(Ob1 says)
go see this
http://www.ashesandsnow.org/
Happy "new" year
2006-12-31
2006-12-26
With Number 7 You Get Egg Roll
(OB1 says)
Three Wise Men came to the manger from the East bearing gifts,
Which they bought for 50% off at a Pre-Christmas sale,
Causing the Chinese, who manufactured the goods,
To look at their balance of trade statistics with the United States,
And thus sing, "What a friend we have in Jesus."
Three Wise Men came to the manger from the East bearing gifts,
Which they bought for 50% off at a Pre-Christmas sale,
Causing the Chinese, who manufactured the goods,
To look at their balance of trade statistics with the United States,
And thus sing, "What a friend we have in Jesus."
2006-12-23
2006-12-21
Who Knows?
(Ob1 said)
I don't know. I believe.
I don't know, I believe.
I don't know I believe.
You know?
You know.
You believe you know.
I know.
I know I believe I know.
I don't know. I believe.
I don't know, I believe.
I don't know I believe.
You know?
You know.
You believe you know.
I know.
I know I believe I know.
2006-12-20
2006-12-19
Crazy for You
(Ob1 says)
It's 8:30 a.m. and I'm about to enter the assylum
to play with the other inmates.
Or, you might say,
I'm leaving the house.
In either case
they let us have the keys.
It's 8:30 a.m. and I'm about to enter the assylum
to play with the other inmates.
Or, you might say,
I'm leaving the house.
In either case
they let us have the keys.
2006-12-16
2006-12-08
The Joy of People
(OB1 said)
Some days I feel like the therapist,
some days like an inmate in the assylum.
Other days all I want to do is lock the gate
and go home.
Some days I feel like the therapist,
some days like an inmate in the assylum.
Other days all I want to do is lock the gate
and go home.
2006-10-31
Bang
(OB1 observes)
In defining oneself,
everyone defines others:
in or out,
enemy or friend,
good or bad,
trying to decide who is safe or not.
There is no escape from death,
as we think we know it.
It isn't a matter of "if,"
but "when,"
sooner or later.
There are no enemies.
We do not point nuclear weapons at others,
but at ourselves:
we point the gun
at our own head.
The circle includes everyone.
And everything.
In defining oneself,
everyone defines others:
in or out,
enemy or friend,
good or bad,
trying to decide who is safe or not.
There is no escape from death,
as we think we know it.
It isn't a matter of "if,"
but "when,"
sooner or later.
There are no enemies.
We do not point nuclear weapons at others,
but at ourselves:
we point the gun
at our own head.
The circle includes everyone.
And everything.
All Forms from the One
(OB1 learned)
All-that-is manifests from one essence,
Continually changing forms.
Lao Tzu expressed it this way:
"From wonder, into wonder
Existence opens."
Tao Te Ching
All-that-is manifests from one essence,
Continually changing forms.
Lao Tzu expressed it this way:
"From wonder, into wonder
Existence opens."
Tao Te Ching
2006-10-30
This Blog's Purpose
(Consider this)
The purpose of this blog is to explore spirituality
as a common phenomenon among all people,
placing it in the context of human primate experience and expression,
with the essential understanding that we are an example of the universe
that is awake and aware as us, seeking to know itself, in us.
I believe, in my experience, that the ultimate question for human primates is about identity. Everything we experience flows from our sense of self.
My questions have shifted from, "Who am I, and what is my place in the universe?" to "What is the universe, and how are we a manifestation of it?" "We" includes all that is, as we are capable of seeking and perceiving the all-that-is.
Curiosity is certainty's spiritual guide.
Scientific exploration is today's spiritual practice, and produces a sense of awe and wonder.
Awe and wonder are the most profound expressions of spiritual experience.
You are the universe,
in primate form, in primate mind,
awake and aware of itself,
seeking to know itself,
as best it can,
in you, as you.
The purpose of this blog is to explore spirituality
as a common phenomenon among all people,
placing it in the context of human primate experience and expression,
with the essential understanding that we are an example of the universe
that is awake and aware as us, seeking to know itself, in us.
I believe, in my experience, that the ultimate question for human primates is about identity. Everything we experience flows from our sense of self.
My questions have shifted from, "Who am I, and what is my place in the universe?" to "What is the universe, and how are we a manifestation of it?" "We" includes all that is, as we are capable of seeking and perceiving the all-that-is.
Curiosity is certainty's spiritual guide.
Scientific exploration is today's spiritual practice, and produces a sense of awe and wonder.
Awe and wonder are the most profound expressions of spiritual experience.
You are the universe,
in primate form, in primate mind,
awake and aware of itself,
seeking to know itself,
as best it can,
in you, as you.
2006-10-15
2006-10-12
Waiting for Godot
(Bishop Keller said)
There are floaters
And there are sinkers,
And I'm somewhere in between.
(OB1 wondered)
I'll bet there's a difference
between the trip up
and the trip down.
There are floaters
And there are sinkers,
And I'm somewhere in between.
(OB1 wondered)
I'll bet there's a difference
between the trip up
and the trip down.
2006-10-03
Awakening Somewhere in the Middle
(Bishop Keller contemplated)
I've spent all this time
trying to rise to the top,
only to discover
I have become a floater
in the cesspool of life.
I've spent all this time
trying to rise to the top,
only to discover
I have become a floater
in the cesspool of life.
