| Talked to Rick Peckham about playing a classical guitar! |
[09 Nov 2009|01:49pm] |
I talked to Rick Peckham today, the assistant chair of the guitar dept at Berklee. He was calling me back because I left a message about possibly playing classical guitar with a pick-style technique. I'm glad he was enthusiastic about my question cuz I felt it was kind of petty and I'm sure he's a busy guy.
You know what's funny? I've seen videos of Rick online and he reminds me of a bird...and his last name is Peckham! hahaha, I just realized this! hahaa
So he told me they used to only allow classical guitar with traditional fingerstyle, but they've opened up a lot in recent years. I could certainly play a classical with a pick he says. Which made me very happy, even if I'm not sure I want to study that over there. I think not a lot of guitarists have experimented with classical guitar with a pick. The only notable one I can think of is John McLaughlin, bless his heart. It would be cool to study that because, 1) I enjoy the sound, 2) the classical guitar is a meatier instrument and would build up my muscles/strength more effectively, and 3) it would be a unique thing to do in a college where there are certainly hundreds or more guitarists doing the same exact thing: stratocaster, hollowbody, or slim Parker/Ibanez-style electric guitars. Of course it's not fair to throw those into the same pile: even Ibanez and Parkers are drastically different; and on that note if I were lopping them together I might as well have thrown stratocasters in there. But a nylon classical with a pick would be in another ballpark, as they say.
Presently, I own a crappy classical Yamaha guitar that I *ahem* acquired from my high school ages ago. I love that thing. Like I said in a post a month or so ago, the sound of it is in my ear. I know what it sounds like all over. But if I were going to seriously take that instrument as my primary instrument in the college, I'd probably invest in a better model.
I also asked Rick Peckham about hybrid picking (using pick and fingers together) and he said that there's someone in the faculty named Guy Van Duser (unfortunately he was one of the ones who I could find no info on back when I was researching the guitar faculty) who recorded with and arranged a tune for Chet Atkins, to which I responded, oh cool! I was listening to Chet Atkins yesterday! The tone of his voice became higher and turned enthusiastic there as he told me briefly about Van Duser's arrangement for Stars And Stripes Forever and his fingerstyle approach. It was probably the high point in our short talk. Then I asked him about if they had teachers there that could teach slap-style on the guitar a la Victor Wooten (even though I already knew they had it, just to hear his response) and he said he doesn't know for certain but is fairly confident that between the 60+ guitarists they have there that are available for private lessons, a student could learn pretty much any technique that he or she wanted to learn. So that's it; I thanked him for calling me and answering my questions and that was that.
:)
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| Pure Freedom |
[09 Nov 2009|12:19am] |
JazzReview: Hiromi, if you will, define Jazz.
Hiromi: Pure freedom.
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| last week |
[08 Nov 2009|09:03pm] |
There are times, awkwardly fumbling, that we offend or hurt others. The mirror is our eyes. There are other times, when other people, also awkwardly fumbling, hurt us. This is a part of being brave enough to feel and express emotions. Some would say that it's connected to what makes us truly human. Humanity carries with it all the weight of individuality and the freedom of expression. Seizing that honesty comes with the price of potential pain. If I know anything of myself, it's that I do not operate with the intent to harm or otherwise injure other people. I try not to assume others mean harm when they hurt me.
I've learned so much in living in this city. My view of the world has both gotten wider and also, shrunk. Living in one of the most racially divided and physically violent cities in the United States has enabled me to think and rethink many of my views. I can understand why stereotypes exist, and am also grateful for the people who press beyond those. There's so much that's truly ugly here, so much of the darker side of humankind--from cop-shootings to a high murder rate to the forced sex-trafficking of illegals in Chinatown. Sometimes, I ride the bus and am the only person offering her seat to an elderly person or a pregnant woman. A few weeks ago, I saw a motorist hit a bicyclist and speed away; last week, someone critically injured eight-year-old twins, same situation. I'm seeing more than I might have ever seen before, even as I feel oppressed and small and insignificant.
