Quantum Gnosis

Gnosis is a direct, immediate knowledge of the Divine, through experiencing the Self of the Individual and realizing its role within the All.

We are each moving through our own sphere of the cosmos, interacting with the energy around us, surviving as a biological super organism which has created a neural map from biological receptors that translate this energy into a complex series of illusions that we perceive as "reality".

However, scientific discoveries in biology, quantum physics, and cosmology have allowed us to intellectually break down these patterns, and prove that most of what we perceive as "real" is only the result of our brains compiling information together in order to consolidate the trillions of living organisms that make our physical bodies up into one, single, super organism.

It's one thing to understand this rationally, but it's another to understand this intuitively, on a very real "spiritual" level.

Gnosis is an intuitive understanding of the Self as a bodiless, consciousness beyond the ego's perception of this false reality, and creates a transmutation within the mind that allows a deeper perception of the Self as part of the All.

To illustrate, picture each user on the Internet as part of the World Wide Web.  Each user is individually a piece of the ocean of information that connects together to form an unbroken, complex map of a virtual world that stretches across the globe.

We all fall victim to our own perception of "reality", and it is easy to allow the ego to construct the false notion of real separation from the rest of the All.  However, the quantum level of this "reality" shows a sea of gaseous particles made of energy that LITERALLY jumps in and out of existence.  

Atomically, we are all connected.  Spiritually, we are each capable of intuitively understanding and experiencing this connection.

It is this intuitive knowledge, this gnosis, that sets us free.  This gnosis of Self is what allows each of us to KNOW the very nature of the Divine, which is the culmination of the All.

Dry Your Tears...There Is Always Hope

Uncertainty, inequity, instability...these affect us all, but some more than others.

It can seem hopeless, feel helpless, seem pointless, to continue breathing in the face of what seems to be nothing more than survival.  We long to LIVE, not just breathe from one second to another.  We seek purpose, not just spiral from one point in time to another.

Those that feel, feel deeply, and love deeply, and feel heartbroken when that love doesn't seem returned.  Those that try, and put forth effort, only to be faced with more failure, more obstacles, more heartache...it really can seem pointless.

It can shake someone's faith.  It can cause them to question their significance.  It can lead to thoughts of depression and self harm.

These moments, these trials, they are exactly what you asked for before taking on this life.  These are your soul lessons, and they will always pass, so long as you see your way through them.

You will always have a guide, someone in your corner, a shepherd to lead you to your path.  No matter how lonely you feel, no matter how hopeless it seems, you need only to look within.

God is not in the sky.  We've been there, and found nothing but space.  God is where the Divine has always been; within, each of us, crying out for our love, our attention, our gnosis of God.  

This is no man.  This is no woman.  This is no physical being.  This is the I AM with in youu, seeking to aide you, to be recognized, to show you how you are tied in with the rest of reality.

Still your mind.  Calm your breathing.  Let your thoughts flow from your mind.  Breathe the I AM into your spirit.

Know thyself, for thyself is identical to the God Self longing to embrace you, comfort you, and help guide you to your purpose.

"The Kingdom of God cometh not through observation; neither shall they say "look here!" Or "look there!";

For behold...the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you."  - Luke 17:20-21

A Gnostic Prayer

Almighty God, whose footstool is the highest firmament: Great Ruler of Heaven and all the powers therein: Hear the prayers of Thy servants who put their trust in Thee. We pray Thee, supply our needs from day to day: Command Thy heavenly host to comfort and succor us: That it may be to Thy glory and unto the good of man. Forgive us our transgressions as we forgive our brothers and sisters: Be present with us: strengthen and sustain us: For we are but instruments in Thy hands. Let us not fall into temptation: Defend us from all danger and evil: Let Thy mighty power ever guard and protect us, Thou great Fount of knowledge and wisdom: Instruct Thy servants by Thy holy presence: Guide and support us, now and forever. Amen.

 

Yeshua: Historical Figure or Myth?

First, let's distinguish an important point:  "Myth" does not mean "untrue", but is merely a story containing fantastic plot points that often defy what we know of reality.  A "myth" could very likely be an embellished version of a very real series of events, and could also be completely true, or it could be completely fabricated.

That said, this post is written specifically to distinguish between the Myth of Jesus to focus on The Historical man named Jesus (Yeshua).

Personally, I've always had a difficult time accepting the commonly held narrative that most Christians believe; that Jesus was a magical, virgin-born, God-incarnated man, whose spiritual lessons led to his brutal execution.  Then he was entombed, came back to life, and then ascended into the sky.  While obviously that's a rather simplistic summary, this is the myth of Jesus.  From an objective perspective, it seems that the Christian religion as a whole focuses more on the myths of Jesus's birth and death, and much less emphasis on what Jesus spoke and taught.

Which has led to a growing belief in our modern society that the whole story of Jesus is a fabricated story, which is a grave injustice to common sense.

The people that dispute the existence of Jesus usually make that claim because our modern scholars and anthropologists haven't discovered any physical proof of his existence.  However, absence of proof isn't proof of absence.

There is still rather a lot of evidence ("evidence" and "proof" are two different things that people often confuse) to go by in order to logically conclude that Jesus existed.  It is my contention that a factual, historical Jesus that existed is the most logical possibility.

The reason for this conclusion is simple.  If we first assume he didn't exist, that his story was made up completely, then we must logically conclude that those who created the story had  to have not only a motive to promote this fictional story, but also enough devotion to their creation that they were more willing to die by execution than admit it was merely a story that was conjured up.

From a strictly logical standpoint, I find that idea a lot less likely than the opposing idea; that the mythology of Jesus and his following was based off of a real man, with real teachings, and that same man was executed due to either 1) politically powerful Jews within the community looking at his teachings as "heretical",  and/or 2) inciting what the Romans could consider a "rebellious" movement.  It's logical to conclude that the actual, historical account was exaggerated by this man's remaining followers in order to lend more credence to his teachings, which eventually created the mythology of Jesus as the Christ/Messiah.

The "burden of proof" that non-believers keep insisting on either doesn't exist, or it hasn't been discovered.  Maybe one day it will, maybe it never will.  However, based strictly off the evidence we have both within scripture and historical documentation outside of scripture, it's simply more logical to conclude that Jesus the Man did indeed exist.

The conclusions that can be drawn by assuming the opposite are, at best, rooted in tin-foil hat conspiracy theories that date back almost 2,000 years, and would require a lot more explanation to the motives of conspiring to create and die for a story that was conjured up by imagination.

#seemslegit

That's not to say that, historically speaking, 2,000 years is just "too long to know anything about", because we have much, much older historical evidence and proof of different people and different areas.  However, the time frame is very important, because we know that there were many, many different sects and texts of Christian flavor.  

The original theory was that Christianity began as a universal (or "Catholic") belief system, that later split into different sects after the Protestant movement.  But we now know, through much research, the discoveries of the Nag Hammadi scrolls, and the comparative studies of early Christian writers (like Irenaeus and the like) that the early Christian movement was almost as splintered THEN as it is NOW (some of those folks even called themselves "Gnostics" ;) ).  

