One of my work mates is back to work after a three weeks holyday in the Philippines. The weather was wonderful. The beaches were fantastic. “What wonderful clear blue sea. How nice and friendly they are the Philipinos.” Last year she and her husband spent their winter holyday in Thailand. Thailand is also wonderful. Thailand has also wonderful beaches, and wonderful hotels.
She lives in a wonderful world. I have met many people who live in this wonderful world. Mostly I don’t involve myself too deeply with them. I don’t tell them how I look at life. If I do, they immediately begin their, “It's important to have a positive outlook on life. Don‘t you think?”
It's like talking to children. You don’t tell all the details how grandmother died to children. To children you explain that grandmother is now in heaven, with all the angels, and the cat is there with her. Kids are perfectly happy with this kind of information.
This is why spiritual and philosophical teachings often come in two versions, one esoteric and one exoteric version, a secret and a public version. What you hear and read about is almost always the exoteric version. The exoteric version is meant for those who are not ready yet to discuss the deeper levels of truth.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Change is possible
It is possible to give up tobacco. It is possible to give up alcohol. It is possible to change. Many alcoholics have managed to stop drinking. Many hard-core nicotine addicts have managed to beat the habit. Even millions of junkies have been able to stop using drugs. They had to walk through hell, but they survived and came out on the other side.
Some people refuse to listen. Some people believe that change is impossible. They give up and surrender to the way things are. Some people believe that change might be possible and try to do something. Some people believe that change can only happen by itself, by luck, like winning a million on a lottery ticket. Could it be that all of them are right? Is it not so that what we believe in our hearts influence our conscious decisions?
Is it not so that beliefs are extremely important in spite of the fact that they are illusory?
So, isn't the question how to change our useless beliefs?
Some people refuse to listen. Some people believe that change is impossible. They give up and surrender to the way things are. Some people believe that change might be possible and try to do something. Some people believe that change can only happen by itself, by luck, like winning a million on a lottery ticket. Could it be that all of them are right? Is it not so that what we believe in our hearts influence our conscious decisions?
Is it not so that beliefs are extremely important in spite of the fact that they are illusory?
So, isn't the question how to change our useless beliefs?
Friday, February 5, 2010
The truth
The truth shall not set you free.
It is better, much more practical and warmer
with a pinch of self-deception,
an identity, a salary and a family,
two kids, TV nights,
Eurovision Song Contest, ice cream.
Go home.
Find yourself a wife and a family.
Don’t be stupid.
You won’t find anything but cold winds out here.
Don’t get upset if your friends are interested in astrology.
Don’t get upset if they find comfort in simplified
religious ideas and superstition.
Don’t get upset if they have a right wing bent
without knowing why.
Human beings are cut out this way
superficial, misunderstanding things easily
and mistaking misunderstandings for the truth of the matter.
You’re like a pig that disdains pigs
dreaming about being a bird.
It is better, much more practical and warmer
with a pinch of self-deception,
an identity, a salary and a family,
two kids, TV nights,
Eurovision Song Contest, ice cream.
Go home.
Find yourself a wife and a family.
Don’t be stupid.
You won’t find anything but cold winds out here.
Don’t get upset if your friends are interested in astrology.
Don’t get upset if they find comfort in simplified
religious ideas and superstition.
Don’t get upset if they have a right wing bent
without knowing why.
Human beings are cut out this way
superficial, misunderstanding things easily
and mistaking misunderstandings for the truth of the matter.
You’re like a pig that disdains pigs
dreaming about being a bird.
Boys with brains
Baboons and chimpanzees appall us.
What disgusting creatures!
And macaques, what good for nothings!
How different with us, humans.
We know how to behave ourselves.
We have intelligence and sophistication.
The other apes know nothing about ethics and moral.
They know nothing about religion.
I am sarcastic, yes of course.
Imagine a highly advanced civilization in outer space
who is observing us trough powerful telescopes.
Suppose they saw the First World War.
Suppose they saw the Second World War.
Suppose they saw the medical experiments
Joseph Mengele and his colleges did on humans.
These guys had brains.
They had passed the tests
and achieved degrees in medicine.
Suppose they saw the atom bomb over Hiroshima.
Suppose they saw the priest who blessed the bomb.
Suppose they saw the terror bombings of civilians in Vietnam.
Suppose they saw the slave trade,
the witch hunts, the inquisition trials...
What conclusion do you think they would arrive at?
http://www.ushmm.org/research/doctors/twoa.htm
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Crap
Fill your head with crap.
It makes life so much easier.
Stuff yourself full.
TV is good; FOX News,
Computer games, idiot pop, patriotic hymns,
celebrities and royalties…
Be what you are, stupid!
Drugs and alcohol can also be very helpful.
Work like hell to get rich.
Find yourself a religion.
Keep on like this till you die.
Don't give up!
You can make it.
It makes life so much easier.
Stuff yourself full.
TV is good; FOX News,
Computer games, idiot pop, patriotic hymns,
celebrities and royalties…
Be what you are, stupid!
Drugs and alcohol can also be very helpful.
Work like hell to get rich.
Find yourself a religion.
Keep on like this till you die.
Don't give up!
You can make it.
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