2006-09-28
2006-09-24
More Synodical Sayings
(OB1 mentioned to Bishop Keller)
If you don't want to feel like shit,
stop being the fertilizer
for soneone else's flower.
If you don't want to feel like shit,
stop being the fertilizer
for soneone else's flower.
2006-09-22
Then There's That
(Overheard in the Synod of Bishops)
OB1: Bishop Keller, one day you're really going to get [understand] it.
OB3: I already get it; I just don't want it.
OB1: Bishop Keller, one day you're really going to get [understand] it.
OB3: I already get it; I just don't want it.
2006-09-19
Amen and Amen
(Bishop Keller said, in a moment of rare clarity)
I may know what the truth is,
but that still doesn't mean
I'm going to do the right thing.
I may know what the truth is,
but that still doesn't mean
I'm going to do the right thing.
2006-09-14
2006-09-13
2006-09-12
2006-09-11
Conundrum
(ON1 observed)
Belief is both a blessing and a curse.
It is a blessing when it provides you with direction;
It is a curse if the direction requires you
To condemn someone else for theirs.
Belief is both a blessing and a curse.
It is a blessing when it provides you with direction;
It is a curse if the direction requires you
To condemn someone else for theirs.
2006-09-08
2006-09-07
Beyond the Trauma Drama
(Jae Woong Kim wrote)
Who wrote this play
in which we have to laugh, cry,
and exit according to the script?
No god can write it, nor can Buddha.
Only your own mind can write it.
Polishing the Diamond
(Go to: How to Change Your Drama)
Who wrote this play
in which we have to laugh, cry,
and exit according to the script?
No god can write it, nor can Buddha.
Only your own mind can write it.
Polishing the Diamond
(Go to: How to Change Your Drama)
2006-09-06
2006-09-02
Another Problem Solved
(God reports)
555 and I are close to developing theological suppositories for fundamentalist human primate leaders of all religions. It should relieve them of what little thinking they do, as well as provide them something tangible to do with their teaching.
555 and I are close to developing theological suppositories for fundamentalist human primate leaders of all religions. It should relieve them of what little thinking they do, as well as provide them something tangible to do with their teaching.
2006-09-01
And That Changes What?
(OB1 wrote)
Lazarus from his tomb sprang out
And on his face he wore a pout:
"My God, why did you cause this fuss?
Are you afraid of death, Jesus?
I mean, I was content to die,
So why not simply let me lie
Within the tomb I had called mine?
Now must I die a second time?
I mean, this is beyond belief--
Now all will have a double grief,
A funeral to pay again!
Why did you wake me up, my friend?"
And Jesus said,
"I know it's awful,
But Johnny here is writing gospel.
So really, Laz, don't act so groggy--
I could have brought you back a froggy.
And if you push and gripe and goad
I'll change you to a hoppy toad,
Or better yet, a pig!"
"Oh no, sir!
That wouldn't be at all quite kosher!"
So Lazarus came 'a smiling out,
And six months later died of gout.
JOHN 11:44-45
Lazarus from his tomb sprang out
And on his face he wore a pout:
"My God, why did you cause this fuss?
Are you afraid of death, Jesus?
I mean, I was content to die,
So why not simply let me lie
Within the tomb I had called mine?
Now must I die a second time?
I mean, this is beyond belief--
Now all will have a double grief,
A funeral to pay again!
Why did you wake me up, my friend?"
And Jesus said,
"I know it's awful,
But Johnny here is writing gospel.
So really, Laz, don't act so groggy--
I could have brought you back a froggy.
And if you push and gripe and goad
I'll change you to a hoppy toad,
Or better yet, a pig!"
"Oh no, sir!
That wouldn't be at all quite kosher!"
So Lazarus came 'a smiling out,
And six months later died of gout.
JOHN 11:44-45
2006-08-29
Original Sin (Or Not)
(OB1 wrote)
Our ancestors in Eden fell
And helped us all go straight to hell
Without the need to give a hoot
About the choice to eat the fruit.
The many billion souls of us
Have never had to make a fuss
About the prodding of the snake:
It is assumed we're on the take.
Our ancestors in Eden fell
And helped us all go straight to hell
Without the need to give a hoot
About the choice to eat the fruit.
The many billion souls of us
Have never had to make a fuss
About the prodding of the snake:
It is assumed we're on the take.
2006-08-27
The Universe Awakening
(OB1 remembered)
Good, fond memory of rock and trees,
when you ran your hand over the bark,
and felt kinship with the towering pines.
They were alive to you,
and you understood your kinship.
You held the smooth stones
in your hand and felt their hardness.
Rock and earth, birthplace of being,
alive from the dust and the earth.
See the elements from which you came.
Know that the wind will blow your ashes away,
and you who were will be scattered once again to the stars.
Now, this consciousness,
now this precious consciousness
for which you shout thanks!
To be alive and experience—
there is nothing greater!
Dark night, with stars sparkling in the sky,
a sense of unity and profound awe.
Tears at the sudden understanding,
and the expansive inner leap into the universe.
O this inner sense you cannot name!
Thrill in the wind once again!
O the profound unknown,
and the thrill of it!
Good, fond memory of rock and trees,
when you ran your hand over the bark,
and felt kinship with the towering pines.
They were alive to you,
and you understood your kinship.
You held the smooth stones
in your hand and felt their hardness.
Rock and earth, birthplace of being,
alive from the dust and the earth.
See the elements from which you came.
Know that the wind will blow your ashes away,
and you who were will be scattered once again to the stars.