Maybe it was good for me to escape the naive bubble I lived in at Arcosanti. I'm starting to feel that the world is not a place of good intentions, which breaks my heart. If you meet someone who possesses true honour, cling to that person and shine forth the beacon of your own light upon him or her. It's really rarer than one thinks. It's not that I've grown cynical, it's just that I've seen and experienced more that's truly hurt my heart and soul here. I never wanted to view the world this way, and I know that I cannot and will not go back. I must press forward and tend to my own light. I must recognise the light in others, and be brave enough to stand tall even when I feel defeated and tired. I came to Philadelphia for love, and while this city is not filled with the brotherly love it purports, it taught me how to love truer and gentler than I ever have.
The last two weeks have been so fucking rough. Last Monday, a man entered the store wanting cash back without a receipt. When my associate gently told him our policy, he became verbally abusive, even using curse words and threats. I asked him to leave and he proceeded to verbally batter me. I repeated my demand that he leave and called security. He left only to return a half-hour later with his hand in his coat. "I'm back, bitch," he announced and proceeded to lay into me with a security guard standing there idly. The man claimed we were racially profiling him. When I emphatically told him that we weren't and that the policy would remain no matter his skin colour, age, or gender, he became more furious. He pretended to shoot me and kept staring me down and yelling "Bang bang." With his hand in his coat and his associates wearing street tattoos, I thought he might. I had that flash that one gets before something dangerous happens. He smashed things around. People cleared the store in a panic. Finally, the security guard requested he leave--after I told him to do so. As the man was leaving, he pointed the faux guns of his fingers at me and yelled, "Now, I'm gonna fuck up your life. I'm going to call your company every day about you." We called the police, our company, and the head of security.
Then, we had to call the police again because he and his friends were calling the store repeatedly, asking when we closed and when we were leaving. Friday, I got word that he'd called the consumer complaint line to report a grievance. He claimed I called him racial names like mixed, which is ironic because that's how I identify, and the man had beautiful dark skin and didn't appear racially mixed in any way. Besides, who cares if he was? I certainly didn't. The company backed my associate and me. He didn't like it, and called the store on Tuesday to say, "Bitch. It ain't over yet. I'm comin' for you!" and other charming things. Wednesday, he showed up, and security chased him out. Each time, we keep calling the police to add this to the report. We have two different names for him and a phone number, but nothing. When he told me he was after me, I could see in his eyes it was not an idle threat. I'm very good at knowing what is and is not a true threat.
I am told to keep calling the police and that they can't do anything unless they see him near me. Friday, his two friends--who were present during all of this--came in ostensibly to shop. I think they were taking the temperature of the store. Security swarmed the store, and the friends called the suspect, laughing, and taking camera-phone pictures. I don't feel safe. I feel completely threatened, and for the first time I'm being threatened by a total stranger, and I don't understand why. Those of you who know my past know that it's been a good ten years since I almost lost my life due to an abusive partner. I know this stuff already; I don't need reminders that this System is inherently flawed and further victimises victims with the hoops we have to jump through to get someone arrested. I'm fucking angry that I'm a victim in this because I never thought I'd be one again, yet I'm having panic attacks, looking over my shoulder, and thinking that this might not be a good city for me.
All I know is it's hurting me and causing me to look at the world in an even different way, and I'm not sure that it's a good thing. There are times, too, that others hurt us, and all we can do is make ourselves safe and trust that it'll all be okay. I don't know that it will be, though. I just know that I feel very scared and very alone and it hasn't faded for me. Shaun has been amazing and supportive, but just because he is those things doesn't mean he should have to be those things. I've got to get it together before I fall apart. I've overcome too much to be feeling this way. I just can't stop myself from feeling this scared or shake the feeling that this man is going to seriously injure or kill me.
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[09 Nov 2009|12:21am] |
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everything vanishes in the light of the truth
and yet everything remains
because we think
it is, it does, it will, it wont
and it is all those things
youre so far
yet i feel you
i see you
every second i move up
or down this lifeline
is my attempt at getting closer to you
me
you
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[08 Nov 2009|06:32pm] |
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"all thoughts vibrate eternally in the cosmos."
