Would you take basic human rights away?

Dear Friends,

I’d like to think that if I ask this question to anyone in the United States the answer would be a sound and even aggravated NO. Unfortunately, this is not the case. There are in fact thousands that are saying AND voting YES to such a question in the upcoming election in the state of California.

Proposition 8 is an initiative state constitutional amendment on the 2008 California General Election ballot, titled: Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. As simple as that: “Eliminates rights.”

I thought the idea was to move forward. I thought everyone is supposed to be equal under the eyes of the law. But then I remembered that the law is made by human beings, and truth to be told, we have many prejudices clouding our judgment when making decisions.

This is my two cents.

We have no right to impose on others how to live their lives and this is exactly what this proposition does. Many things have been said about this amendment and I have yet to hear a single valid argument to pass it.

I shudder to think that such amendment could be passed. I find it even absurd. But this is the world we live in and we have to push for what is correct despite irrational and unfair views and perspectives. People have a natural tendency to fear change (which is truly ironic since everything in the universe IS change), and the right for any human being to marry another is as basic as the right to live. Otherwise, how can we truly say that we are free?

Those in favor of passing this revision of the law have used many false and misleading tactics to have constituents voting in favor of this amendment. They have gone as low as to suggest that children will be corrupted as a result of voting NO on prop 8. A reminder to those who are not as informed: This is a revision of a law that ALREADY exists, the one that talks about the right to marry and this amendment has nothing to do with the educational system or curriculum.

Others bring up religion. I could mention the separation between church and state, but it is evident that the two are not completely detached from one another. However, it has been refreshing to see that many religious leaders from different faiths across the state have opposed the measure.

We are facing, yet again, another cornerstone in the struggle for “equality and justice for all.” We have taken many steps forward and occasionally many back. But we have to continue moving forward nonetheless. I for one wish that the right thing is done is this upcoming election. We are so very capable of doing what is correct, and taking people’s rights away is not.

Thank you for reading.

NO on Prop 8.

Forget 10 steps... become enlightened in ONE step!

I might be living in a state of delusion. Well, we probably all do, just in different levels, but I wonder how many people out there have a spiritual practice. That is to say, that they care at least at some level about what goes on with their soul, if they believe they have one.

‘Cause I’ve been doing some thinking (I’ve made a commitment to do this at least once a week) and it seems to me that what it really comes down to is this thing called ‘awareness.’

If you think of spiritual enlightenment as something foreign or unreachable, think again. You may very well already be there you just don’t realize it, or mind, and either way is fine. That is to say, it’s not something we should be worrying about. A lot of people go about life trying to find ‘meaning’ to their existences when the meaning is in existing to begin with. The ‘answer’ is always under our nose.

I think we get confused about the whole thing. We tend to confuse “purpose” with “occupation.”

Is your purpose in life to be:

An Architect?
An accountant?
Yoga instructor?
Entrepreneur?
Doctor?
A Shaman?

We are not what we do. We are not our jobs or occupations. We are not the place we were born in. We are not a nationality. We are not what we wear. We are not the music we listen to. We are not… I know, it sort of sounds like a fragment of ‘Fight Club,’ but he did have a good point though.

I think that to some extent we are kind of aware of this early in life. I feel like this notion was a big part of my life as I was growing up. When I was a child and going into my teenage years not much worried me. All I really focused on was the present time. At some point that changed. I began to worry about the present, the future and later on about the past as well. Too much worrying, if you ask me.

Did I begin to worry because I have more things in my mind?
Maybe because of the influences of society?
Can I blame the media?

I guess there is no right or wrong answer. Our experiences in life are a result of the combination of all the elements that take place in it. And there is a lot of stuff going on. I guess all I’m trying to say is that the important thing in life is, well, life itself!

So, the one and only step to become enlightened is... be. I'm afraid that's all there is to it. I don't care who gets upset because it took them10 years of constant fasting and meditation to ‘feel’ enlightened, but the truth is that’s all it takes.

It is not necessary to go to the tallest Tibetan mountain in our quest for spiritual enlightenment. Why would we? Our spirit is within not in some “special” magical place. Although I will concede wholeheartedly that there are some spaces that lend themselves to peaceful meditations or moments of clarity, all the answers lie within.

If you don’t want to take my word for it, I googled “enlightenment” for you and found these two quotes from very reputable (and enlightened!) Philosophers to back up my humble prose:

“There is no enlightenment outside of daily life.”
Thich Nhat Hanh

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.”
Lao Tzu

Thanks for reading!

Redemption comes from within

In don't believe in "God."

The reason I say that I don't believe in God is because when people talk about God most of the time (at least here in America) they refer to the Judeo-Roman god, who is way too inconsistent and faulty to be perfect being it's painted to be. But this would apply also to any regional deity, idol, or holy being which has had claims of omniscience.

I could go on and enumerate a number of passages where the flawed condition of this god (or other deities) is evidenced, but there are plenty people doing that already around the blogosphere (and they do a really good job at it, I must say). So, I'll skip that stuff and just move on to the next step in this "process," which is just as important as coming to the realization that:

Judeo-Roman god ≠ Absolute god

Having said that, perhaps I should clarify and state that I don't believe in that particular interpretation of god. If the Judeo-Roman god is not the "true" or "right" god than who/what is?