That said, we've got about 300 some odd years before the Council of Nicea, in which texts and beliefs related to Christianity we're expanded, expounded, and explained.

But AFTER the Council of Nicea, once the canonized version of the bibliography we know of today as The Bible was decided and ratified, these many other texts, scriptures, and accounts of Jesus and Christianity were destroyed.  And it was an incredibly thorough job, because the Roman Empire was extremely good at suppressing information as well (which is why the find of Nag Hammadi was such a HUGE discovery; finding texts that were either considered lost to history, some we'd never heard of, some that helped complete already existing fragments of previous discoveries, and just a library of texts that had almost been completely erased from history).  

Even reading further about the Nag Hammadi texts, we know that the original discoverer didn't understand the significance of the find, as he and his wife used some of the scrolls as FIRE WOOD.  Which makes my head hurt.

The point is, that while 2,000 years ago, in historic terms, isn't so long ago that we can't do some research, the inherent problems with tracing Christian history back to its roots (whether that means finding a Jesus man or not) is, to date, virtually impossible.  So much information, scriptural as well as historical documentation, written accounts, artwork, and just any and all evidence that would point one way or another...it's evident that the Romans did a remarkably thorough job in destroying what was deemed either heretical or unworthy of keeping.

That's why the time frame is important.  Personally, I'm extremely hopeful that the monks that buried the Nag Hammadi scriptures weren't the only ones of their kind, and that there's still more to be discovered.  Just as the Library of Alexandria was destroyed (along with countless historical documents), so too were many of the records of the Jews, the Nazarenes, etc. (especially after the Romans re-invaded and virtually burned to the ground the entire city of Judea in 70 C.E.).  Also, the Roman Catholic Church, under Emperor Constantine, purposely and willfully destroyed so much after Nicea, that we're left today with not just a lack of evidence and proof, but extremely large gaps in our own understanding of the history of that specific time and geographical area.

Who Am I?

I am not my eyes, nor my sight.

I am the observer of my sight.

I am not my ears, nor my hearing.

I am the observer of sound.

I am not my nose, nor my smell.

I am the observer of scent.

I am not my tongue, nor my taste.

I am the observer of taste.

I am not my sensory preceptors, nor my sense of touch.  I am the observer of touch.

I am not my thoughts or emotions, nor am I my mind.  I am the observer of those thoughts and emotions.

I am not space, nor my sense of spatial dimension.  I am the observer of space.

I am not time, nor my sense of movement.  I am the observer of time.

I am not my body.  I am the observer of my body's functions.

I AM.

Divine Cause and Effect

The Universe exists and is real. Every rational person must admit this point. If it did not exist, we would not be here to talk about it. So the question arises, “How did the Universe get here?” Did it create itself? If it did not create itself, it must have had a cause.

Let’s look at the law of cause and effect. As far as science knows, natural laws have no exceptions. This is definitely true of the law of cause and effect, which is the most universal and most certain of all laws. Simply put, the law of cause and effect states that every material effect must have an adequate cause that existed before the effect.

Uncaused events in quantum mechanics do not refute the principle that something cannot come from nothing. Furthermore, the reduction of causation in quantum events to unpredictable probabilities does not refute our normal experience that objects simply do not appear without a cause. This leaves us with sufficient evidence to believe that whatever begins to exist must have a cause for its existence.

Material effects without adequate causes do not exist. Also, causes never occur after the effect. In addition, the effect never is greater than the cause. That is why scientists say that every material effect must have an adequate cause. The river did not turn muddy because the frog jumped in; the book did not fall off the table because the fly landed on it. These are not adequate causes. For whatever effects we see, we must present adequate causes.

One thing is for sure: the Universe did not "create" itself.  We know this for a scientific fact, because matter cannot create matter (matter is energy, and the first law of thermodynamics is that energy cannot be created or destroyed). If we take a rock that weighs 1 pound and do 50,000 experiments on it, we never will be able to produce more than 1 pound of rock. So, whatever caused the Universe could not have been material.

I know that it might sound insulting to your intelligence to have to include this paragraph, but some people today are saying that the Universe evolved from nothing. However, if there ever had been a time when absolutely nothing existed, then there would be nothing now, because it always is true that nothing produces nothing. If something exists now, then something always has existed.

There had to be a First Cause, and "God" was (and is) the only One suitable for the job.  Now, If we contend that every material effect must have a cause, and we say that only "God" could have caused the Universe, then the obvious question is: “What caused God?” Doesn’t the law of cause and effect apply to God, too?

There is a single word in the law of cause and effect that helps provide the answer to this question—the word material. Every material effect must have a cause that existed before it. Scientists formulated the law of cause and effect based upon what they have observed while studying this Universe, which is made out of matter. No science experiment in the world can be performed on God, because The Divine is an eternal spirit, not matter. Science is far from learning everything about this material world, and it is even farther from understanding the eternal nature of God. 

The law of cause and effect is a well-established law that does not have any known exceptions. It was not conjured up from the creationists’ magic hat to prove the existence of God (although it does that quite well). The evidence is sufficient to show that this material Universe needs a non-material cause. That non-material Cause can only be a God figure. If natural forces created the Universe, randomly selecting themselves, then morality in humans never could be explained. Why is this universe here?

The Sense of Gnosis

Most of us as school children were taught that there are five basic human senses (touch, taste, sight, smell, sound).  But over the years, the overlapping fields of study (from neuroscience to cognitive psychology) have determined that there are at LEAST nine more senses, and some posit that it could be well over 20.

In the modern world, we've used these sciences to understand more and more about the cosmos, biological evolution, humans as a species, and the traits associated within both our bodies and our minds, and to better understand ourselves and our roles within the universe.

The human race is still evolving.  Not only our technologies and science, but our bodies as well.  Strictly from a philosophical standpoint, can we not conclude that certain sciences (and the eventual evolution of our minds as a species) could eventually show an additional "sense" within humanity to explain spiritual experiences that individuals have had throughout humanity, which has served for the very basis of belief in an intangible Divine Creator?

Could something as simple as an additional human "sense" be what causes the "awareness" or "enlightenment" of individuals of the world to proclaim a belief in a "God" that is beyond the basic five human senses that we've all relied on to understand our world?

It's been said that "if God exists, why doesn't he just show himself?"  Assuming that "he" does, can we not assume that perhaps "he" has, but that we as a collective species choose to either ignore or disassociate completely with a basic, biological human sense of perception?

After all, there are people that are blind, deaf, mute, etc., as well as people who have better sight, hearing, and smelling senses than others...could the difference in an individual, biological human sense explain why some people believe in, claim to experience, and/or disbelieve in a Divine Creator?

Could an individual, biological human sense also account for such persons that have been labeled "prophets, messengers, and masters"?  Perhaps such a perceptionary sense is particularly strong in such individuals?

Here's the kicker.  You can actually exercise and fine tune your senses.

