All “good” answers are according to time

Man is inherently bound with life and time. In the Brahma Kumaris and many other religions there is the idea of becoming like the perfect portrait of ourselves as it was in the “beginning.” Even though it is a laudable direction, there is the fact that “now” is not like “before.”

There is an issue when a religious philosophy has a mental picture of what “should be,” and that is to pretend that “what is” does not exist, judge it as wrong or worse yet, insinuating a complete rejection.

To illustrate, sexuality and gender distinction are good examples. Someone following a spiritual path may identify her/himself as being bisexual, pansexual, homosexual, transgender/transsexual or any other term which is not related with being ‘straight.’ If we take that fact into the situation of a philosophy like the Brahma Kumaris or even Christianity, we could have many arguments based on the “truth” of those religious beliefs which show what “should be.” For instance: “Lakshmi and Narayan were female and male. That is what existed in the Golden age, thus; that is what is right.” or “God created male and female to live with each other as husband and wife. Anything else is not the law.”

Life is not an ideal picture to be held in our minds, or an unmovable paragraph which conveys some truth. This misunderstanding is the one creating havoc and suffering in many human beings.

Someone ‘smart’ may argue back: “We should strive to be the highest, the purest and not fall to something less than that.” Therefore, if I am a BK I will exclude sexuality from my life, for that is the way the Golden age is, according to my belief. Moreover, I will avoid mingling with people of the opposite gender which are attractive to me, to avoid ‘falling into temptation.’ However, in that solution there are 2 issues: 1) A promotion of homosexuality. 2) A consent for repression: If there is a temptation, then there is suppression which is not healthy for a follower after sometime. That same issue is happening in the Catholic religion, where gender separation has been offered as a ‘solution’ to live closer to God. What are the results? Promotion of homosexuality and sexual practices with children. Thus, we cannot hide the diversity of gender identities and sexual orientations at this time. We may need to take the veil out of our eyes and see what “is” rather than what “should be. ” The follower may need to take a deep look at themselves, be honest and act accordingly. If your nature is not according to what a religion promotes, then repression will be unavoidable. Then perhaps that particular belief is not for you at that particular time. That may change later on, as Life is change and to flow in Life we will need to learn to swim using the momentum and direction of those waters. This is not a license for debauchery, which is the other extreme. That honesty should remain in the discovery of attachment, addiction and neediness in our lives, for that awareness will give us something to ‘work on’ no matter what faith we decide to follow. Balance is the key.

That “perfect” world in Heaven or the Golden Age did not know about duality in Life. This world “now,” is full of it. See the difference?

I used quotes in the word “perfect,” for that is another illusion. This should be clearly understood by any Brahma Kumaris follower, for in an eternally repeating cycle every moment is unique, eternal and repetitive. Thus, what is the need to use labels to praise one experience at one point in time and then to belittle another? There is no sense, for those moments will appear again.

That which I just tried to explain, will be very difficult to convey to a Christian or most any other believing in a monotheistic, free-will type of religion. That brings my second point, there couldn’t be further understanding because their own beliefs trap them into a limiting world. In other words, their beliefs, philosophies, etc. allows for borders to appear and with that limitations. A Christian believer could be very smart, but he will move under the limits of that which is known as “Christianity.”

How is that person going to open up to another notch of consciousness? By the experience of something different. Typically that which was rejected will come back and hopefully there will be an opening this time for newness; as intellectual backgrounds are static; then perhaps a personal experience will truly move his consciousness, for that cannot be denied. You see, it is great to debate another on intellectual terms as to what is right and what is not, but when you experience something which is against your beliefs, then that will shake you and allow you for the first time to look at something different.

That is why acceptance is key. With that sort of acceptance there is no need to know any philosophy or any “truth,” uttered by anyone. Acceptance does not mean to participate in something which does not resonate with us. Acceptance means to acknowledge and to allow it to be, although it doesn’t seem like ‘perfection.‘

My friend Mathias told me one time, “the search for perfection only brings suffering;” and that is the experience of those looking for it at this time. But yet, suffering is not bad or good. It is merely a consequence of following a particular path. If we are aware to learn from that, then that experience will be invaluable. The other side is that suffering may bring trauma which is another notch of experience in our quest for perfection. The good news is that healing of that experience comes when we understand and acknowledge its worth in our lives; that is when we accept it.

As our beliefs and securities are left aside, then we will be open to know different things, different answers which will be valuable at that particular time. We cannot find “the answer,” but only what seems to be working for us at one point in time. As we move on, those answers will move on as well.

