Is the Law of Attraction a hoax? If I proclaimed to channel the god Bahghu Mahgufu from the seventh realm of consciousness, wrote a book about it and expected people to believe it—would that make me a prophet with millions of followers or some self-exalted idiot?
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Posts Tagged philosophy
Let’s consider the words expansive and vastness for a while. When considering the vastness of the universe, we believe we have an idea of how big it actually is, but we do not. Compared to the vastness of the universe, the planet Earth is smaller than an electron inside a single atom . . . infinitely smaller. In addition, the universe is not only gargantuan, it is expanding–getting larger every second. Even if we could conceptualize just how big the universe is, by the time we did, it would already be vastly larger than it was upon the moment of our realization.
The Earth is one planet circling our sun. Our sun is one star in a stupendous galaxy, and there are billions of galaxies. But as humans, we really have no idea just how vast our universe is. To make things even more staggering, there is more than one universe. According to physics (string theory and M-theory) there are eleven parallel dimensions. I’ve read several books about string and M-theory, studied physics, chemistry and calculus in college, but I will not get into anything mathematical here–I want to keep this simple and leave the over-intellectual, pretentious and eloquence aside.
There are eleven dimensions, which makes any concept of expansiveness and vastness so small–we cannot comprehend–or can we? There are eleven of you. There are eleven of me. There are eleven of Bobby (that’s me) living in eleven parallel dimensions–this being one of them–and all are connected by a central line–all part of one. We are much more than we believe we are. We are eleven beings sharing one soul so to speak. They left that out of the bible didn’t they? In essence, we never die–not because we end up in heaven or hell–but because we are living our lives . . . somewhere in time . . . eternally.
Let’s consider time. We believe we are here at this very moment, and is the only place we can be . . . right now. Think about this: Every single breath we’ve ever taken we are taking right now. At this precise moment, we are being born, turning 1,2,3,4, and so forth–we’ve already died, forgotten by eternity. Somewhere in time, all these moments are happening and always will be–we just happen to be aware of this moment–our past and future selves are only aware of their own moment–and there are eleven of us. Of course, all these are theories, not necessarily facts. Some physicists say there could be infinite universes–but nobody really knows. I’m not here to argue about theories, but to share an idea:
All said . . . as mind boggling as it may be . . . I arrive at the point of the article. The central motif. When considering the words expansive and vastness; how they relate to your understanding of the universe and all eleven parallel dimensions–our minds are more vast and more expansive than everything. Our minds are limitless. Our minds more vast and more expansive than the universe and all its dimensions.
I strongly correlate these concepts to my life long study of Taoism, Zen and Yoga. The idea of enlightenment or illumination is really the same as understanding we have no limitations (as long as we’re healthy and alive). All beliefs of limitation are myths and self-imposed. We believe we can’t, therefore we can’t. We believe we can, therefore we can. Easier said than done, but we can overcome limitations.
Something simple we can all relate to is writer’s block. Writer’s block is a myth. There is no such thing. It only exists if you want it to. When you crush all limitations, smash all boundaries–all those things confining us no longer exist. Think limitlessly and be like water. If you think I’m wrong, perhaps you should spend the rest of your life studying Zen and Yoga.
In my case and my writing, I apply this universal idea to my fiction. This is probably one reason I write what I do. Here’s one small example: I never say, “I can’t write this or that. I’m not knowledgeable enough to write this or it’s not accepted by society. This is offensive and people may not like me. This is so revolting, it is a disgrace.” I never think this is what I consider quality or good and limit myself in such a narrow fissure.
I reject all precepts of what people believe good, skilled, beautiful, meaningful and artistic are. These ideas are merely opinion and are irrelevant. If a so-called master of poetry or professor of literature thinks my work is either great or drivel–it is just one person’s opinion and offers no validity whatsoever. They may not understand it. They may just be so set in their ways, only certain subjects interest them. I reject this entire notion. I cannot be set in my ways because I have no ways. To be truly artistic and creative, you must be free and absolute in your conviction. Societal norms, taboo? I say bah.
One writer with an extreme influence on me is Carlos Castaneda. He says humans have four natural enemies. They are listed in order as you cannot understand the second until overcoming the first.
- Fear of Death: We must overcome the fear of death before becoming an official beginner in life. Most people die of old age before ever getting close to this point.
- Clarity: The fear of death conquered, we have clarity. Seeing the truth in everything; unable to not see truth. A pristine and clear view of all.