Tune into the Self.

 

The Role of a Leader

I have a very insignificant job, very unenlightening, and very outside the realm of any real influence in the world. However, it, like any other position in any other occupation, has its own culture and its own world of devotees.

I am a field manager for the company I work with, meaning that I run one of the retail locations that it operates. I'm the boss. I'm the guy people talk about when they're alone, and the guy people all try to be good friends with. I'm the guy that gets to solve the world's problems by taking care of business in my own little sphere of influence.

I've noticed a slight change in attitude in myself as I've grown more comfortable with my position. At first, I was a real go-getter - no one would stop me from being the best, most reliable, most dedicated, highest grossing nobody that company would ever see. And I succeeded in making a good image around me, though I may have fell short of my rather ambitious goals above. But I was always engaged, not caring who I ran over or pushed out of the way to get where I was going. After all, I had to be the best because I wanted to raise a family some day. I wanted to make the money.

Now, my attitude has evolved. I'm still in it for the support of my family - they are almost solely the reason I work so hard now. But there is another aspect of my job that has grown on me, and has caused me to reach within myself and strive to not only work hard, but to make myself an example for others.

I enjoy being a leader. Not just a manager, or a boss - but a leader. There are those, for whatever reason, who actually look up to me. There are those who actually listen to my opinions and emulate them. There are those that look to me as though I have all the answers, and I feel ashamed if I let them down. I actually care that these people see me as the go-to guy. I refer to them often as "my guys", as opposed to "my employees" or my "coworkers". The team that I've built is an important aspect and reflection of myself. "My guys" help define who I am in this alternative universe of Joe that I refer to as "work".

Many people see their boss as someone they have to be weary or suspicious around. There's always a negative connotation when people speak of their bosses. But with me, I honestly feel there's a different connection. There's a trust, a team effort, and the things I see people do I actually feel that they do them so that I'll look good, not them. There seems to be an almost symbiotic relationship that we all share.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's a few bad apples in the bunch. No one is 100% popular.

However, I feel that this newly realized attitude towards my position at my job helps to even further define my role outside of my work life. At work, I'm father-figure, therapist, referee, goalie, cheerleader, bouncer, and protector. At home, with friends, I feel that I am the same - and I believe those lessons have been learned through my job.

I enjoy my job because of the people that I'm around. It's not the drive for personal success that keeps me going at the job now. It's the drive to show that others can be just as successful. I enjoy my work, because I feel that I have lessons that I can teach others to help them succeed. The benefits of those feelings, the feelings that I can actually do good for other people, far outweigh the feelings of individual accomplishment.

Dear Abba

Dear Abba,

Hello, Father. I realize it's been a while since we last spoke, but I hope you don't think that's because I haven't wanted to. I've been tied up lately with the family, my job, and a new area.

I've thought about you from time to time, but I've been thinking a lot about you lately. I can't seem to get you out of my mind now, but I'm really not trying to. I'd like to pick our relationship back up again, but with so much time apart, I feel that I have to re-learn who you are. I hope this doesn't offend you, as this is not my intent. But with so much time separating us, I feel I have no other choice.

I realize this could be a little hard to accept, with me just trying to walk back into your life. But this has been the nature of our relationship for as long as I can remember. I'd walk out on a limb, start to fall, and ask for your help. It's almost as if you've reminded me that I don't always keep up my end of the bargain in this relationship. And I really hate feeling like the only time we talk is when I need something from you. I'm concerned that you might feel that all I am is a taker, when it's really the furthest thing from the truth. I've tried, at certain times, to make you proud of me and what I've become. I hope the culmination of who I am now is someone that you can feel proud of.

So, it is with great desire that I express to you that I'd like a renewed relationship with you. I'd like to feel your love more as a result of the time spent with you, as opposed to obligations that you've made by helping me through every trial and tribulation in my life. I will still need your help from time to time - I don't see a point in the future where that will not be the case. But I don't intend on making that the sole reason for my relationship with you. I'd like to be a beacon of light that radiates to others so that they may see: I love you as well.

I appreciate everything you've ever done for me, and everything you will do for me in the future. I only hope I can reciprocate and do things, positive things, for you as well. I understand that it takes two for any relationship to last.

So let this be a renewed vow. I promise to re-engage. I promise to make time for you. I promise to hold you close to my heart. I promise to recognize the moral lessons that you've taught me. I promise to love you. I promise to not take advantage of you, or take you for granted. And I promise to never forget that you love me too.


With Love,
Joe

Home Sickness

"I find myself really at a loss. Can't seem to control the things going on around me."

"I want to escape."

"It's a feeling of home-sickness. I can't seem to be happy as I once was, not as a result of anything that anyone or anything has done to me, but more as a result of feeling burnt out."

"I want to be at peace. Life itself seems to be pushing me around, and instead of feeling in this world, I feel like this world is in me."

"I'd like to be able to move with the wind. There is a longing for the answer to a secret that I can't figure out. There seems to be something on the tip of my tongue, I just can't find the words."

"I know something is wrong here. I know it. But I can't tell what it is. I just want to break free."

Sound familiar?

Here's some words of encouragement:

This is always the first step. Good things come to those who SEEK, not to those that wait. Chin up, mi amigos.

Mysterious Ways

So, I'm laying in bed, face down with my arm draped off the side.

Thinking my thoughts towards God, I say "Father, I'd love to feel you."

The next thought that enters my head is "then feel me."

And with that, I feel my dog's wet nose against my bear shoulder.

Coincidence? I think not.

My Heart Cries...

I abhor violence. I tend to look the other way when I am threatened. I tend to question how people can get so involved in conflict that the value of human life and well-being is diminished. I've seen people - reasonable, intelligent people - turn into ravaging maniacs because of anger, hatred, and bigotry.

I've seen the world fight wars. I've seen how conflicts around the globe spark bigger conflicts, and how compromises turn into demands. I've seen moderation stamped out by intolerance, and activism drowned by ignorance.

And so it continues. Our world fights with itself. Every war we fight is another civil war - humans fight humans; spirits fight spirits. There is no "us" and "them" - and people are often confused by that. The boundary lines we inhabit might determine the freedoms and prosperities we might receive, or decide your fate for you before you get a chance to breathe. Nothing is certain, anywhere you live.

But we fight with ourselves again. The current world: Iraq? If the in-fighting would just cease, if people would just embrace their society instead of trying to destroy it, the "occupation" would end, and the struggle for freedom would begin with new friends. The fighting has to stop.

Palestine elected terrorists to govern, and they got terrorism in their government. They have been engulfed in civil war, and it can only stop when people decide to make it stop. Hamas was elected to power not to govern Palestine, but to express discontent with Israel. Again, the hatred brews and the results have come from it: death, destruction, war. The fighting has to stop.

Darfur has mass genocide. People are routinely, systematically raped. People die because they are of a different skin type. Mass, horrific, fighting. Blood, war, death; the fighting has to stop.