Greater depth in Life is not found by intellectual pursuits. Depth comes through assimilation of Life experiences, then that becomes an insight which cannot put static frames of beliefs upon new experiences, but rather; will allow us to see possibilities rather than a tunnel vision of what ‘should be.’

Every belief has a time to BE and a time not to BE. Any answer given according to the consciousness of a person, will be without a doubt; the “right” answer.

Will resume writing on August 18, 2021. Until then ! 🙂

Above all: Be honest with yourself

Out of the many meanings the word “honesty” could have, “integrity” is the one that I refer to in this article. What is integrity? To be true to yourself, that is complete and undivided.

In a society where we are taught to comply and “fake it til you make it,” I feel it is important to observe this quality of honesty. I feel it is the most important quality a seeker could ever have.

In my time as a religious seeker, I was believing in things that I did not experience. Part of that comes from that fear to be left out of the ‘chosen’ crowd and another part is because of sheer compliance with the norms: If we belong to a particular faith, then we are expected to comply. It is the same with belonging to a political party, a team, even to a country. We will find that the level of influence the collective consciousness has into an individual is directly proportional to his lack of self observation.

In my Christian times or even Brahma Kumaris experience, I experienced that issue of lack of self honesty, integrity. It is understandable, for no one is expected to be by himself in a spiritual path and make some spiritual progress. We may need support from others, what is known in BK parlance as the ‘spiritual family.’

However; if ever by yourself, then it is a twofold path: It is a great opportunity to climb to new heights as long as you have the discipline and the openness to accept and learn from the tests that Life will throw at you; or it is the best opportunity as well, to fall little by little into darkness: To be the protagonist of the famous fable of the ‘boiling frog.’ We need a degree of keen awareness to be able to make it or you will burn away into a comfort zone of lethargy.

My sister “Raysha,” has a spiritual path of her own. She is into “cover yourself with a violet light and send a white light of blessings to the world,” Chakras, kundalini, mudras, dimensions, magic… etc. Get the point? That path works for her because she experiences those things and can “see” those things having an effect on her and she has unique spiritual gifts. Typically, she is the one chosen to work with Nature and ‘elementals’ as she can relate at a level that ‘normal’ people wouldn’t. When we see all the wonders of the world as magical, we are not far from what is. My friend Mathias once told me:”First was magic, then philosophers wanted to interpret and explain to others, finally came science where you had to rationally explain your findings.” Have you been in Disney’s “Magic Kingdom”? The kid fully enjoying it is not the one asking questions like: why? how? That ain’t real, right?” This life experience is like that “Magic Kingdom.” Where we are meant to enjoy this ride not to ask questions during it and miss the moment.

What good is to know theoretically something that you cannot experience? That is only information which could be good to participate in programs like “Jeopardy” or to get some on-line certification in “spiritual studies.” That is all.

My path on the other hand, is ‘Down to the Bone’ (like the musical group.) Observation, awareness, feelings, intuition, discipline. That is all, folks! No magical powers… Some may say “good intellect” as some BKs used to say, but that was the Avyakt7 from way before. Some of the intellectual, philosophical, sort of scientific writings that one used to write, are not part of my experience today. Sometimes I even attempt to read those and they do not resonate with me. Too much mind! However, that experience has been integrated in the one existing today. The Universe speaks to me through other means. For instance, I have signed up to receive free daily emails from “J. Krishnamurti online,” a daily quote. That is usually the first thing I read in the morning. I have been amazed at the synchronicity: It is usually what I need or what I need to decipher inside me. Krishnamurti was sharing his own experience but that has been made into an intellectual trip to nowhere by many intellectual people. Unless you had similar experiences leading you to understand beyond the limitations of words; you will not understand, no matter how smart or ‘educated’ you could be. We cannot explain what is water to someone who has never experienced it.

I experienced that being honest with myself meant that those things which are not part of my experience, are just that; not part of my experience although for many others it could be.

Therefore, as I understood that my mission was to have my two feet firmly planted on the physical realm, my spiritual dimension opened up as I was true to my mission. Nevertheless, I will not make the mistake of belittling other people’s experiences or spiritual/religious paths; for my sister’s path has helped me tremendously.

The Universe is immense and full of mysteries! There is too much information for a little human mind and everyone of us has its own strengths to help each other out in the common good. Therefore, my previous search for the “true path,” or the “true belief system,” or to know the “truth,” all of that is out of my system; although at one point in my spiritual career, those items were very important for me.