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| -What is happening right now- |
[08 Nov 2009|06:27am] |
-What is happening right now-
That's what I try to focus on. Getting anywhere isn't the point. Even getting to some place where you are consistently in conscious observation of the moment isn't the point. The point is re-learned over and over, here, now. It's only here, so there's nowhere else to turn to but to the infinitesimal in-betweenness of this experience right here. The past is gone, the future is only inevitable. Right here is where we abide, in any and every circumstance. Returning to this and thus re-learning becomes easier very quickly once you stop thinking there's a right way to do it and start just paying attention to what's happening.
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| flu song |
[07 Nov 2009|09:27pm] |
i have the flu
i have the flu
i have the flu
so i'm eating chicken soup
i have the flu
so my lymph nodes are swollen
they hurt in my neck
when i press on them
i may not live much longer
i may not live much longer
i may not live much longer
so i'm eating chicken soup
i sleep all the time
i sleep all the time
i sleep all the time
and when i wake up my head feels crazy
vegetarian friends: IM SORRY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO.
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| I know I'm capable of more |
[07 Nov 2009|04:54am] |
My only hope is to improvise. I'm so bad at memorizing so-called "tunes". Sooo bad. It's so difficult for me. I blame it on the fact that I don't listen to the same damn songs over and over like some others do! And I never have, except for Phish and Umphrey's McGee. So I never got the hang of memorizing songs; I instead would FEEL IMPROVISATIONS AKA JAMS.
These bands, Umphrey's McGee and Phish, are -IMPROVISATIONAL BANDS-.
And it's feeling them over and over that gave me my intuition on structure, stacked parts, flow- and I happily exercise this by listening to a variety of music today. Only the best music in the world reaches my ears! Just the same as how I only come across the best people these days.
My only hope is to embrace improvisation. I can do it well, and it's what excites me the most. I write songs, I go for a variety of musical styles, I dream of being a versatile musician. My problem is that my technique can be sloppy but I sound good and my ideas are good. My ear is good when it comes to melody, but harmonically I wish I were better at anticipating changes. And of course if I were keeping up with my theory, experimenting with all the fascinating scales I love- and, importantly, memorizing and utilizing and substituting them... Well, I guess there's plenty I can work on.
But dammit, jazz is so hard for me. Reading music is hard too when I'm not reading technical exercises or reading exercises. You know, like reading -real music-. I'm quite bad at it. I'm bad at memorizing "heads" and "changes" and then I'm bad keeping up with changes when they're not in front of me. When they're in front of me I'm fine; I can create melodies all day long over them since I know the fretboard and I'm creative. Still can't swing controllably though. I should learn a Charlie Parker solo just to fix that up, but there's so many other things I'm doing presently.
Somehow I'm going to have to do it though: I'm going to have to be able to play jazz good enough to get through the Berklee undergraduate program and be able to read really well. I'm gonna have to do it. Mastering solfege would be awesome too, and it would be my main ticket into any kind of music professorship.
If I become a professor, I'm gonna make sure it's someplace where I can go all out. I have some awesome ideas. I'm going to teach konnakol!!
So much to do, just to please myself. I can perform for others and I enjoy my music and my sound, but I know I'm capable of more, and that's what drives me like this.
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| Again I realize |
[07 Nov 2009|01:38am] |
the problem with teaching, and teachers.
You can't teach others to create. There you go. You can give orders and instructions, you can offer a new way of looking at something, you can share a grammatical technique or vocabularic phrases. But you can not teach someone to be artful, to be themselves, to express anything. You can only offer experience.
That's why I think these teachers are losers: Teachers, who Teach others, thinking they are doing anything beyond feeding ideas and knowledge- they lose. Teaching is not educating. There is a difference.
If a child is wrongfully damaging property you cannot just teach him/her how to behave and respect others' things. You might impulsively demand obedience, but that doesn't work and we eventually end up dead and it's over. You have to educate them experientially; you have to wake them up, shake them if you have to.