Here at home, I pride myself for the good fortune I have been lucky enough to be awarded. But I recognize the problems. The two party system of government, coupled with an ever-increasing lame duck president, continue to display their own impotence to help solve these world problems. We've been immersed in our own failures, and every good intention is drowned by critics from past mistakes. Republican and Democrat fight to appear to have a better image, when the world fights wars. Politics over leadership. Who can make the other look worse, instead of how can we help each other. Squabbling over no-confidence votes and non-binding resolutions, when people fight wars both at home and abroad. People fight. The fighting has to stop.

I believe military intervention can bring peace, and it is necessary in many situations. But the constant fighting has to stop. All we do is run around in a great circle of fighting; never ending, ceaseless fighting.

People die, needlessly, every day - proving our own ineffectiveness to coexist. We are all apart of the same sea - surely one day the ocean will stop trying to divide itself.

Prejudice

It's remarkable to me how people shape their opinions on things without even having any personal experience with it. I saw on the news yesterday that there were these two women who were ranting about the horrible spread of Harry Potter. There was, of course, a children's psychiatrist on the program to debate the duo, who seemingly attacked the Harry Potter story because they viewed it as being harmful to kids.

How?

Because - according to them - it promotes witchcraft to children. When the host and the psychiatrist both responded by saying that it pits good guys against bad guys, it has endearing messages of love and kindness, and yadda yadda yadda, one of the ladies made the following assertion: she claims that it glorifies white magic, and demonizes black magic, but in reality, all magic is evil.

Now...why would she say something like this? Stereotype.

What they were actually trying to do here is just demonize witchcraft, as if it's some kind of religion in and of itself. Magic (magick, whatever) is a tool used in certain religious ceremonies as a tool for further endowment of experience. It's akin to the sacraments that we've seen used in the Christian tradition. Magick doesn't *do* anything of itself, but it creates a movement in the person's mind to go forward with events that help them achieve their own particular ease...in order to experience further the divine touch.

I fear I will find my self lost in my own words.

My astonishment, however, was with these women. They are SO not alone with the bigotry. And why do they feel this way about "witchcraft"? I would presume, having not known these ladies, that they have been raised with such notions that this particular belief structure is "evil." It's a grandfathered prejudice which cultivates through ignorance.

When there is time, we should always examine our prejudices of ideas. Why is it we feel the way we do about things? Is it because we KNOW them to be bad or good, or because that's what we've been told? Do the ideas that present such a bad impression really represent the idea itself?

We should never limit ourselves to our preconceived notions. Try not to form an opinion unless you have really educated yourself on both sides of a debate. There are always two sides to every coin.

The Power Of Symbolism

Earlier this morning, when I was getting ready for work, I found a jewelry box in my computer room that had a bunch of scrap jewelry that had been put aside for special occasions (such as rings and old necklaces). In it, I happened to find my necklace charm, a silver Templar cross. I could refer to it as a Gnostic cross, because that's its symbolism for me.

The original reason I put it away was because the loop that holds it on my necklace kept breaking, but this time, I stuck it in my pocket and carried it with me to work. Later in the day, I took the time to put it back together, and strap it on my neck. It made me feel good.

It's not the cross itself that has magical powers to change my mood. It's the representation of what the cross means to me. When I wear it, it makes me remember who I am, where I have gone, where I'm going, and what I'm hear for. In short, I've attached a memory of my core person onto this symbol - making it special to me.

This is what we do when we carry charms, crosses, pendants, and all sorts of religious-type items. It is through this method we remind ourselves that there are other things going on in our life besides the traffic, the dog chewing up the furniture, the jerk at work, and the war in Iraq. It's through this method that we remember what we believe, and what we feel when we seek the Divine.

Some confuse the idea of carrying a symbol as meaning we substitute the object for the truth. Couldn't be further from the truth. You don't pray to your cross, nor do you expect it to turn into an incarnation of an angel. Rather, we focus our strength on the object, which gives us a pendulum to harness our thoughts - it channels our emotive process to make our thoughts and words reach the destination: Divine attention.

Never be ashamed of such a noble intention. Rather, make aware the usefulness of such a tool.

Gnosis: Attack of the Conscience

It is thus: when one feels the experience of gnosis, it is an overwhelming sense of joy, love, confusion, and triumph. And with it, when one returns to our lively, coffee-driven, baby goo world, we find ourselves immersed in the same old junk we were before: life's problems.

However, the big difference is not the way life comes at you; the big change in life is how you get back with reality. There is a shift in consciousness; a change in course; a new direction for your responses to flow. It's clarity. We can question even the most basic of moral rules to a fault, and actually understand that sometimes even what's considered "right" can actually be wrong. This is the stage where your conscience is pounding in your head. You've awoke the sleeping giant.

No more can you sit idly by and float through the primordial ooze. No more can you see harm being done to others, or sit and watch another do harm to themselves. No more can you bear witness to injustice and turn the blind eye. It doesn't make you superman to be this aware - just makes you superconscious.

Even the smallest life has meaning: I've noted before that my wife gets very irritated when I argue with her about killing the spider running across the floor. And you know you've got issues when you say a prayer for a fruit fly.

But these are the examples of the underlying resonance within each of us. There is a sleeping spark within that opens our eyes to the wonderful and beautiful creations throughout reality. We see that there is not so much black and white in the world: it's all confused, collapsing in on itself.

But the glimmer of hope is within us all. The bond between the saint and the sinner is unnoticeable, but unbreakable. We are all life - and that life's purpose is to recognize it and respect it .

Gnosis is the freedom you are longing for.

The Meaning Of Life

I will take this moment to gloat about the beauty of my son. Isn't he cute? ;-)

I have found no other purpose in life as satisfying as watching my child smile at me.

Time As An Archon

Time is nothing but the gauge that we use in order to judge the "distance" between two events. Time has no meaning, outside of our limited understanding of its relationship to the universe. If there were no cycles, no births, and no deaths, time would be utterly non-existent.

It is by this time frame that we fashion our lives. We live the moments of our youth as if they were infinite, and as our understanding of the limits of time increases, our daily devotion to it increases. We plan our day, our schedules, our meals - our entire way of life is based upon the moments that we use and have left throughout life.

But how realistic is this? Examine.

There is no difference between this moment and the last, other than the molecules of the universe have shifted into different positions. There is no "age" - it does not exist. Things are ever shifting, evolving, mutating, and transforming into different shapes, sizes, forms, and substances. Your body is never the same, materially, from one moment to the next. Neither is the universe.

Don't misunderstand me. I make no plans to miss my scheduled work time, or feeding time for my baby. But what I want to address here is the worship of "time" as an entity - an archon. This "ruler" controls the very fabric of our existence, and blocks gnosis at every corner.

Much despair and grief arises from our worship of time. We fear the day that our body is no longer animate, or one of our loved ones in no longer with us. Those who have faith pray that they can greet the "after-life" with the concept that they view the most appealing. Some choose to put a time frame on the existence of the planet, the sun, and the universe.