Someone “spiritual” one day told me: “As it is inside, it is outside.” I thought that to be a lie. But, I used to repeat it and sound “spiritual” with others because that phrase was ‘in’ the spiritual repertoire. I thought that I needed to “practice those skills” and whenever I experienced a gray day in my life, I only had to say to others that it was beautiful! I am sure, many seekers have gone through the same experience. ‘Fake til you make it’ does not achieve any influence in the realm of BEING, which is the one which truly matters.

Now, I could experience that as you ARE, that is how your vision IS and while some may perceive problems and obstacles, others may see those as challenges, opportunities to conquer. Different perceptions, none of them right or wrong. Nevertheless, without those problems or challenges there could not be a possibility to blossom in the spiritual realm, no matter how great our information or experience is on chakras, karma, dharma, spiritual dimensions, ascended masters, etc.

Spirituality is not an intellectual endeavor (although it may start there.) It is completely experiential and every experience is different for different individuals, thereby; we may need to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge our own experiences only as another route to “get there,” which is different from someone else. It is in understanding this, how openness to diversity and variety could take us to experience Life in a different dimension, which will have a positive effect in our BEING.

A deeper view of Duality through poetry and painting

“The fool thinks that the egg comes from the bird-or else that the egg comes from the bird. The wise man knows that they come from each other. The egg falls from the bird and, grotesque as it sounds to say it, that is all there is to the doctrine of the fall. The bird rises from the egg, and that is all there is from the doctrine of evolution. Logically contradictory as the two doctrines are, until imagination “marries” them the truth, Blake believes, will not be born.”

Extract from “Blake’s fourfold vision”. by Harold C. Goddard – Pendle Hill pamphlet page 18.

The above quoted paragraph is from a small treaty on William Blakes’s life and poetry. Blake was an English poet, painter and printmaker. He was believed to be ‘crazy’ due to his spiritual visions and misinterpreted poetry. Needless to say, he was little known during his lifetime. Even today when reading some of his poetry (“The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” comes to mind) most conditioned individuals will not understand the depth of what he is trying to portray with the limits of dualistic words and his worldly experience at that time.

He is quoted saying:”Improvement makes straight roads, but the crooked roads without improvement are the roads of genius.” That may not make much sense, until perhaps we see his painting of “Jacob’s ladder.” (Here is an article I wrote as a BK almost exactly 9 years ago https://explore7.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/exploring-the-meaning-of-the-ladder/) That ladder is not a straight ladder. With greater depth, we could realize that “Improvement” is only a conditioned human ideal.

Blake came to my attention as I was understanding the picture of the “Ladder” of Brahma Kumaris, 9 years ago. I just recently saw that pic again, and further understanding came. I wanted to know more about Blake and ended up buying this booklet by Goddard for less than 3 dollars on-line. Goddard does a very good job expanding the depth of intellectual understanding by giving plenty of citations and quotes from others, but he lacks the spiritual experiences to go beyond that realm. That is one of the shortcomings in my view, from having academia translate or figure out the meaning behind mysticism. You have to have the experiences to know.

Blake had an unprecedented understanding through his visions of what duality really means. The worldly background or experience he had to explain it, was the doctrine of Christianity; thus using God, demons and angels, to explain his visions and realizations. He was an artist not a religious seeker and he used that religious background in his poetry.

“… and the original Archangel …. is called the Devil or Satan” he said. Interestingly, the rebellion of good (Archangel) vs the reign of good (God) became evil. Sort of like, positive pole together with positive pole will repel each other. Now, try telling that to a Christian or to those giving sermons on-line whose idea of duality is a straight line defining good from evil. Interestingly, “Free will” comes to the rescue of that God, for the Archangel could have done otherwise, and therefore the idea of punishment is justified . All of that could be gullible and in fact, it was for many centuries; until we discover predestination…

Definitely, there is so much depth that we could go into based on Blake’s views but it could be misunderstood. I just want to add some points based on the quote at the start of this writing, the rest is for the reader to ruminate upon: “Imagination” does not marry two opposites (Blake used the word ‘imagination’ to describe how two opposites could be together) if we use the dictionary meaning of that word. It is the mind only making that separation of angels and devils. Nevertheless, Yes that separation exists… but it doesn’t.

What do you mean?

Ah! That is a long talk and many experiences to go through to understand.

Now in the “Spiritual talk” we use the word INTEGRATION rather than “imagination” for what Blake perhaps, tried to explain.

How do you integrate good and evil? Well, You don’t.

What do you mean?

That is another long talk and many experiences to go through.

The doctrine of the fall of man is a religious view, while evolution is a mix of religion and science. Both are explanations of the purpose and destiny of man and both are creations of a dualistic mind which supports struggle, fight to survive; while Nature does not operate through that duality, but rather complements, balance, harmony. Observe that our perception of Life is biased due to our conditioning.

