, all his wealth and property pass on to others. There is nothing he can bring beyond the grave – not even his own body.

Bible

Universe

The Universe is One Harmonious Whole

Click on the link The Universe is One Harmonious Whole to read the article.

Spiritual

Your life is a process of self-realization. Your consciousness is rising to a new level. You are maturing away from rationalization, fear, resistance, escape, commitment-phobia, ego-death paranoia, profaning the sacred. Your movement is toward creativity, joy, contentment, transcendence, insight, harmony, beauty, compassion, bliss, and High Power. - Unknown

Nothing is isolated. We are each a uniquely evolving pattern of energy and information, born within a vast system of purposeful intelligence which we call Nature. If humanity.. is to maintain health and prosperity then we simply must regain a right relationship with Nature. And to do this requires, at least in part, that we begin to acknowledge the intelligence within Nature. - Simon G. Powell

Eternity isn't some later time. Eternity isn't a long time. Eternity has nothing to do with time. Eternity is that dimension of here and now which thinking and time cuts out. This is it. And if you don't get it here, you won't get it anywhere. And the experience of eternity right here and now is the function of life. - Joseph Campbell

As we to learn to trust the Universe, we gradually let go of our attempts to control events and exert influence over the world. By cultivating peace in our minds we become less fearful, more forgiving and compassionate. As you release egoistic intentions your actions flow from a place of deeper love and wisdom. We then become beacons of light for others, not by will or persuasion, but by living joyfully in tune with the Way. In the words of Lao Tsu, "Tao in the world is like a river flowing home to the sea.” - Unknown

Religion

God

Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear. - Thomas Jefferson

Tao Te Ching

  Tao Te Ching Introduction – Read by Jacob Needleman

Tao De Ching

Atheist

Rebirth

"Rebirth, which Buddhists do not regard as a mere theory but as a fact verifiable by evidence, forms a fundamental tenet of Buddhism, though its goal Nirvana is attainable in this life itself."

Associated with karma is rebirth. As long as karmic force exists there is rebirth, for beings are merely the visible manifestations of this invisible karmic force.

Life does not die at the body's death, nor do the consequence of a dead. Forms are created and destroyed; they come into being, secure their purpose and then die, but the life within knows no such limitations until it reaches its goal - Nirvana.

Death is the death of the body, and as the body comes into being it must one day die. Death is therefore a gateway to a different form of life; one which is strictly limited by the thoughts and acts of the individual.

Death is nothing but the temporary end of this temporary phenomenon. It is not the complete annihilation of this so-called being. The organic life has ceased, but the karmic force which hitherto actuated it has not been destroyed. As the karmic force remains entirely undisturbed by the disintegration of the fleeting body, the passing away of the present dying thought-moment only conditions a fresh consciousness in another birth.

It is karma, rooted in ignorance and craving that conditions rebirth. Past karma conditions the present birth; and present karma, in combination with past karma, conditions the future. The present is the off spring of the past and becomes in turn the parent of the future.

The cause of this karma is ignorance of the Four Noble Truths. Ignorance is therefore, the cause of birth and death; and its transmutation into knowingness is consequently their cessation.

The karmic law cannot be altered by the forgiveness of sins but must be overcome by doing more good and eradicating evil from the mind by your own efforts. Understanding of the law of karma leads to self- reliance.

"As a man, casting off worn-out garments, take the new ones, so the dweller in the body, casting off worn-out bodies entered into others that are new."

- Author Unknown

Awakening to Awareness of Our Life Force

Click on the link to read the article.

Awakening to Awareness of our Life Force - Ken Carey

Humour

Nature's Cycles

In nature, the withering of the flower is as important as its blooming. They are both phenomena which are a part of a series of changes called Cause and Effect. In a sentient being, such as man, there is an idealizing of one of these changes more than of the other.

Man arbitrarily divides nature’s cycles, calling the beneficial phase positive and the other, negative. He seeks to evade the decline because it is unpleasant to him. He has successfully prolonged life but he can never evade the eventual retrogression which must follow to complete the cycle of life.

As one grows older, one should, of course, endeavour in every way to lessen the severity of the impact of physical deterioration. The former pleasures of living in the physical sense, which have meant so much, should be mitigated in later years by new mental and emotional satisfactions.

In the mellowness of life, new positive living may be found in a response to the higher sentiments and psychic inclinations. The aggressive healthy younger person often finds too many satisfactions in objective living to concern himself deeply with the mysteries of life. The cosmic role that one should play in his relationship to all reality, however, usually provides a greater satisfaction to the mature mind. The physical desires which once seemed ultra-important and the notions and things associated with them lose their lustre with the passing of the years. One finds to a greater extent that the pleasures associated with them were either illusionary or evanescent. The interests of a psychic or moral nature which seemed intangible in the past and, by contrast to material satisfaction, less stimulating, can be more assuredly cultivated in the later years. One will then find much happiness in the expression of his aesthetic tastes which may have been unawakened or unexpressed.

Instead of becoming embittered by the advance of age and its gradual physical retardment, one should reorient his interests. He should venture into the realm of his psychic inclinations and meditations. He should find in life images or symbols to objectify the reactivated feelings of impersonal love and sympathy that pour from the depth of his own being as he allows himself to be conscious of the more subtle impulses of his nature.

Detach your consciousness from the myriad changes, the events and happenings in the stream of life. Stop struggling with the tide, for a time at least. Climb up on the bank and watch the course of life which in itself has majesty and beauty. It will evoke our admiration of its pulsating power and omniscience.

- Author Unknown

Food for Thought

If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time. - Bertrand Russell

Images / Memes

Suffering

The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering. - Ben Okri

The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive. - John Green

The reward of suffering is experience. - Aeschylus

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy. - Thich Nhat Hanh

There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality. - Seneca

There is nothing like suffering to enlighten the giddy brain, widen the narrow mind, improve the trivial heart. - Charles Reade

We can put an end to our suffering just by realizing that our suffering is not worth suffering for. - Thich Nhat Hanh

We learn resignation not by our own suffering, but by the suffering of others. - William Somerset Maugham

We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment. - Jim Rohn

We need to be aware of the suffering, but retain our clarity, calmness and strength so we can help transform the situation. - Thich Nhat Hanh

When sufferings become unendurable the cries are no longer heard. The cries, too, fall like rain in summer. - Bertolt Brecht

When you learn how to suffer, you suffer much less. - Thich Nhat Hanh