The idea that an all-powerful omniscient god would choose a group of people over another is preposterous. If we are to talk about an all-powerful, omniscient god, (or related concept) it is safe to say that this being would embrace all living and non-living beings, since all we see (as well as that which we don't) is its creation, and in consequence part of its identity.

So, I am not denying the notion of a greater consciousness, a living force or energy that is responsible for everything we see, and that IS everything we see, and that as such we are part of it. It's just that it is obvious to me that this living energy is beyond dogma and interpretations of ancient books. This force that is ever present as we unfold in time transcends religion and cultures and is not bounded by man-made doctrines. We are part of this force; we are existing second after second, minute after minute in harmony with everything that IS because we ARE one with everything.

I am not one to preach, but I would like to extend an invitation to consider these ideas with an open mind and an open heart and see what happens in you. Do it for an hour perhaps… maybe for a whole day… try it for a week, just for kicks. I'd really like to know what you think.

I have faith in humanity and our relationship with the universe or with whatever is divine, and I consider myself to have a very rich spiritual life in which I find a deeper connection with my environment, people close to me, people I never see in my life, and where I find divinity and happiness all around. I just don't repent and ask forgiveness for sins I never committed, and I definitely do not need a "personal savior" to redeem myself.

Redemption comes from within and from being true to your Self.

I am

I am essence.

I am in the unfolding present.

I am a life experience in this world.

I am a physical manifestation of a deeper truth.

I am the idea of a human being that’s moving in time and that will cease to exist as such at some point and transform into something else.

I am.

When does the soul enter the body?

I didn’t really think about it that much. I guess I just took it for granted that the soul and god was part of it all, and didn’t really give much thought as to when, for instance, does the soul enter the body.

I gave this some though and came up with the following conclusions, which are by no means an absolute take on the whole thing, as my beliefs may evolve as I continue on this journey.

“When does the soul enter this bundle of cells?”

Ah, the soul. To think that there is a definite moment, a magical or mystical point in time when the soul makes contact with a living organism would be absurd. There would be so many possibilities and just as many objections for any chosen answer.

This is what I think:

I believe the “soul” is everywhere and in everything. Every living organism has a “soul,” or essence, which is continually evolving and transforming in time and space. I see this soul as the living energy that creates life.

There is not a specific moment in which the soul enters the body, but rather the “soul” is in every single cell of a living organism as energy. The combination of the different cells and consequent formation of a body follows an amalgamation of everything in it.

Where is god?

Therefore, as I see it, this energy that is flowing in everything around us constitutes the very deity that some people call god. But I would be very wary of coming to a definite conclusion of what the essence of this immense energy is because I don’t think it can be explained or describe accurately with words.

We are part of a universe so vast, incredible, mysterious and beautiful and we are never going to leave, only transform, and that I think, amounts to some form of eternal “life,” only not in our present form.

Illusions

You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.
You're always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past.

- from "Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"

How do I tell you that you are…

Beautiful without saying that you are beautiful?
Perfect without saying that you are perfect?
Eternal without saying that you are eternal?

How do I say these things so that you realize them?
And why would I take it upon myself to do so?
Why do you see yourself as anything less
than the extraordinary being that you are?

Who lied to you?
Who told you that you are not worthy of true love?
That happiness can’t be attained?
That you are less than somebody else?

The truth is that you are beyond any of this
And my words will do nothing for you
They are just words and they have meaning
Only if you give it to them

So I won’t tell you anything.

You are as I am.
And this is all it matters.

Who is Ratatouille?

Moments after seeing Ratatouille, I got thinking about many implications from the film that may or may not have anything to do with reality, but if they don’t, well they sure are interesting to me. I though about how different this movie is, if you look at it from a different perspective. I had seen it before, but paid no attention to many subtleties it presents. This time around was a little different.

Who does each character represents?

Who is the Rat?

Who is Alfredo?

Who is the Bad Chef?

I though it was interesting that it was a rat who did all the cooking while all the credit went to the up and coming young male. Could it be that the rat represents the working class? Which is not the same as the middle class by any means. I found it intriguing that the only woman in the film was relegated to a second role as the supporter of the main character. Could it be that the evil chef with his ready-made meals was representative of capitalism or at the very least of the corporate world?

I’m not so sure about who the food critic represents, but it could be that he is a symbol of the ruling class making judgments as to who is or isn’t worthy of praise, and with the power to elevate or eliminate those who are trying to make it to the upper levels of the social stratosphere.

Wow. I didn’t think a Pixar movie could have so many social issues in about 110 min of run time, I mean, I did think it was possible, but I just didn’t see it before.

My Thoughts on Afterlife…

My perspective comes from realizing the grandness of existence and the beauty of the energy that make our lives possible. See, the more I meditate about it, the more certain I become in that there is an existence beyond our known physical perceptions. Our senses are rather limited, but our awareness can certainly reach into places our own conscious self can’t (for the most part).

I believe that there is an origin, kind of a pure energy source where everything is interconnected, and where there is no such a thing as “time” as we experience it. I think that most people, to a certain extent, have some awareness of this “origin” and have historically tried to put different names to it (We know which ones).

I think that our current human condition, or physical presences in the physical world are manifestations of this higher vibrational plane, thus the notions of reincarnation in some philosophies and religions, and the idea of eternal life after death.

In essence, I believe that we are physically manifested energy. Our bodies contain this energy (soul) for the time being, but there is an ever going process of change that has been occurring for a lot longer then we can even begin to fathom and will continue to happen for the rest of eternity.

So far, it’s been a fun ride.