- Power: The most dangerous. Balancing true power while walking the razor wire of greed and desire. Having the wisdom to know the fine line between power and lustful evil. This is where most fail. Most people with power haven’t gotten past step one and don’t deserve it. True power has nothing to do with money, success or material things.
- Old age: The final enemy. We all must face it if we’re lucky enough to live to this point.
What say you? Do you place limitations on your thoughts? Do you fester guilt for thinking bad thoughts? Do you think of yourself as being limitless? Do you let society control your artistic creativity? Do you judge others? Categorize people? Categorize yourself? Is your mind and expressiveness expansive and vast? Can you do this without ego?
To sum it up, I share my favorite Zen axiom:
Nothing exists . . . all things are becoming.
I was recently asked by friend J.C. from the blog Jasmin’s Heart to write a guest post for him. I happily accepted and wrote a post just like I would as if it were here on my blog. It is entitled That’s So Zen. Be sure to read it and leave a comment. I am excited about it! Be sure to read several of J.C.’s great articles while you are there.
For those of you who don’t know, I have studied Zen most of my life. If people consider me to be religious in any way, it is because of Zen (which I think of as not being religion necessarily, but a form of spiritual psychology). After my article, Interview With a Blind Homeless Man, many Christian readers told me that I was Christian even if I didn’t proclaim to be. I assure you, I am not a Christian. I am affiliated with no religions, though I do believe in God in my own way. I’ve studied almost every religion/philosophy and find them fascinating.
The argument I have with most religions, such as Christianity, Islam or Judaism is they seem to have an answer to life’s most important questions, like who are we and what happens after we die. It’s the same problem I have with atheism which also provides these answers to a certain extent. This is one reason why I followed the path of Zen. I am a student of Confucianism, neo-Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and the Oomoto faith – though I do not follow any one specifically. I consider myself a very spiritual person with no religious precept.
The Asian religions have the idea that if there is a God, that God exists inside us as well as everywhere else. Many Christian scholars have accepted that idea also. If I had to say which religion my own personal beliefs coincided with, I would say a combination of Zen, Buddhism and Yogi philosophy. In other words, I have made up my own religious beliefs, much of which could be misconstrued as agnostic but are free of sexism and racism (which many religions still practice to this day).
We’ve all heard the Zen koan, “Two hands clap and there is a sound. What is the sound of one hand?” by Hakuin Ekaku; or commonly asked, “What is the sound of one hand clapping.” In this simple koan, the deepest concepts of enlightenment can be derived. Of course there is no answer to this koan, regardless of what many people believe. An answer may be given to demonstrate a pupil’s comprehension, but still, there is no concrete answer. The idea is to develop intuition and awareness of that which cannot be understood in logical terms.
In Zen, there are no answers. This can be explained by the following quote, “Seek not to know the answers, but to understand the questions.” It is more about what I refer to as the interrogative state of mind, where one is open and questioning, allowing intuition to guide us. The truth is, there are no answers to questions like, “Is there a God?”, “What happens to our souls after death?” or “Do we have a soul?”
I read several books about religions that say people came here from another planet (think Scientology). A Christian would say, “That person is crazy.” What I say is, “You believe Jesus died, after 3 days was resurrected and ascended into heaven…so are they really crazy?”
The truth is, nobody knows anything for sure, but if it gives you comfort, then so be it – whatever gets you through the night. From a Zen standpoint, the answers are unimportant. It is in the pondering itself that provides an answer, if you want to call it that. Just so you know, I respect all beliefs and do not judge people for theirs. Besides, all religions have a streak of exaggeration and craziness.
The idea of Zen can readily be applied to any intellectual human thought. I am a guitarist, so I’ll explain a little. After practicing a musical scale (such as the ionian, dorian or melodic minor) thousands of times, it becomes ingrained and part of your neuromuscular memory. You know it. You know it’s sound. You know the way a certain scale feels under your fingers. After that is accomplished, you apply it in real music, using that particular musical scale to convey a mood or feeling. In Zen, this is only the beginning. It is after a spiritual transcendence of that scale, a true Zen state can be achieved. Thus, all great musicians have achieved enlightenment in music, or they wouldn’t be great (though greatness is relative if you believe in relativism). I’m referring to true giants like Stravinsky, Mozart, John Coltrane, John McLaughlin or other such masters. It’s the idea that you learn all the theory, master it and forget it so you can express it with a still mind.