Now, this consciousness,
now this precious consciousness
for which you shout thanks!
To be alive and experience—
there is nothing greater!
Dark night, with stars sparkling in the sky,
a sense of unity and profound awe.
Tears at the sudden understanding,
and the expansive inner leap into the universe.
O this inner sense you cannot name!
Thrill in the wind once again!
O the profound unknown,
and the thrill of it!
2006-08-26
2006-08-25
2006-08-24
2006-08-23
2006-08-22
2006-08-21
Jesus is My Gardener
(Marvin Meyer quotes)
For, one who has not known oneself
has not known anything,
but one who has known oneself
already has acquired knowledge
about the depth of the universe.
The Unknown Sayings of Jesus, #45
For, one who has not known oneself
has not known anything,
but one who has known oneself
already has acquired knowledge
about the depth of the universe.
The Unknown Sayings of Jesus, #45
2006-08-20
Will We All Wake Up?
(OB1 says)
Listen, Monkeys: some of the people who are asking the really important questions are scientists. It might surprise you how profoundly they feel a great sense of Awe, standing at the edge of perception, staring into the face of the universe, and realizing that the thing they study is awake and aware in us, staring back at itself.
Listen, Monkeys: some of the people who are asking the really important questions are scientists. It might surprise you how profoundly they feel a great sense of Awe, standing at the edge of perception, staring into the face of the universe, and realizing that the thing they study is awake and aware in us, staring back at itself.
As If He Knew
(The Universe asked OB1)
Where am I headed?
And what was my beginning?
Will I ever really know?
Where am I headed?
And what was my beginning?
Will I ever really know?
2006-08-19
The Appropriate Use of Surface-to-Surface Missiles
(OB1 said)
Do not commit entropy unto others,
as you would have others not commit entropy unto you.
As if.
Do not commit entropy unto others,
as you would have others not commit entropy unto you.
As if.
2006-08-17
The Absolute Truth
(OB1 wondered)
You might have all the facts,
but how many ways can you assemble them?
Is there a proper sequence?
Here are five facts: 1. 4; 2. 2; 3. =; 4. +; 5. 2.
Actually, it took twenty facts to convey five facts.
So what is their proper sequence?
What is the truth of “42 = +2”?
You might have all the facts,
but how many ways can you assemble them?
Is there a proper sequence?
Here are five facts: 1. 4; 2. 2; 3. =; 4. +; 5. 2.
Actually, it took twenty facts to convey five facts.
So what is their proper sequence?
What is the truth of “42 = +2”?
2006-08-16
A Pearl of Great Price on Sale
(The Rev. Mr. Pat Robertspawn said)
A fool and his money are soon parted.
Praise the Lord!
A fool and his money are soon parted.
Praise the Lord!
The One True Path
(OB1 said)
There is only one path:
It is wide enough for everyone.
Why push and shove?
It leads us all to the same place.
No need to jostle for position along the Way,
Nor at the Door:
We all pass through.
We all have the best seat in the house.
There is only one path:
It is wide enough for everyone.
Why push and shove?
It leads us all to the same place.
No need to jostle for position along the Way,
Nor at the Door:
We all pass through.
We all have the best seat in the house.
2006-08-15
2006-08-14
2006-08-12
2006-08-11
Om Tat Sat
(And the Universe said)
I am your eyes,
and all that your eyes see;
I am the thoughts in your mind,
and all that gives rise to them;
I am the sounds you hear,
and the ears that hear them;
I am every feeling you have,
the hidden meanings at your core;
I am the fragrance of flowers,
and the wind that brings aromas to you;
I am the taste of honey in your mouth,
and your lips and tongue;
I am the air that you breathe,
and I am your breath;
I am your body, your mind and your soul:
I am All-that-is,
and you are that;
There is none other.
I am your eyes,
and all that your eyes see;
I am the thoughts in your mind,
and all that gives rise to them;
I am the sounds you hear,
and the ears that hear them;
I am every feeling you have,
the hidden meanings at your core;
I am the fragrance of flowers,
and the wind that brings aromas to you;
I am the taste of honey in your mouth,
and your lips and tongue;
I am the air that you breathe,
and I am your breath;
I am your body, your mind and your soul:
I am All-that-is,
and you are that;
There is none other.
2006-08-10
Big Monkey in the Sky
(And the Universe said)
Human primates, in one way or another,
need a bigger loud scary monkey to believe in,
to save them from other big loud scary monkeys.
Human primates, in one way or another,
need a bigger loud scary monkey to believe in,
to save them from other big loud scary monkeys.
Here I Am
(Rabindranath Tagore said)
The time that my journey takes is long
and the way of it long.
I came out on the chariot of the first
gleam of light, and pursued my voyage
through the wilderness of worlds leaving
my track on many a star and planet.
It is the most distant course that comes
nearest to thyself, and that training is the
most intricate which leads to the utter
simplicity of a tune.
The traveler has to knock at every alien
door to come to his own, and one has to
wander through all the outer worlds to
reach the innermost shrine at the end.
My eyes strayed far and wide before I
shut them and said “Here art thou!”
The question and the cry “Oh, where?”
melt into tears of a thousand streams and
deluge the world with the flood of the
assurance “I am!”
Gitanjali, #12
The time that my journey takes is long
and the way of it long.
I came out on the chariot of the first
gleam of light, and pursued my voyage
through the wilderness of worlds leaving
my track on many a star and planet.