Who is first, the bird or the egg? It depends on your point of reference. Goddard didn’t know that; but yet he chooses “who is the fool and who is the wise” (duality) based on judging different perspectives.

“The roads without improvement are the roads of genius,” Blake said. But also of madmen and mystics. It all depends on your point of reference. Ask Albert Einstein, in doubt!

Which one is the “true” spiritual path?

Most individuals are born in a particular religion or spiritual path and will die belonging to that path as well. Others, may change and try new things and perhaps their last path before they pass away will be labeled as the “true path.”

It is certain that for many, religion and spirituality are merely the icing on the cake: Something “nice” to add into their personalities, for their main concern is “how to make it big in Life,” that is; how to earn money and fame, power and the little fringe benefits coming from that.

If you are in that mind frame, it is very little that you may care about “true paths” until the experience of death is inevitably entering your consciousness; then we may finally seek refuge and resort into “I truly believe in [ ]” hoping to get some benefit in the afterlife by proclaiming and defending our membership to that fill-in-the-blank party.

When I started the Brahma Kumaris path, I had my share of “spiritual experiences” like never before. Therefore, “ I found the true path.” That was my quasi logical and convenient conclusion.

In the BK experience, I was taken out of my comfort zone and while some friends and relatives were feeling sorry for my decision to deviate from the “normal” path of society, I wanted to “prove them wrong.” Isn’t that the theme of movies, documentals and sitcoms: “ I proved them wrong. I am right.” I learned the conditioning pretty well.

After all the non-material and material “investment” of years that you put into a faith, “you better be right,” right? Well, that was the thought. That is the tale of a full conditioned person trying to swim against the current, looking to defend an ideal.

I never considered that experiences of others which were different than mine, could be “right” as well. I was too conditioned to blindly believe that “true is only one, therefore anything else is false.” And I had the true path… of course.

Now looking at my life from a different perspective, I could see the level of conditioning and how I wanted to make sense of the “spiritual realm” based on applying the rules of society which I already knew very well. It is sort of when a spiritual guru sells a book to share his wonderful secrets to make you into a millionaire through the power of manifestation or abundance; for instance: “I am rich, powerful, I have plenty of love, plenty of friends, plenty of food, etc. Repeat that, decree that, it shall be.”

I am not saying that this is false. Truly, it does not matter (but only perhaps for those who bought that book.) What matters from the perspective of consciousness, is to observe how all I care about is that little, old “I” the center of the picture. What matters is to observe how I am picking only one side of duality and rejecting the other. What matters is to observe that many times what we want is not what is convenient for us. “Be careful what you wish for. You may not like it.” That sort of ‘spiritual’ material is catering to the little baby inside: “I want it, I wanna, I want. Gimme that.”

“Anyone wanting to make her dreams come true through the law of attraction? Here is my powerful scientifically proven breakthrough method in a 300 pages e-book just for $9.99. If you don’t like it within 15 days, just send it back for a complete refund.You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.” Very ‘spiritual’ indeed. It follows the law of conditioning.

It is that perspective the one who is not ready to discover deeper spirituality. I mean, let that person be successful first! It is his right! Right? Of course. She will need to experience the full experience to know; that is both sides of the coin and she is just starting with one side, the one she likes.

It is my perspective now to let everyone look for their own path. As I mentioned, it is of little interest if your path offers you salvation, God, a new life in another planet or everlasting bliss after you die; as long as “you” are still “you”: Happily conditioned to “change the world” but not himself.

As we begin to make sense through our minds of all the conditioning, beliefs systems and rejections that we had in our lives, then we will need to start the process of unlearning and perhaps a particular spiritual path will help us in that process. Once that is done, then there will be stains in our consciousness; that is the unconscious which will come out in “flashes” through our minds so we can recognize them and heal them, dissolve them… and then? Well, we are then ready to abandon the top priority of the mind as the driver of the self, and give it the co-pilot hat instead, and perhaps embrace the heart as the new boss.

We cannot feel when our head is full of stuff and without this ability to feel we cannot experience joy. Without joy, our heads will always want more, something different. It will compare, contrast and let us know that we are unsatisfied. Therefore, “effort making” comes into the picture as the Brahma Kumaris has taught.

“Effort making” is the mental and physical effort to reach a state of BEING which the mind cannot know. That is the paradox.

As you ARE/become that “good person,” saint, sacred/spiritual person, etc. through the different experiences in Life, it doesn’t matter what path you follow after all, for the truth is not in a path but in “you.”

Being TRUE to yourself, you found the true path.