Time is no more than an illusion. There is no past, just as there is no future. Every event that has ever occurred has occurred right now, this time, present - we just gauge the time appropriately to fit into our ideas of the sequences of events. The same goes true for the death of the body. People fear this time the most, because it is the least understood.

Once the concept of time can be overcome, you can allow your mind to rest openly. Understand that the time we fear is not going to be some distant date, but it is right now - just as your birth. How many events happen between this event and the next? Who knows? This is unimportant. When we can grasp this concept of "now," and shed the concept of time, we can start to embrace the present.

Feel the touch of the now. Hear the sounds that flow. Live the breath that you breathe. Sense the emotion that overcomes you. Know that the "death" that you feel is an illusion as well, because it is just a transformation of substances. The spirit, the energy, the consciousness - these timeless functions of existence will continue.

Learn to release time. It's a heavy burden to bear, one that can constrict the pursuit of gnosis. Focus on the "now", and you can find a way to see into the infinite.

You're Almost There...Don't Go Now...

Anytime you start to try something new, it can be exciting and challenging. Especially when, at first, everything seems to be a great combination with your spirit.

This is contemporary Gnosticism. Many are attracted to its elements because the word is used so much by so many people. This is another reason it's entirely difficult to ground down an exact definition and outline for modern Gnosticism. Many people are attracted to it from different sources - notably those who have actually misused the word Gnosticism when representing themselves.

One of the scary things about entering into something new is that when it's not exactly what you were expecting, we retreat. I've seen many people who are attracted to Gnosticism because they've heard of Sylvia Browne or Samual Woer using the word to describe their particual set of beliefs. Once they learn how laughable their brand really is compared to true contemporary Gnosticism, they retreat back into their "safe zone," for fear that they have absolutely no idea what is going on - like they will be judged for being crazy.

This should never be the case. I was actually initially attracted to Gnosticism through Sylvia Browne's words, which was my direct quest to seek a higher knowledge of the Divine. As I explored the religion further, I realized (a) how different it really was from what Sylvia said it was, and (b) how in love with it I really was.

Many don't initially understand the many layers of interpretation that follow through the myths and allegories of Gnostic folklore. And trust me, there are plenty of places on the web and through scholarship that claim all sorts of obscene things about the Gnostic religion and its practices, but at the core root of it, there are all these different routes the knowledge can and does go. It is more broad than people have ever really given it credit for, and I think that's a travesty.

Gnosticism is more than a religion with a set of beliefs. It's more than a liturgy. It's more than the myths that they use to teach. It's more than the word itself.

It's not UFO worship, or some sex cult, or some occultic pagan group of Satan worshippers. It's figurehead is not some psychic lady that can tell you what your grandmother is doing in Heaven.

It IS the active, consistant approach to seeking out gnosis, and using that particular experience by applying it to life. The gnosis is what frees us.

All else is conjecture, and should not taint the purity of gnosis.

The Lamb

THE LAMB

Little Lamb, who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life,
and bid thee feed

By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee;
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:

He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a Lamb
He is meek, and He is mild,
He became a little child.

I a child, and thou a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!

(William Blake)

Gnosis of the Child

Life as I know it is different now.

My new baby boy has brought so many new - maybe not new, but more enhanced - emotions and feelings into my atmosphere as of late. I never knew that I could love some other person quite as much as I do; an even deeper love than I feel for even myself.

Through the sleepless nights thus far (and the many to come), I realize that I don't take care of this little guy because I have to, but rather, because I feel impelled to. I feel no sense of "obligation" per se, but a more dignified sense of "want" as I watch my son scream his head off; I want to take care of him, to nurture him, and to raise him. And the scary part is that he's only a couple of weeks old.

I have to admit that there is a certain amount of uncertainty, an uneasy feeling that I don't know how well I'll do in raising this child, or even knowing how many mistakes I'll make (and I am quite sure I'll make more than a few mistakes). But these concerns are far outweighed by the buildup of pride I have for this beautiful child, my adoring son.

These feelings have left me to wander the halls of my thoughts, as of late. The love that I feel - through no force - for him almost seems to mirror to me a spiritual resonance. If I can love this child whom I've only held in my arms for two weeks now as much as I do, how much more so can the Divine share His love with the creation that has formed from His own love?

I feel a close connection in three ways right now, as I feel that I'm on the brink of an epiphany. I strongly feel my late father's love for me, through either my memories or a fine resonance that's left of him. I strongly feel the same protective love for my son that I felt from my dad - never being scared when I was around him (and hoping my son never feels scared around me). And these two, coupled, enhance the emotive waves I have felt with the Divine - hopefully, opening my own consciousness to newer spiritual levels.

The birth of my son has brought me here, to this path.. I only hope I can teach him to seek his path, and more than that - how to walk that path.

The Day That Changed My Life

January 25, 2007 - 5:57 p.m.

Joshua Nathaniel Daher

I never could have imagined he'd be so beautiful.

Is It Wrong To Eat Meat? Part 2

For the first part, please read here.

Relatively speaking, meat eating itself is not in question here. There are obvious risks associated with eating too much meat, and advantages of eating at least SOME meat. Besides the obvious, the animal in question is usually dead and doesn't feel ANYTHING.

The issue, instead, seems to be the inhumane treatment of animals that are bred for meat processing and the like. Brother Shawn Johnston has a very interesting post on this topic over at his blog site here.

Confronted with these harsh realities, I can of course only go on the evidence in hand and conclude that these animals are treated rather savagely. I offer no form of excuse or defense for the types of behavior that some of these meat manufacturers institute in their business, and I am offended that there are not better rules and regulations in place to help better safeguard these kinds of atrocities.

That being said, I'd like you to take a minute now and examine the things we do on a daily basis that has just as bad if not worse treatment for life. I'd like to put things in perspective.

• Should we stop mowing our lawns? I can only imagine the grass screaming as a plague of moving mechanical parts comes to mutilate scores of fellow specimens.
• Should we not bathe? The numbers that die in these forms of disinfection and contamination are incalculable, much less appetizing.
• Should we cease to partake in eating fruits and vegetables? We know beyond a doubt that these plants are living creatures, and they are very possibly much more complex organisms than originally suggested.
• Forget bathing, just stop cleaning altogether. The micro bacteria that exist are apart of an ecosystem that we obviously have no right putting to an end.
• Should we also set up some form of punishment for those animals that eat meat? Obviously, they are not as advanced as we humans, but I believe I've seen some gruesome and terrible things on the Discovery Channel, and I cannot sit by idly and watch these crimes against nature occur.

Okay, okay, I'll admit. This was probably a wee bit exaggerated. No harm was intended by my sarcasm, and I hope none is taken. But I do insist that we view this as a normal process of nature.

Not all butchers and meat processors are heartless scum. They don't exist solely to extract life - but to extract food. We should DEFINITELY punish those who are found to be heartlessly cruel to the animals in which they harbor, but a boycott on the meat industry altogether is equally unjust, and impossible.