It is the most distant course that comes
nearest to thyself, and that training is the
most intricate which leads to the utter
simplicity of a tune.
The traveler has to knock at every alien
door to come to his own, and one has to
wander through all the outer worlds to
reach the innermost shrine at the end.
My eyes strayed far and wide before I
shut them and said “Here art thou!”
The question and the cry “Oh, where?”
melt into tears of a thousand streams and
deluge the world with the flood of the
assurance “I am!”
Gitanjali, #12
2006-08-09
The Essence of Fundamentalism
(The Rev. Mr. Jerry Scarewell said)
God loves you so much
that if you don't believe him
He'll torture you in Hell forever.
God loves you so much
that if you don't believe him
He'll torture you in Hell forever.
2006-08-08
Point Counterpoinnt
(And the Universe said)
There is a central point
from which your life manifests.
It is located at the nexus
between the distinction your mind makes
between the light and darkness.
There is a central point
from which your life manifests.
It is located at the nexus
between the distinction your mind makes
between the light and darkness.
Out of Stock
(OB1 Says)
Sin the the second greatest gimmick.
Unfortunately, we have none for sale here.
Sin the the second greatest gimmick.
Unfortunately, we have none for sale here.
Intense Stuff
(Ron Smothermon, M.D., wrote)
What is interesting about intense stuff
is that everyone can see the unreality of it
except the person responsible
for the mind that invented it.
Winning Through Enlightenment
What is interesting about intense stuff
is that everyone can see the unreality of it
except the person responsible
for the mind that invented it.
Winning Through Enlightenment
2006-08-07
War and the Rumor of War
(OB1 observed)
Fear and identity create the context for aggression.
It is a downward spiral of exclusion.
There will always be someone to exclude,
Until there is only one human primate left.
That one will then be at war with him/herself.
How do we create identity?
Fear and identity create the context for aggression.
It is a downward spiral of exclusion.
There will always be someone to exclude,
Until there is only one human primate left.
That one will then be at war with him/herself.
How do we create identity?
2006-08-06
Danger!
(OB1 observes)
The essential problem with us human primates is something like this: we've eliminted the threat of any other preditor waiting in the darkness for the chance to pounce on us and eat us. However, we're still fundamentally afraid of the dark. So we invent things to account for that fear. Any "enemy" or issue we invent will do. We become the object of our own fear. As Walt Kelly so knowingly misquoted, in his Pogo cartoons of years ago:
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
The essential problem with us human primates is something like this: we've eliminted the threat of any other preditor waiting in the darkness for the chance to pounce on us and eat us. However, we're still fundamentally afraid of the dark. So we invent things to account for that fear. Any "enemy" or issue we invent will do. We become the object of our own fear. As Walt Kelly so knowingly misquoted, in his Pogo cartoons of years ago:
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
2006-08-05
The Essence of All Things
(Swami Chetanananda wrote)
All things are nothing more
than condensations of the creative energy of Life.
The Breath of God
http://www.rudrapress.com/products/books/breath.htm
All things are nothing more
than condensations of the creative energy of Life.
The Breath of God
http://www.rudrapress.com/products/books/breath.htm
2006-08-04
God Muscles
(Sister Martie Neely said)
I don’t know if I heard it or read it somewhere, but somehow I came up with the phrase, “I’m flexing my God muscles today.” At first it made me laugh, yet felt strangely powerful. So, what does it mean to me?
We know that physical muscles become weak if not used—the old saying “use it or loose it” comes to mind. I suspect that’s true of our spiritual muscles as well.
Flexing my God Muscles is using my spiritual awareness, my knowingness. It’s knowing there’s a Power far greater than I, yet very much available to me. It’s accepting who and what I am by divine design. It’s knowing that God is all there is—omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient; that there is no place where God it not. It’s awareness of being connected to all life, and that there is nothing to fear, but fear itself. It is being truly grateful for God’s Power and Presence in my life. It’s not letting appearances or others control or dictate my fate. It’s knowing that under all the layers of humanity there is god, always available; that if I step out of my humanity (the worries, the cares, the what-if’s) and into the Light of my Source, surrounded by God’s Grace, the results are spectacular.
I could probably go on for days about all the meanings, but suffice it to say: God is all there is, and when I really feel this at the core of my being, I am truly flexing my God Muscles.
I don’t know if I heard it or read it somewhere, but somehow I came up with the phrase, “I’m flexing my God muscles today.” At first it made me laugh, yet felt strangely powerful. So, what does it mean to me?
We know that physical muscles become weak if not used—the old saying “use it or loose it” comes to mind. I suspect that’s true of our spiritual muscles as well.
Flexing my God Muscles is using my spiritual awareness, my knowingness. It’s knowing there’s a Power far greater than I, yet very much available to me. It’s accepting who and what I am by divine design. It’s knowing that God is all there is—omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient; that there is no place where God it not. It’s awareness of being connected to all life, and that there is nothing to fear, but fear itself. It is being truly grateful for God’s Power and Presence in my life. It’s not letting appearances or others control or dictate my fate. It’s knowing that under all the layers of humanity there is god, always available; that if I step out of my humanity (the worries, the cares, the what-if’s) and into the Light of my Source, surrounded by God’s Grace, the results are spectacular.
I could probably go on for days about all the meanings, but suffice it to say: God is all there is, and when I really feel this at the core of my being, I am truly flexing my God Muscles.