If you are a computer programmer, the same thing applies. You must master a particular programming language before you can fly with it. Again, that flying is just the beginning in Zen. It is after you spiritually transcend that knowledge that you become alive with freedom of expression. You see, Zen is all about hard work and that special place you come to upon mastery. And mastery means no ego. Mastery means you are reborn as a beginner, which means you know nothing. Now, you may wonder why I chose to discuss computer programming and Zen together. I know many programmers who have reached this type of enlightenment. It’s just like anything a person learns such as art, music, writing and so forth. The realization that one is and will always be a beginner, or at least has that open mindedness, is where that dynamic answer exists; because there are no answers, only more questions, which is exactly the point. Now for this weeks links:
StumbleUpon Graveyard – By Tim Nash: This post explains how a stumbled post can end up in the no traffic graveyard. It stresses how important it is to do a review with each stumble, especially if it is an article you discover (you’re 1st to stumble it). Tim has some fantastic websites, and many of his articles are beyond my scope of current knowledge; however, he is a nice guy who really engages his readers and is willing to help people out. Be sure to read this post, it is my pick of the week.
Dead Body Outside My Window – By Mariuca: I was shocked when I saw this post. Marzie saw a real dead body on the concrete right outside her window – very disturbing indeed! She actually included some pictures which gave me the willies! Be sure to check this one out.
Build It Or Break It – by Ruby of Servizot Dot Com: This post really hit home with me because I relate to it so strongly. She explains one of those tough situations at work we can all learn from. A great article!
How to Succeed at Article Marketing – From Pajama Professional: This is a look at article marketing, a powerful method most people don’t know anything about. The author, Sara Christensen offers a case study and and much insight into this often overlooked area of marketing.
Add Borders to Images – by Sue Blimely: An easy to understand tutorial for adding borders to images including padding and so forth. A very useful post. Sue’s blog is filled with useful articles so be sure to check them out.
I also want to congratulate Jamilla in getting her first accounting job Walking Into Another Section of My Life..that’s Career! Go Jamy!
Last but not least, I want to congratulate Shinade on her 700th post Life Never Ceases To Amaze Me-700 Posts – That is a gargantuan amount! Go Jackie!
I love the very idea of artistic expressiveness – whether it be writing, music, color, sound, silence, scent, emptiness, saturation or physical – they are amalgamated as one. I want to share with you the way my existence works. Yes. My existence. Not the way I hear, taste, see, smell, feel or psychically interpret. It’s the way I combine all six senses as one. That one also has an opposite as all things do.
I tend to think visually and it is combined with the other five senses. Also, the most important idea, is that I think or encompass the contradictory or reflective manifestation inherent to the whole of reality. Some of you may believe that there are only five senses. You may not believe people have souls or psychic ability – that is fine with me; however, please read forward and have an open mind.
In order to have a sixth sense, you must believe in the idea! It is a manifestation of belief. I would argue that there are not just six senses, there are twelve. All six have an opposite. I would argue that there are even more than twelve; the physical six and the spiritual six are one. That one has an opposite and so forth – on and on, forming multitudinous and endless layers. It never ends. This forms the basis of my expressiveness. This is what I build my artistic ideas from. It is the theater upon which my ideas are built and flourish – devoid of dry, unimaginative thought.
All these things I describe equate to artistic expressiveness. To express oneself is art. The more powerful your belief is, the more expressive your art is. All human action can and should be artistically expressed. It makes life beautiful. It gives us the ability to create.
Perhaps you are one who thinks logically: There is no proof that humans have more than five senses. There is no proof of God. You need scientific evidence before you can accept any idea’s validity. You don’t believe people have souls. You don’t believe that the pineal gland is the third eye. You don’t believe that the spirit exists. I cannot convince you of any thing without proof. In my artistic world, nothing requires proof.
Does that mean logic cripples one’s ability to be artistic? No it doesn’t; however, if you think in new ways, your imagination will explode. It will overflow in color, texture, scent, flavor, depth, meaning, order and chaos. Why would you, as an artist, limit yourself to thinking logically? That’s what this article is all about anyway. It’s about removing all limitations – to free yourself from from the shackles of pure logic – to think in every possible way and of course, their reflective opposites.