For the unopened child, perspective is crucial. If one altruistically decides to act as an educator, they should see each moment as a gateway to and endless well of learning, and they will automatically then share it with others they interact with. The right lessons keep teaching, over and over again.
If I aim to be a teacher, I will die unhappily. If I aim to teach I will be living out my days under the impression that I'm doing some good [and whew so I can relax cuz I'm a good person!] No. I fully realize deep in my heart that the only thing that will make me happy is to become that which can continuously offer firsthand experiences of creativity, to anyone, in any circumstance. This requires technique, this requires a calm mind, this requires creative practice and interaction with others.
That is the only way to wake anyone up. Words will only confuse them. Ideas box them in. Demands overwhelm them. But being an example of yourself is effortless. Experience is educational. Teaching, is a downward spiral for both parties.
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| The Source and Purpose of the Teachings |
[06 Nov 2009|08:45am] |
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mood |
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The teachings in this book weren’t created for the purpose of being “enshrined” or “worshiped”, nor to influence the reader to worship any religion, book, or religious leader. These ancient teachings are thus “non-denominational”, and/or “omni-denominational”. They are not from, or by, any religion - and they are not “religious” teachings. Yet they do teach about the Universal Spirit, our relationship to it, and our place in the Universe.
It is our hope that publishing this book will help people in several ways: to regain their connection with The Universal Spirit; to regain their place in the “order of things” in the Universe; to become free from that which creates suffering (for themselves and others); and to become Unselfishly Loving, compassionate, kind, and harmless.
The teachings of the Atlantean Children of the Law of One, were developed by beings who were “One with God & The Universe”, so to speak. You could call them angels incarnate, enlightened people, fools, masters, Children, true teachers, saints, whatever, - it doesn’t matter. Regardless of what you choose to call them, they had “Universal Consciousness”, and thus an awareness that included the “spiritual” realms (which permeate, and are the foundation of all physical things in the Universe). This “high” or “spiritual” consciousness gave them a great understanding of everything in life, including us, God, and Universal Laws & Truths (we will also refer to these Laws & Truths, as “Universal Principles”). The teachings are thus “reflections” of these greater understandings of “the Big picture”, and present Universal Principles within them. They are a kind of “the facts of life” in the Universe, that most people have lost touch with, and are thus living out of harmony with. These Universal Principles are also aspects of The Universal Spirit. They are all things we once knew, and were aware of - because we also, were once higher consciousness beings. But that was in a time when our spiritual natures were dominant, and we were still in a state of Oneness with The Universal Spirit (this will be explained in depth in a later chapter). But now, the spiritual nature within most people is so suppressed, that their awareness of these things is “blocked” to one degree or another. Most people have lost so much awareness, that they aren’t even aware of the fact that they aren’t aware that they are part of this One Universe. But all people still have some awareness of their lost heritage deeply “buried” within them - it is just “asleep” or “suppressed”. This is one area where the ancient teachings are important - because of what they can do to help put us “back in touch”.
The words, teachings, and beliefs expressed in this book can be a catalyst for positive change, and stimulate spiritual inspiration and awareness. They can also help you gain an awareness of the Universal Principles that are the fundamental guiding forces of all creation, including human life. Being exposed to the Universal Principles within the teachings, may “resonate” and stir “lost” buried feelings and memories from your suppressed spiritual nature. These feelings and memories are often first perceived as a sort of vague “knowingness” or “awareness” within you (at least those of you who are more receptive to “awakening” to their true nature, and the reality of life). It’s kind of like a person with amnesia, regaining their memory as they hear and see familiar people and sights (although it’s not so dramatic and obvious). And you don’t need to fully understand the teachings intellectually in order to recover from your “spiritual amnesia” - just reading them and grasping the spirit of them, can still have an effect. The teachings may also act as a partial catalyst for your “Inner Voice” (the still silent “voice” of the The Universal Spirit within you). Even though blocked, your Inner Voice will still react when exposed to the right catalyst - such as being presented with the spiritual truths of the Universe. Thus the teachings will stimulate it, and get a positive response from it. However, the awakening or “unblocking” of the Inner Voice may not get a positive response from you in general. It all depends on the kind of person you are and have made yourself into, and whether or not you want it to remain blocked. So the subsequent reaction may be positive, and one of “joyfully quenching of a desperate thirst” (which brings “awakening”), or the reaction could be negative, and one of repulsion, anger, and deeper blocking. But one thing is certain - all people will react.