Which brings me back to my original point: naturally speaking, of course, meat intake is going to be existent amongst life forms. It is definitely natural to assume that is a part of the natural course for human consumption.

Jesus: To Be Or Not To Be

I guess this is a long time coming, because I feel compelled to write about it.

I've noticed in many, many places that are gnostic-oriented that the existence of a physical Jesus is hotly debated, and more times than not, usually considered to be false. While all of these forums allow you a freedom to believe whichever you're most comfortable with, it feels like the "endorsed" message is that there was no physical Jesus.

Let me say: this post is not intended to debate the existence of Jesus.

I'm feeling a growing concern, however, that this message is being used far too much to be of any effectiveness. I stand behind and encourage creative thought and exploration, and this is certainly a subject that is both valid and neccesary to pursue in order to find roots and meanings behind esoteric messages and myths. But the Jesus myth as it exists today is an important bridge for those entering into a more spiritual form of Christianity: Gnositicism.

I caution those that are so quick to extend their opinions on the existence of a physical Jesus, because I believe it is out of personal spite that this subject is usually explored; a way to rebel against the establishment - the big "THEM" that is already called "Christianity."

I have always viewed Gnosticism as a very esoteric, meaningful, spiritual, and unique part of a movement that has often been called "Christianity" (though there are differences). Many people who seem to "cuddle" with Gnosticism can do so because it allows them the luxury of exploring their deeper spiritual needs, and yet not abandon completely the childhood religion that they've grown up with. To this end, the importance of having a common tie between the two is very defined. The myth of Jesus is an important bridge for people to cross from the Christianity of old into Gnosticism.

For the gnostic, I believe it would be very detrimental to the movement to automatically discount the existence of a physical Jesus because it would thereby sever the tie with the curious Christian, and perhaps might make that particular seeker retreat back into his/her own particular form of error. The thought of "no Jesus" for someone trying to pursue an esoteric religion that they have little knowledge of might just be enough for someone who has grown around the idea of a physical Jesus to take two steps back from their own spiritual progress.

In no way do I dispute that this is a valid topic to bring to people's attention, and we should always explore the route to knowledge wherever that leads us. But we must also, as gnostics, understand that accepting a defined "position" on this particular subject could not only hurt the growth and developement of the gnostic movement, but it can also affect the seeker that is on the path to their own particular gnosis. Too many times have I seen those in a "priestly" role outright declare that there "is no physical Jesus" because of a lack of physical evidence. This is a position that, in my opinion, should be avoided if one is honor-bound to assist the spiritual seeker attain gnosis.

Jesus has become an icon in the spiritual world. One can believe in a physical, spiritual, mythological, or allegorical Jesus; but one must conclude that none of these can be advertised exclusively be a body of spiritual seekers on a quest to expand both our minds and the minds of those willing to listen.

Besides, I hear Jesus was a cool guy.

Face Your Fears - Death

Something I've done a lot of contemplating on lately.

What I've found is that the deepest form of fear inevitably comes from one's unique uncomfortableness with death. I've suffered from this affliction, as I'm sure the vast majority of those reading have as well. If it's not death itself, it's what it will be preceded by - in other words, how it's going to happen.

Beyond that, there's usually a question of uncertainty. What happens after?

Harder question to answer than one might suspect, even for the most religious people. Once you dissect the form or brand of whatever particular version of religion you desire, you're left with little else but your own thoughts. You can picture the circumstances that will surround your death, but there's still a slight hint of unease. If you're not careful, this feeling can turn to dread, then fear, and then it can consume you. Very, very unhealthy - and not very productive either.

"When one dreams a dream, one does not know that it's not real until they wake. How, then, do we know that death is not the greatest pleasure?" - Kung Fu, TV Series

We, as religionists, attempt to diagram, study, explain, and delve deeper into the unknown - not for other people's sake, but for our own. Initially, the goal is completely selfish. There is a knowledge that exists that can help us determine exactly what happens to our consciouness at the moment of death - and we all yearn for this knowledge. It is the entire reason our species seeks out and explores the possibilities of the universe.

This knowledge is like the Fountain of Youth, a never-ending specticle of immortality. Which is, after all, the goal. We seek answers about our mortality in the hopes that we can discover that we are actually immortal, and that we can cheat death. But it is not "death" that people fear, per se, but rather the end of their own existence. The knowledge that is yearned for is just a comfort blanket, if you will - sort of a reassurance that everything will work out in the end.

Then we must gauge ourselves accordingly. Realize that "time" is merely static - invented by man in order to establish a way to gauge a sequence of events. "Time" is merely a means to an end, and we have focused our entire existence on surveying time. Clocks, watches, fast-food, instant coffee - all forms and brands designed specifically to feed off the idea that we are losing time. The fear technique is tapped in order to establish our own end - that our physical selves are running out of time, so make the most of it while you can.

But this is rediculous. Since time is really static, and all we observe are sequences of events, then we have always and will always live in the present - never NOT existing. There is no past, there is no future - as you read this passage, you are merely keeping track of the seconds and the missing time of your life based on the starting point of this paragraph and the ending punctuation. When you finish, nothing has changed except for the balance of atoms in existence and their particular place in reality. "Time" has not moved.

And so we must conclude, that at the moment of death, the physical life that we live is only changed, since the energy and mass of our selves are still extant. There is no life left in this shell, but according to physics, the energy can't just disappear. It has to exist somewhere.

In what capacity? That's an entirely different topic. But there is a knowledge that can lead us to these answers. The knowledge is there, almost as if it was placed there intentionally. This knowledge, friends, is called gnosis.

Reproduction: The Biggest Small Miracle

As I move closer to my wife's due date (Feb. 5), the realization of my upcoming fatherhood is growing more and more apparent. I'm not quite used to the idea yet, and it's still not exactly concrete, but I feel its grasp around my collar. I'm about to be a father.

This has me thinking and reflecting about life and the entire birthing process. I've had to mull over so many pregnancy books and pamphlets (my wife accuses me of not reading enough pregnancy books and too many religious books) that I've almost been drowned in the process of the moment. However, there is no real metaphysical explanations that I've encountered that have peaked my interest.

I can only assume this is the trueness to reality. Not that reality revolves around birth, but that the birth of man is the most realistic touch to this plane of existence. Its true reality actually is amazing: a life actually connected in a symbiotic manner to another life, merged together for the few months that it is grown within. The material beginning of this process is, of course, enjoyable...however, the end results fascinate me so much more.

From two single cells a life is born. Spirit is fused with matter through an inital transmutation, then growth takes over. A merge of cells creates the building blocks of an entire entity - capable of thought, feeling, and spiritual inquiry.

I can only guess the root causes behind such a spiritual mechanism. Our Gnostic texts tell us great stories and myths of how the Divine fell into the physical, but when applying these ideas to an individual, the task is a little bit more broad. It is the spirit that I hope this child succumbs to, not my religious ideas. I very much hope he can take on the kind of thought that can give birth to his own gnosis, within his own mind.