I like to apply adjectives to my thoughts. I like to to think in terms of angularity. I like to swim through visions, taste sound, smell feeling, feel color and so on. I place no limitations on my genesis of art. Sometimes, just for new and powerful mindscapes, I do place limitations. I strangle ideas. I let color suffocate. I poison visual architecture, allowing it to suffer – plunging into pools of electrical chaos. Sometimes, I nurture deliquescence and then vaporize it’s flavor. I simply create and destroy. I am a writer and nothing is off limits. I immolate all barriers and then build new ones – all on purpose – sometimes by accident. Everything I do is my expression. I let whatever happens naturally, occur naturally. It is the true meaning of all things artistic.
Perhaps these ideas seem abstract. Perhaps you are beyond their practicability. It is only my hope that you will open your mind to be limitless – smashing all boundaries. Go…soar across infinite possibilities and create ideas. More importantly, express your ideas. Most important of all, never let anyone kill your dreams.
While you’re at it, have a beautiful day! 
The picture is a modified photo I created entitled “Jessica Enwrapped”.
The Beauty of Friendship
Jan 8
I recently went through a phase where I felt uninspired with my blogging, and for me, I cannot write without inspiration. I almost forgot how much inspiration can be derived from other bloggers! I found the cure. My decision to write a weekly link love post was the best decision I’ve made. I will do my best to bring this to fruition every week.
Reconnecting with Fellow Bloggers
Euroyank
Often in the blogosphere, writers of important information go without the attention they deserve. The fact is, there are two types of blogs that get the most comments of any other blog, money blogs and certain types of personal blogs who have droves of close friends. I love reading personal blogs! Having said that, some blogs deserve being read because of their pertinent content about important subject matter.
Euroyank wrote a post entitled, Why Blog – The New Blog Evolution – this is a great post! He wrote this post because I posed the question of why important information goes largely unnoticed. He authors 15 blogs currently and they all are worth checking out.
Being born and raised in America, I admit freely that I am ashamed of many things we do as a nation. Euroyank’s new post USA #1 Highest Poverty Rate Among Developed Nations, is a must read. This post is no shock to me, I live here, I know what it’s like. I live around 100 miles from New Orleans, Louisiana. This city is so filled with poverty and starvation it is unbelievable. Not only that, the police department is extremely corrupt and it’s extremely dangerous just to walk down the street without being robbed or murdered.
America is in the process of getting a new president. It is scary just thinking about who I will vote for…how can I believe what any of them say? We prove the old saying, “Money is the root of all evil.”
Bill Gates, the owner of microsoft, has enough money to feed every person on Earth! This is only one person. I cannot believe there are people starving anywhere on this planet. The fact remains that the people and banks with all the money will not help these people in any real, effective manner. That is left up to the common working class to take care of, even though they have no money themselves.
Sure, Bill Gates gives millions to help people but that’s not enough. I say he should give billions, not millions. Another thing that is wrong with America is “minimum wage”. What is the absolute least amount of money people can be paid so they do not starve to death? Haha…minimum wage. I think minimum wage should be at least $25.00 per hour…especially if the company paying is a multi billion dollar corporation.
I don’t have health insurance, I cannot afford it. If I get sick…too bad for me. Health care should be available and affordable for every one. If I say it should be free for all, I will be branded a radical socialist…give me a break, there is no pure form of government anywhere on Earth. Writing about this isn’t enough, I am on a mission…learning about what I can do to help change things.
I want to say thank you to Euroyank for writing truly valuable articles. Some of you aren’t interested in reading about stuff like this. You all should pay attention to what’s going on in this world.
Shinade
I call her Jackie as many of you do! Her blog is The Painted Veil, a wonderful blog we should all read. She wrote a post titled I Think I May Be An Oxymoron, which expresses a feeling many Americans share. I applaud Jackie for being brave and writing this post as many bloggers are afraid to say things with even the slightest political stance.
She is a person who believes in God, but has many liberal views…just like me! I like people of all races, all religions and all nationalities. I believe in freedom and love. I am against war and greed. I don’t look at why we are all different, I look at how much alike we are. We are people, brothers and sisters from all across the world. Let us embrace one another and spread love, not war.
Final Thoughts
I’ll be reconnecting with many friends this new year. I have the wisdom to avoid burning myself out, something I didn’t have last year. I want to thank the bloggers who helped me through my depression, there are so many! When I think about how many bloggers I know, it is overwhelming. How can I read them all? Haha…all I can do is try. 