Thus the book has the potential to inspire, awaken, and nurture in those who read it, their “higher” consciousness, or “Universal Consciousness”, and thus their own inner sense of spirituality. [Some people might refer to Universal Consciousness as “God Consciousness”, “Christ Consciousness” or “Enlightenment”, etc..] Having Universal Consciousness means many things other than being consciously One with, and aware of, all things in the Universe, including The Universal Spirit. Most readers won’t understand such abstract concepts at this time (and you can’t ever really understand it until you achieve it). Universal Consciousness will be explained more in depth later in the book, but fortunately, there is a very simple, easy way to understand what Universal Consciousness means to us, and the world - indirectly. You can understand it, recognize it, and appreciate how valuable and important it is - by observing its effects. There are very real, tangible, and clearly identifiable changes that can be seen in the life of a person whose higher consciousness is awakening, or who has fully achieved Universal Consciousness. They are “real world” changes that every decent person can relate to, and agree are “good”. What are these changes, and how do they come about? Having an awakening of consciousness like we’ve just talked about, results in TRULY becoming more “spiritual”.
Let me pass on to you, what my personal teacher, the Adept monk Zain (who I eventually, affectionately, called “Father” as we grew closer), said to me about spirituality one day.
“As you begin to expand your consciousness beyond your self, you start realizing (not just believing or “having faith”) that there is more to life and the Universe than meets the eye. Creation isn’t just haphazard. There is One Great Something behind it all. And it pervades everything, including you, including all other people, animals, life, even the Earth and the Universe. As your Universal/Spiritual consciousness continues to grow, you start understanding the underlying connection of everything more and more, until you eventually have the realization that others are actually part of you, and you a part of them, and you are ALL one. Brothers and Sisters - all Children of One Universal God. As your spiritual consciousness grows you also feel, and manifest, Unselfish Love, and the ‘real world’ spiritual virtues that are reflections of Unselfishly Loving - Caring, Kindness, Compassion, Giving, and Harmlessness. THESE are the things that ARE truly important, and the earmarks of TRUE SPIRITUALITY.”
-- Excerpted from The Children of the Law of One & The Lost Teachings of Atlantis [amazon]
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| What's-To-Come, cont. |
[06 Nov 2009|12:51am] |
Apparently a new proposed treaty on upholding copyright laws online has been leaked. It's tentative; I'm sure it'll be different before it's put into effect. But it's still not a very good sign. Some agree that what's presented here is unenforceable. I wonder what countries will stand for it.
The treaty states:
* That ISPs have to proactively police copyright on user-contributed material. This means that it will be impossible to run a service like Flickr or YouTube or Blogger, since hiring enough lawyers to ensure that the mountain of material uploaded every second isn't infringing will exceed any hope of profitability.
* That ISPs have to cut off the Internet access of accused copyright infringers or face liability. This means that your entire family could be denied to the internet -- and hence to civic participation, health information, education, communications, and their means of earning a living -- if one member is accused of copyright infringement, without access to a trial or counsel.
* That the whole world must adopt US-style "notice-and-takedown" rules that require ISPs to remove any material that is accused -- again, without evidence or trial -- of infringing copyright. This has proved a disaster in the US and other countries, where it provides an easy means of censoring material, just by accusing it of infringing copyright.
* Mandatory prohibitions on breaking DRM (basically using any access control technologies, like bittorrent), even if doing so for a lawful purpose (e.g., to make a work available to disabled people; for archival preservation; because you own the copyrighted work that is locked up with DRM)
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/03/secret-copyright-tre.html
This link is a summary, from which I found the points posted above. Here, you can find more info: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4510/125/
I wonder where this will all lead. I'm personally excited just for this to start getting some attention.