I realize, though, that the life I bring into this world will be molded from my existence. I will hope to imprint a certain set of moral values onto him that he can carry with him his entire life. I have thoughts at this moment of my late father, and the love (and many, many fights) we shared while growing up. He never wavered from his position, and no matter how wrong I thought he was, I know that everything he did and said was to prepare me for my life, my quest, and my path. I can only hope to be half as good a father towards my son.

This birth process can easily be confused for the miracle that IS birth. It's too easy to be caught up in the mechanics of the moment, but I must not forget this experience. I feel it's overpowering joy entering my house.

I feel anxious. I can't wait.

Perhaps...

Perhaps this blog is the work of a mad man.

Perhaps these articles are the musings of a lunatic.

Perhaps these ideas are the dreams of men who never saw sanity, driven by their own desire to know themselves.

Perhaps these are the latest steps in a constant process of evolution, slowly drawing the minds of those connected into a state of blissful insanity.

Perhaps I've been coerced by an ideology that is entrancing, mind-warping, and addicting.

Perhaps I don't know what I think I know.

Perhaps I never knew, and I still don't.

Perhaps no one else knows what I long to know.

Perhaps there is nothing to know.

Perhaps there is a winding road we all travel, born to walk this path, driven to finish, powerless when we have taken our last step.

Perhaps this life is truly amazing.

Perhaps life is meant to be a mystery forever.

Perhaps that IS the mystery.

Perhaps we've all got it wrong.

Perhaps we've all got it right.

Perhaps there's two sides to every coin.

Perhaps there is intent behind this creation.

Perhaps there is a mind behind that intent.

Perhaps we are all apart of that mind.

Perhaps we all have a part in that mind.

Perhaps we are that mind.

Perhaps when we know that mind, we can truly be blissful.

Perhaps that's what makes us all crazy.

Perhaps...that's gnosis.

Death Brings No Peace

Saddam Hussein

April 28, 1937 - December 30, 2006

When I was younger, and the Gulf War dominated the news, it seemed to me that all the world was against Saddam. Of course, this wasn't the case, but it sure was propagandized as such to me - in Elementary school.

I used to wonder why my government never did anything to Saddam, and why he was still in power. Why don't we, I thought, send someone to kill Saddam? I was raised, actually, to grow into hating that dictator. I've since learned to deal with these childhood impressions, and my feelings on this situation have greatly been effected.

Now that he's been executed, my heart weeps. Not because he was a good person, or a good leader. He was clearly neither of these. But because this was yet another lost soul, fueled by hate - so far from the Divine.

If only I could help. I mourn for his spirit. I can only hope his spirit finds peace.

The Best Picture...

Joshua Nathaniel Daher

Coming Soon: Due February 5, 2007

This is beyond words...

Prayer For Peace

Oh, Holy Wisdom
Guide us through these horrible times.
Keep us in your thoughts,
And help us keep you in our hearts.

Oh, Holy Mind,
Reach us through our gnosis,
Waken us with your touch,
Release us from our egos.

Allow our Christ to awaken,
Embolden our yearns for peace.
Shed your love on our spirits,
So that we may shed our love on each other.

Oh, Holy God,
Allow us to see our own faults,
Blind us to each other's differences,
And help us break the grip of war.

End the fighting.
Stop the oppression.
Bring peace on Earth
And brotherhood towards all men.

Amen.

Playing Dominos: Cause and Effect

Okay, so we know the rule: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This is interesting to me.

I know this is all "scientific" and sort of strays from the idea that a Creator-guy up in the sky has control of everything happening in the Universe, but that's okay...I'm a rebel.

This notion passed through my mind actually at a weird point in my life - when I was beginning to question whether or not my beliefs made any sense, or whether I was just sucking something up that "sounded good." I was questioning the idea that there was a creator that created EVERYTHING. I let my emotions take control, and started feeling an intense amount of doubt and anxiety. What a rediculous idea. But then I thought about something.

The idea came: cause and effect.

Have you ever lined up a stack of dominos, and then just knocked one over? It's so fun to see how everything falls; how each piece touches another, and effects the next piece. It's interesting to see how elaborate you can make the rows that branch off and make more rows fall over. Sure, the eventual outcome is known from the start. But it's the process that captures you. It's how everything falls into place, and how beautiful it is when it happens.

I thought the same when I was captured by this anxiety. Why would God even create? Here's your reason: all the pieces are lined up. The outcome is known. All the atoms and molecules are made and placed specifically in a tight, wound-up ball at the beginning of the universe - the beginning of time. So what happens? One domino is knocked over.

The meaning of existence, therefore, seems to be to act as a domino. To participate in the entire picture, to play a vital role, and to be a work of beauty and entertainment in the entire game of existence.

All the routes and revenues have been lined up. The outcome is known. The game seems pointless, I know - but it's so beautiful to see everything work out.

If we can feel that way about dominos, how much more the Divine must feel about life!

Wake yourself up, experience your gnosis - feel what it is to be apart of such a great experiment.

Divine Image

To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
All pray in their distress,
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
Is God our Father dear;
And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
Is man, his child and care.

For Mercy has a human heart
Pity, a human face;
And Love, the human form divine;
And Peace, the human dress.

Then every man, of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine:
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

And all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk, or Jew.
Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell,
There God is dwelling too.

[Divine Image, William Blake]

Marketing Religion

I'm not reall keen on this topic, but it's been bothering me lately.

I visited a church where a friend of my wife's is going to have a baby shower in the next month or so. The church (which will remain nameless) was absolutely huge, consisting of at least three "main" parts, and a radius that you can only get around if you have a vehicle.

Inside, the church had a gym (with about 8 different basketball goals), aerobics centers, 3 raquet ball courts, a music hall, prayer rooms, a snack area, a bookstore, and on and on and on. You name it, I'm sure you could find it somewhere in that building. I spent a little while just walking around; observing.

After a while, I returned to the group and was informed that we were going to be eating dinner at the church. This seemed a little strange, mind you, because I wasn't used to a church having a lunch room.

After getting into "the mess hall" (as I kept calling it in my head), I found that I had to pay to eat, which was a little surprising because all the other options at the church were free. I didn't see a problem with it, however, because I realize money is still an issue in some places (staff salary and whatnot).

As I was eating, I noticed all the different projection instruments hanging from the ceiling displaying class and study times for discussing (or just listening to a minister) different topics of religious revelance. It kind of set me off a bit.

I don't know what it was, exactly, but I began feeling a little distanced from this place. I started realizing some pretty dishonorable things. At first, I thought all these snack centers and bookstores and lunch halls were an effort to raise money (which they probably are, to some extent) for church purposes. But the church purposes that I have come to value didn't seem to match this church's. Whereas I would think this money they raise would go towards charity and community, I saw highly expensive projection equipment haning around a lunch room trying to promote "end times" classes. I saw expensive music equipment. I saw clean up crews. I saw neatly trimmed grass and bushes outside. I saw glamour, and I saw no charity.