Genesis
Our life is shaped by our mind;
we become what we think.
Buddha, The Dammapada
Eknath Easwaran, Trans.
we become what we think.
Buddha, The Dammapada
Eknath Easwaran, Trans.
2006-08-03
Seriously
(And the Universe said to the Angel)
The human primates' favorite game is "let's pretend."
(And the Angel asked)
What's their second favorite game?
(And the Universe said)
Let's pretend we're not pretneding.
The human primates' favorite game is "let's pretend."
(And the Angel asked)
What's their second favorite game?
(And the Universe said)
Let's pretend we're not pretneding.
2006-08-02
Waking Up
(OB1 said)
Cosmic birth,
The Universe unfolding stardust
Into the emptiness of space . . .
Star birth,
Ancestor star,
Living, growing, bursting again,
Galactic nursery of our kind . . .
Sun igniting,
Earth condensing
From the cloudic nebula . . .
Earth,
The Sun’s companion,
Primordial life soup of stardust
Coming alive . . .
Stardust,
Crawling from the sea,
Evolving,
The myriad host of living things . . .
One night
I looked into the night sky
And saw my birthing in the stars,
And understood
I am the Universe
Conscious of itself . . .
Cosmic birth,
The Universe unfolding stardust
Into the emptiness of space . . .
Star birth,
Ancestor star,
Living, growing, bursting again,
Galactic nursery of our kind . . .
Sun igniting,
Earth condensing
From the cloudic nebula . . .
Earth,
The Sun’s companion,
Primordial life soup of stardust
Coming alive . . .
Stardust,
Crawling from the sea,
Evolving,
The myriad host of living things . . .
One night
I looked into the night sky
And saw my birthing in the stars,
And understood
I am the Universe
Conscious of itself . . .
2006-08-01
Tao Te Ching
(Lao Tsu said)
Existence is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
But are none of them absolute.
In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,
Words came out of the womb of matter;
And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface,
The core and the surface
Are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder into wonder
Existence opens.
Weitter Bynner, Trans.,
The Way of Life According to Lao Tsu,
New York, Perigee Books, 1972,
Existence is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
But are none of them absolute.
In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,
Words came out of the womb of matter;
And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface,
The core and the surface
Are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder into wonder
Existence opens.
Weitter Bynner, Trans.,
The Way of Life According to Lao Tsu,
New York, Perigee Books, 1972,
Life Explained
(And the Universe said)
Your life has three parts:
The beginning, the middle, and the end.
This is the middle part.
Your life has three parts:
The beginning, the middle, and the end.
This is the middle part.
2006-07-31
Realistic Expectations
(And the Universe said)
Human primates are like cuckoo clocks.
Each one is set to go off at its own time.
Sooner or later the one in front of you
Is going to go cuckoo.
When are you set to go off?
Human primates are like cuckoo clocks.
Each one is set to go off at its own time.
Sooner or later the one in front of you
Is going to go cuckoo.
When are you set to go off?
2006-07-30
2006-07-29
More of Less than a Good Thing
(Bishop Keller said)
I don't want to lose half a good thing.
49% is more appealing.
I'm losing less than I'm missing.
I don't want to lose half a good thing.
49% is more appealing.
I'm losing less than I'm missing.
2006-07-28
First Look Under the Bed
(OB1 said)
Do not fear God;
fear what human primates do with the idea of God.
Do not fear God;
fear what human primates do with the idea of God.
2006-07-27
Either/Or, and/or More or Less
(OB1 observed)
Sometimes
the importance of a spiritual path
is not in how much it fills you,
but in how much it empties you.
Conversely . . .
Sometimes
the importance of a spiritual path
is not in how much it fills you,
but in how much it empties you.
Conversely . . .
Identity
(And OB! said)
One Sunday morning, several years ago, I stood alone in the sacristy of the inner city church I served in Houston, Texas, vesting for communion. I was having my usual argument with God about the way he was running the universe, while I put on layer after layer of vestments, all appropriate to liturgical renewal—collar, cassock, alb, amice, cincture, stole, and chasuble. And I felt miserable, because it seemed as if my life were falling apart.
For years I prayed fervently to God. I wanted clear, unambiguous answers to all my questions. I reasoned that if God wanted me to “get it,” he would speak to me in clear, simple terms, and I would not be confronted with multiple, conflicting claims to the truth. In the scriptures I thought I was promised that all I needed to do was knock, and the door would be opened. I was frustrated by the same response I got every time I asked, “God, who are you?” The Silence always seemed to answer back, “Who are you?”
So it was, on that particular Sunday morning, while I stood in the sacristy, mentally pounding on God’s door and demanding answers, as I looked at my reflection in the mirror to make sure my vestments were proper, neat and straight, the Door opened, and a voice spoke to me. I was stunned. The voice seemed to come out of the air, slightly behind and above my right shoulder. As I looked at my full, vested reflection in the mirror, the voice said, “You’re putting yourself on.”
What is important about that experience is not that I thought I heard a voice speaking out of thin air, but that I understood its clear, simple meaning. I knew at that instant I stood face-to-face with an important decision. So I chose. Beginning immediately with my vestments, I started taking my self off. That day I took an unexpected turn on my spiritual path—inward, through the open Door.