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[05 Nov 2009|11:26pm] |
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mood |
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tuned into the divine |
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| Good God |
[05 Nov 2009|09:26am] |
Now let’s consider God in a different, un-humanized way.
GOOD GOD
The Children of the Law of One teach that God is ALL, and includes ALL. It is the One, that includes the many. It is within us, without us, and we are individual parts of the whole of it. While many religions have similar to identical concepts of the One God in their scriptures, they may still use the idea that their God is different from the others’, as a reason for war or killing. One of the problems is that while many religions do teach that God is One, is all things, is everywhere, etc., they still propagate the concept of the human-like God in the Sky, and thus the religion’s
followers still seem to think of God that way. They also sometimes teach that it is only their religion that has the One God, rather than that God IS the One, the Oneness of All.”
“But some religions don’t teach that do they?”
“Even if the religion isn’t propagating the humanized God concept, people still usually think that way. I will explain why in a moment, but first let’s look at the consequences of thinking of God in a humanized fashion, regardless as to why they do. Unfortunately, the humanized God idea naturally leads to thinking of God as an individual of sorts. Then a person’s, or a religion’s God can be given all kinds of personal traits, that either the individual, or the religion wants God to have, in order to justify their human behavior. But that whole idea goes against the ‘God is everywhere and everything’ concept, because if God is thought of as an individual, it also leaves us with the impression that He is separate from us, and the Universe. But if there is One God, which is all, and is everywhere at all times, etc., it can’t be separate from us, or the Universe. So it can’t be an individual in any normal interpretation
of the word (other than if you consider everything in the Universe, the entirety of the Universe itself, as One Universe, and in some sense then, as an individual).”
“So God is an individual also?”
“In some sense. Let’s contemplate that for a moment. We know the Universe is One huge, probably infinite, ‘something’ that is everywhere and everything - all existence as we know it, etc.. Even our bodies are comprised of ‘stardust’ - ‘the stuff of the Universe’. Doesn’t it stand to reason then, that the One God must also
be the very Universe itself? And if that is so, and there is some sort of design, consciousness, and energy that pervades the entire Universe - all of creation - wouldn’t that be ‘God’s Spirit and Consciousness’? Thus the consciousness of God IS the consciousness of the Universe. ‘Universal Consciousness’ then, is a consciousness
that is one and the same as ‘God’s’. And thus the ‘Spirit’ of God, the life force that is all of creation, IS the Spirit of the Universe - ‘The Universal Spirit’. Once, all humans had the consciousness of their Oneness with The Universal Spirit, and that is why you are here - to regain that Universal Consciousness, and Oneness with God. Then you will be the lamps to help others regain their lost way also.”
So for clarity, in the majority of this book, “God” will often be referred to as “The Universal Spirit” (and sometimes as “the One”). It helps clarify that when we are speaking of God, we are not referring to “The Big Guy in the Sky” concept of God. But even though using the words “Universal Spirit” helps prevent the confusion with the humanized God concept, the term God will still be used from time to time throughout the book. When it is, just keep in mind what that means to us.
Back to my course with Raga...
“To summarize, The Children of the Law of One teach that The Universal Spirit, rather than being an ‘individual’ as we know it - is a ‘multiplicity’ that is ‘One’. It comprises, and is, all things in the entire Universe, together as One. It
is the ‘beingness’, energy, essence, and life force that is everywhere and everything in the Universe, including us, including nature - and including the Universe itself. And it has a consciousness. Also included as part of the One Universal Spirit (and the Oneness that is the Universal Spirit), is a ‘hierarchy’ of spiritual beings who exist on many different levels. You might think of them as angels, guardian angels, ascended masters, adepts or saints who have ‘passed on’, etc.. Being free from the limitations of physical life, they exist in spiritual form, and share the same consciousness as the Universal Spirit (‘Universal Consciousness’). They are consciously part of, One with, and an
aspect of, the Universal Spirit. Hierarchical beings thus act in harmony with the Will of the Universal Spirit, as if they were ‘arms’ or extensions of it. Yet, they are somewhat related to us, and thus close to us also, so they are ‘links to’ the entirety of the Universal Spirit, who can help guide us, and have certain influences in our
lives.”