I'm sure I've over looked some of the positive things this church has done for community. But in this case, I believe the negative has outweighed the positive. I've always looked at church as a place to worship, celebrate the Divine relationship with mankind, and think about the spirit. This place, however, seemed like a shallow marketplace.

I think my mistrust comes from a feeling of corruption. When I see a gigantic place like this, and start figuring all the costs that accumulate through expanding into these different areas, I think of all the money that it has to generate. My immediate question is: what if they can't get the money?

I have a hard time thinking that this question doesn't cross someone's mind in the institution, as well. And this opens up the institution to corruption. How can we keep them coming back? They rely on the money to stay "in business," and when this happens, the message (the entire reason for coming) gets lost in a sea of forgetfullness.


And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
And Jesus said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Matthew 21:12-13
KJV

The Problem With Labels

We search for our identity.

That's a fact of life. We seek to learn about ourselves - why and how we are the way we are - and this is the ultimate goal for everyone (or at least it should be).

That identity can be sought outside of ourselves, and shaped by ideologies on the outside of our being. The true identity is always inside, the Christ within each of us - whether we look for it or not.

You will probably see that no matter how different we are on the outside, our center-self is virtually identical to each other - like knots on a rope. It's a connection to that center that is called "gnosis."

On the outside, however, things are not so easy. We struggle to identify with society, the lesser self - the PUBLIC self (it was called "the mob" in Rome...go figure). The self is then bent and formed, growing in and around each society and its own unique norms and processes. We define ourselves growing into these societies by different labels, such as "rich" or "poor", "middle-class", "democrat" or "republican", or even "Jewish" or "Christian." No matter what the label, it's usually determined by how we interact with each group we live our life around, and how they in turn react to our own impressions on their personalities.

The problem here is that we sometimes let these outside forces define who we are, instead of questioning why we believe something for ourself. I am, of course, guilty of this just like most others are. But what we all must do is analyze what it is that we hold dear, why we have the values that we have, and what we can do to better the interaction of outside principles on our own psyche.

Labels can be important, too, because they allow a conscousness to feel welcomed.

I've touched on this in another post, but it's still to be held true. We must know WHY we are the way we are, and not just allow society to tell us what and why to think. I am fully aware that people disagree with my opinions on things, but we all must know that we come from the same identical root. My opinions don't make me better or smarter than anyone, and neither do anyone else's make them the same.

We search for our identity all our lives within society. If we only searched within ourselves, we might not be so restricted as a society.

Salvation Through Differences

- ...Such is the very death of the created being. We die to the extent that we fail to discriminate. For this reason the natural impulse of the created being is directed toward differentiation and toward the struggle against the ancient, pernicious state of sameness. The natural tendency is called Principium Individuationis (Principal of Individuation). This principle is indeed the essence of every created being. From these things you may readily recognize why the undifferentiated principle and lack of discrimination are all a great danger to created beings. For this reason we must be able to distinguish the qualities of the Pleroma. Its qualities are the PAIRS OF OPPOSITES, such as

the effective and the ineffective
fullness and emptiness
the living and the dead
difference and sameness
light and dark
hot and cold
energy and matter
time and space
good and evil
the beautiful and the ugly
the one and the many
and so forth.

The pairs of opposites are the qualities of the Pleroma: they are also in reality non-existent because they cancel each other out.
Since we ourselves are the Pleroma, we also have these qualities present within us; inasmuch as the foundation of our being is differentiation, we possess these qualities in the name and under the sign of differentiation, which means:

First--that the qualities are in us differentiated from each other, and they are separated from each other, and thus they do not cancel each other out, rather they are in action. It is thus that we are the victims of the pairs of opposites. For in us the Pleroma is rent in two.

Second--the qualities belong to the Pleroma, and we can and should partake of them only in the name and under the sign of differentiation. We must separate ourselves from these qualities. In the Pleroma they cancel each other out; in us they do not. But if we know how to know ourselves as being apart from the pairs of opposites, then we have attained to salvation. -

[The Seven Sermons of the Dead]

- Carl Gustav Jung

Today Is the Day

Start today.

Go do something good, somewhere, for someone. Don't brag, don't accept anything in return.

Just go do it. Broaden your sphere of influence.

DON'T FORGET: smile. A smile makes everything better.

God Is In the Rain

Some people look at the rain and call it "bad weather." And it might be, for them.

When I look at it, I see the continuation of life: watering the green fields of endless grass; allowing nourishment to flow around and within the roots of trees, bushes, plants, and flowers; and providing the neccesary life sustanance that all animals need: water.

Let us not forget that plants need water to grow, and plants in turn provide oxygen renewal to our lushly green environment.

Aside from the obvious nutritional supplement supplied by rain, we might tend to be distracted from the spiritual qualities of rain.

Think I'm crazy?

Remember standing in a rain shower when you were young? Remember playing in the rain? Sure, it was cold at first, but it provided a type of "warm" feeling inside, a sense of relief from the pressures of life. It always brought peace within me - I often took long walks in the rain and gathered my thoughts.

It's raining today, where I'm at. I forgot for a moment what I had missed from childhood, distracted by "mature" notions that rain makes you sick and that you should hurry up and get out of the rain when it starts. I stood there in it today, however, for whatever reason, and remembered. I remembered the warmth again. I remembered the relief of pressure. I felt the rain on my face, and allowed myself to be washed of error in its baptismal bliss. I felt at peace. Then I felt what it was.

God is in the rain.

Right Mind, Right Body

A theory has been held for some time that the root causes of physcial illness start at the emotional, psycological level. This theory has some credance, and we can prove it rather easily using placebo tests in medical experiments. Usually, given enough thought and time, one can trace every ailment back to an emotional or stress-filled point.

Someone who has a troubled childhood, for example, might grow up with all sorts of illnesses - or believe themselves into having them. You can usually see this in other people better than yourself.

The mind works very mysteriously - the Greater Mind even more mysteriously. When one takes on stresses and burdens from the outside world, it can have very physcial effects on that person's body. As well, once a person accepts society's view of certain "symptoms" of problems, they might even end up convincing themselves that they have whatever illness they were looking at. By then, the mind takes over and the body is usually helpless to its dominance.

Then again, seemingly miraculous medical marvels have come through when someone was convinced of their well-being. A sudden remission of cancer in certain patients has proven this idea, too.

There are methods to help cleanse your mind of negativities, the root cause of these problems. We need only look at yoga and different other meditative practices to see these desired effects. But it is also through gnosis that one learns the limits of the body, and the limits that physical problems have on the psyche.

This is not to say that you should start picking up raw meat and sticking it in your mouth. Nor should you dispense with the age-old ritual of washing your hands after a trip to the bathroom. Intelligence, not gullibility or faith, usually helps reason and intuition flow throughout and within.

Focus your mind on the one inside, not on the world of physical substance. Finding that center within can bring great peace to the psyche, which in turn can lead to even more rewards: such as a calm mind.

When the mind is right, so to is the body.