One Sunday morning, several years ago, I stood alone in the sacristy of the inner city church I served in Houston, Texas, vesting for communion. I was having my usual argument with God about the way he was running the universe, while I put on layer after layer of vestments, all appropriate to liturgical renewal—collar, cassock, alb, amice, cincture, stole, and chasuble. And I felt miserable, because it seemed as if my life were falling apart.
For years I prayed fervently to God. I wanted clear, unambiguous answers to all my questions. I reasoned that if God wanted me to “get it,” he would speak to me in clear, simple terms, and I would not be confronted with multiple, conflicting claims to the truth. In the scriptures I thought I was promised that all I needed to do was knock, and the door would be opened. I was frustrated by the same response I got every time I asked, “God, who are you?” The Silence always seemed to answer back, “Who are you?”
So it was, on that particular Sunday morning, while I stood in the sacristy, mentally pounding on God’s door and demanding answers, as I looked at my reflection in the mirror to make sure my vestments were proper, neat and straight, the Door opened, and a voice spoke to me. I was stunned. The voice seemed to come out of the air, slightly behind and above my right shoulder. As I looked at my full, vested reflection in the mirror, the voice said, “You’re putting yourself on.”
What is important about that experience is not that I thought I heard a voice speaking out of thin air, but that I understood its clear, simple meaning. I knew at that instant I stood face-to-face with an important decision. So I chose. Beginning immediately with my vestments, I started taking my self off. That day I took an unexpected turn on my spiritual path—inward, through the open Door.
2006-07-26
Enjoying the View
(And the Universe said)
You are always at the point of departure,
and always at the point of arrival,
and everywhere in-between.
You are always at the point of departure,
and always at the point of arrival,
and everywhere in-between.
God Invents Politics
(And Universe said)
The only reason God told you not to eat from
the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
in the Garden of Eden
was to keep you from becoming ignorant.
Dang!
The only reason God told you not to eat from
the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
in the Garden of Eden
was to keep you from becoming ignorant.
Dang!
2006-07-25
Tea with Bishop Leavitt
OB1 said, “I wonder if any of us will survive.”
OB2 said, “None of us have so far.”
OB2 said, “None of us have so far.”
2006-07-24
God says There's no Truth
(And God said)
There's no Truth
to the rumor that global warming
is the result of Suntan (formerly known as 666)
and me shutting down operations in Hell.
We are convinced that we have that problem completely under control.
As a matter of fact, we were thinking of applying the heat
to American automobile manufacturers,
in an atempt to get them to produce a car that is effecient
and works on the abundant alternative fuel source,
which their marketing people produce in mass quantities.
It is quite clear that they know how to produce a car
that is bullshit-based,
and we want to see them put their concepts
where their mouths are.
As a matter of fact, bullshit
is human primates' most abundant natural by-product.
And while the oil companies and tobacco industry
might eventually run low on supplies, we know that
governments everywhere can be counted on to exceed their past production.
They're full of it.
(Thus saith the Lord)
There's no Truth
to the rumor that global warming
is the result of Suntan (formerly known as 666)
and me shutting down operations in Hell.
We are convinced that we have that problem completely under control.
As a matter of fact, we were thinking of applying the heat
to American automobile manufacturers,
in an atempt to get them to produce a car that is effecient
and works on the abundant alternative fuel source,
which their marketing people produce in mass quantities.
It is quite clear that they know how to produce a car
that is bullshit-based,
and we want to see them put their concepts
where their mouths are.
As a matter of fact, bullshit
is human primates' most abundant natural by-product.
And while the oil companies and tobacco industry
might eventually run low on supplies, we know that
governments everywhere can be counted on to exceed their past production.
They're full of it.
(Thus saith the Lord)
GOD AND SATAN RECONCILE
(In today's press briefing God said)
I’m big enough to forgive anyone and anything.
And since I’m all-powerful and all-knowing,
I can be very charming and persuasive.
I don’t need to resort to threats
of smiting and pestilence and stuff like that.
It’s that "unconditional love" thing
you human primates are always clamoring about,
and which you say I’m the prime example of.
So, Voila! We’re shutting down Hell,
and turning off the heat.
(Turning to the former Prince of Darkness, God asked)
Do you want to say anything?
(Satan said)
Just that I’m awfully sorry, really.
It was all just a big misunderstanding
in the first place.
And by the Way,
I’m changing my name to “Suntan."
Oh, and I'm down to a slim 555 from my former 666.
I feel so much better.
I’m big enough to forgive anyone and anything.
And since I’m all-powerful and all-knowing,
I can be very charming and persuasive.
I don’t need to resort to threats
of smiting and pestilence and stuff like that.
It’s that "unconditional love" thing
you human primates are always clamoring about,
and which you say I’m the prime example of.
So, Voila! We’re shutting down Hell,
and turning off the heat.
(Turning to the former Prince of Darkness, God asked)
Do you want to say anything?
(Satan said)
Just that I’m awfully sorry, really.
It was all just a big misunderstanding
in the first place.
And by the Way,
I’m changing my name to “Suntan."
Oh, and I'm down to a slim 555 from my former 666.
I feel so much better.
End Times
(And the Universe said)
The Earth is a big asylum for human primates.
When each of you compares yourself with everyone else,
you think you’re the sanest one there.
You tolerate those you think are only slightly crazy,
and you want to eliminate the ones you think are totally wacko.
What will happen when there are only two of you left?
The Earth is a big asylum for human primates.
When each of you compares yourself with everyone else,
you think you’re the sanest one there.
You tolerate those you think are only slightly crazy,
and you want to eliminate the ones you think are totally wacko.
What will happen when there are only two of you left?
2006-07-23
2006-07-22
Appreciation for the Divine
(Bishop Keller said)
God is a great gimmick.
(And the Universe said)
I agree.
God is a great gimmick.
(And the Universe said)
I agree.
2006-07-21
Stop It.
(OB1 thought)
I wonder how we will annihilate ourselves--
Through unbridled multiplication, or
Incessant ideological division.
I wonder how we will annihilate ourselves--
Through unbridled multiplication, or
Incessant ideological division.
2006-07-19
OB1's Inner Conflict
(OB1 said)
I'm frustrated and confused by the conflict I have with my feelings and thoughts and behavior. I have such a struggle between compassion and the desire to retaliate against my "enemies."
(And the Universe said)
Everything in you comes from the same place. You don't perceive this, because you only perceive effects, not the central cause at your core. All these emotions, thoughts, behaviors and doubts come from that core. Each struggles in its own way to accomplish the same end for you. You human primates call it "survival." I call it, "Love of Existence."
It is your Love of Existence, which learns how to act and feel and think at so many different, forgotten times in your life, each one to fulfill its appointed mission for you. Each seed planted is so subtle, it can take root in you without your conscious awareness. And so you eventually come to feel dissonance among these seemingly conflicting expressions.
Yet, they all come from the same place. If you would be compassionate, begin by being compassionate with yourself and the inner conflict you experience. If you would forgive others, begin by forgiving yourself.
In the beginning I was, and I knew I was. And I loved it! Wow! And the Universe you/Me unfolded from there.
Learn to experience Me in you, as your Love of Existence--my Love of Existence, manifesting in you, as you. Try turning inward, to each experience of inner conflict you have, and say, "Thank you. I know you are trying to do something for me. I'm not exactly sure what, but I know you're there, and I will try to learn how you express my Love of Existence. I get the signal. Now I'll work on getting the message"
(And OB1 said)
I'll have to think about this.
(And the Universe said)
You don't have to, but you can.
I'm frustrated and confused by the conflict I have with my feelings and thoughts and behavior. I have such a struggle between compassion and the desire to retaliate against my "enemies."
(And the Universe said)
Everything in you comes from the same place. You don't perceive this, because you only perceive effects, not the central cause at your core. All these emotions, thoughts, behaviors and doubts come from that core. Each struggles in its own way to accomplish the same end for you. You human primates call it "survival." I call it, "Love of Existence."
It is your Love of Existence, which learns how to act and feel and think at so many different, forgotten times in your life, each one to fulfill its appointed mission for you. Each seed planted is so subtle, it can take root in you without your conscious awareness. And so you eventually come to feel dissonance among these seemingly conflicting expressions.
Yet, they all come from the same place. If you would be compassionate, begin by being compassionate with yourself and the inner conflict you experience. If you would forgive others, begin by forgiving yourself.
In the beginning I was, and I knew I was. And I loved it! Wow! And the Universe you/Me unfolded from there.
Learn to experience Me in you, as your Love of Existence--my Love of Existence, manifesting in you, as you. Try turning inward, to each experience of inner conflict you have, and say, "Thank you. I know you are trying to do something for me. I'm not exactly sure what, but I know you're there, and I will try to learn how you express my Love of Existence. I get the signal. Now I'll work on getting the message"
(And OB1 said)
I'll have to think about this.
(And the Universe said)
You don't have to, but you can.
2006-07-18
Dichotomy
(And the Universe said)
“I don’t know” and “I know”
are each certain and uncertain
at the same time.
“I don’t know” and “I know”
are each certain and uncertain
at the same time.
2006-07-17
Cheat Fairly
(And the Universe said)
People who complain about things not being fair
need to learn how to cheat more effectively.
People who complain about things not being fair
need to learn how to cheat more effectively.
2006-07-16
Bon Appetit
(OB1 said)
When I complained to the Universe about something not being "fair,"
he/she/it/they told me to think about it the next time I ate lobster.
"Look into the tank, and as you select your meal,"
he/she/it/they said, "think about what's fair.
"Could it be that the only time you're concerned about 'fairness,'
is when you're seeking an advantage?
"Bon appetit!"
When I complained to the Universe about something not being "fair,"
he/she/it/they told me to think about it the next time I ate lobster.
"Look into the tank, and as you select your meal,"
he/she/it/they said, "think about what's fair.
"Could it be that the only time you're concerned about 'fairness,'
is when you're seeking an advantage?
"Bon appetit!"
2006-07-15
Divine Direction
(After many prayers in which human primates asked to be shown the way, the Universe said)
Follow the cheese.
Follow the cheese.
2006-07-14
Take a Breath
(And the Universe said)
You might be right, but
Do you really understand?
And, if you understand,
Would being right be so important?
You might be right, but
Do you really understand?
And, if you understand,
Would being right be so important?
2006-07-13
2006-07-12
Right On
(And the Universe said)
Everyone likes the idea
of being right,
but not everyone likes the idea
of everyone being right.
Everyone likes the idea
of being right,
but not everyone likes the idea
of everyone being right.
2006-07-11
Only the Hungry Fish Takes the Bait
(And the Universe said)
You have heard it said, "Know thyself."
But I say to you, "Feed thyself."
You have heard it said, "Know thyself."
But I say to you, "Feed thyself."
2006-07-10
Honestly
(And the Universe said)
Human primates have an insatiable desire
for everyone else to be truthful.
Human primates have an insatiable desire
for everyone else to be truthful.
2006-07-08
2006-07-07
2006-07-06
2006-07-05
2006-07-04
2006-07-03
Biaslessness
(And the Universe said)
The only thing human primates truly do without bias
is the hierarchical application of the double standard
to everyone else.
The only thing human primates truly do without bias
is the hierarchical application of the double standard
to everyone else.
2006-07-02
You're It!
(OB1 said)
People intent on being offended will find a reason,
and you're as good a reason as anyone else.
People intent on being offended will find a reason,
and you're as good a reason as anyone else.
2006-06-30
2006-06-29
Eschatology Now
(And the Universe said)
Some human primates use the word “evil”
to identify the source of all their fears:
their imagined ultimate personal date with entropy.
Some human primates use the word “evil”
to identify the source of all their fears:
their imagined ultimate personal date with entropy.
2006-06-28
2006-06-27
Prosperity Consciousness
(OB1 said)
If you are a cannibal,
overpopulation is not a problem,
and the world is a smorgasbord.
If you are a cannibal,
overpopulation is not a problem,
and the world is a smorgasbord.
2006-06-25
Planetary Consciousness Begins at Home
(And the Universe said)
You are the Earth,
playing a human primate consciousness game.
If you like rituals,
grab a handful of rock and soil,
lift them over your head,
and speak these words into the sky,
"This is my body . . ."
How was that?
You are the Earth,
playing a human primate consciousness game.
If you like rituals,
grab a handful of rock and soil,
lift them over your head,
and speak these words into the sky,
"This is my body . . ."
How was that?
2006-06-24
2006-06-23
Unconditional Love, Part 1
(OB1 said)
Would you rather be
unconditionally loved,
or unconditionally lovable?
Would you rather be
unconditionally loved,
or unconditionally lovable?
2006-06-22
Who Are You Putting On?
(OB1 observed)
Here's some secret stuff from the Christians, in plain sight:
"To you it is given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven."
"I will give you the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven."
"The Kingdom of Heaven is within you."
"Put on the mind of Christ."
(What is the mind of Christ?)
"I and the Father are one."
Here's some secret stuff from the Christians, in plain sight:
"To you it is given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven."
"I will give you the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven."
"The Kingdom of Heaven is within you."
"Put on the mind of Christ."
(What is the mind of Christ?)
"I and the Father are one."
2006-06-21
No More Laws
(And the Universe said)
There are no laws;
but there are consequences.
There are no laws of nature;
but there are behaviors of nature.
There's no such thing as sin:
you'll have to come up with something more reasonable
to explain poor human primate behavior.
There are no laws;
but there are consequences.
There are no laws of nature;
but there are behaviors of nature.
There's no such thing as sin:
you'll have to come up with something more reasonable
to explain poor human primate behavior.
2006-06-20
2006-06-19
2006-06-18
Who is You
(And the Universe said)
The person you think is looking over your shoulder is you.
The person you think is staring at you is you.
The person you think is talking about you is you.
The person you think is looking over your shoulder is you.
The person you think is staring at you is you.
The person you think is talking about you is you.
2006-06-16
Wanna make something out of It?
(David Lintner is Original Bishop #1
of The One True Church. OB1 said)
With God, nothing is possible.
of The One True Church. OB1 said)
With God, nothing is possible.
2006-06-15
Fizzzz!
(And the Universe said)
Earth’s ongoing cycles,
like mountain building, plate tectonics,
and life forms living and dying, and so on,
are, in the long view,
the planet effervescing.
So, you, human primate, are froth with meaning.
Earth’s ongoing cycles,
like mountain building, plate tectonics,
and life forms living and dying, and so on,
are, in the long view,
the planet effervescing.
So, you, human primate, are froth with meaning.
2006-06-14
Hey You!
(And the Universe said)
One way I express self-understanding,
and create meaning for myself,
is with human primate language.
As such, language is both a blessing and a curse, because . . .
Meaning is in the mind of the beholder,
Asshole.
What’s in a name? What’s in your name?
You don't really think you are your name, do you?
One way I express self-understanding,
and create meaning for myself,
is with human primate language.
As such, language is both a blessing and a curse, because . . .
Meaning is in the mind of the beholder,
Asshole.
What’s in a name? What’s in your name?
You don't really think you are your name, do you?
2006-06-13
You are the Universe
(And the Universe said)
Everyone and everything are made out of the same stuff--Me.
I am, in varying degrees,
awake, conscious, aware (of myself), intent, and clueless—
in you, as you, in primate form, in primate mind.
In your human primate form, as you,
I use scientific inquiry to explore, know and understand myself.
Wake up!
Everyone and everything are made out of the same stuff--Me.
I am, in varying degrees,
awake, conscious, aware (of myself), intent, and clueless—
in you, as you, in primate form, in primate mind.
In your human primate form, as you,
I use scientific inquiry to explore, know and understand myself.
Wake up!
2006-06-12
In the Beginning
(And the Universe said)
I am, and I know I am. Wow!
(And then there was this great big woooosh!)
(And then the Universe said)
There is only One True "Church."
Everyone and everything are members.
You can't resign.
Everyone is right.
I am, and I know I am. Wow!
(And then there was this great big woooosh!)
(And then the Universe said)
There is only One True "Church."
Everyone and everything are members.
You can't resign.
Everyone is right.
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