“Is that like what some people call ‘guardian angels’?”
“Yes. But it is just one of the many beings that form the link of the hierarchy. And the Universal Spirit is also comprised of this great link of Oneness. As you study the ancient biblical texts in the library, you will find that an early name for God in some of them, or perhaps I should say God was referred to in some of them, as ‘Elohim’. The word Elohim, is plural, and both masculine and feminine. Thus it includes the concept of a hierarchy of spiritual beings that also comprise God, and insinuates that God is neither an individual person, nor a ‘He’. This also leaves room to include all creation, all beings, including humans, as being part of God. Thus the Elohim concept of God, is similar to what the Atlantean Children of the Law of One teach about The Universal Spirit, and you may find this
helpful in your work someday.”
-- Excerpted from The Children of the Law of One
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| Redefining 'God' and 'Love' |
[04 Nov 2009|12:33pm] |
So before we delve deeper into the teachings, let’s clarify the meanings of a couple of words/concepts
that will be used a great deal in this book - God and Love, and in a different way than you may have heard them used before. Both terms and concepts, can mean many different things to many different people.
LOVE
In my first days and months at the monastery, I attended courses given by elder monks. In one of my world human concept and terminology courses, which was given by the elder monk, “Raga”, we began covering the teachings on the various types of emotions that people often lump together, and call “love”.
“Love can mean sex (‘We made love’). Love can mean you really like something (‘I love my new car’). Love can mean the pleasure or ‘thrill’ you get from someone you have a romantic relationship with (‘I love Nadia’). Or love can mean compassion, kindness, caring, giving, sharing - that’s the kind of love that brings true happiness, inner peace. It’s the kind of love we all really need, and need to give - it’s also the kind of love that would make the world a far better place. So if we wish to focus on developing this kind of love, we must clearly delineate it, and
give it a name. Thus, we call it ‘Unselfish Love’, because that is what it is.”
GOD
Raga went on to define the various ways the people of the world see and understand God.
“God is a very abstract and difficult thing for the human mind to fathom. To paraphrase the ancient teaching - ‘The God I am talking about, cannot be talked about’. It means that God is really impossible to explain, or truly understand intellectually. But with that in mind, I will endeavor to explain the unexplainable.
“THE BIG GUY IN THE SKY” CONCEPT OF GOD -
People have often ‘person’-alized, or human-ized the concept of God. Whether consciously or subconsciously, many people think of God as having a human-like appearance - a great big man with long silver hair and beard that lives ‘somewhere out there’ beyond the sky in Heaven.”
“That has always bothered me. Why do people think of God that way?” I said.
“There are several reasons people think of God in this way. Partly, it is due to how hard it is to grasp such an infinite and abstract concept as God. But unfortunately, sometimes this human-like idea of God was deliberately fostered as: 1) A means to gain wealth and power over the masses; 2) A means to justify cruel or horrible things some men wanted to do (like war); 3) A means of propagating sexism; Or, 4) All of the above. Unfortunately, with that kind of human-like conceptualization of God, also comes assigning human-like personality traits to God - and some of them are the very human-like “negative” personality traits, such as anger, jealousy, and vengefulness. The followers of many different religions have their own personalized versions of a humanized God. Some versions of God have similar personality traits, but there are various differences. Subsequently, the rules that people believe “He” has given for us to obey, are sometimes similar, and sometimes very different.”
“Is that a problem though? Why can’t people all have their own ideas of God if it makes them happy or fits into their culture?” I asked.
“They can. They are welcome to it. We don’t care about what name of God, or idea of God they believe in. If it helps them become better, kinder people, that’s our only concern. But think about it. People will even go to war, because their personalized version of God is different than someone else’s, and of course, each side in the war always believes ‘God’ is on their side. Understanding the universality, and oneness of God eliminates this, and many other tragic acts. You, who will be teachers in various parts of the world will be confronted with this constantly, and you need to understand the various concepts of personalized Gods, in order for you to reveal that there is more to God that goes beyond what they think."
Many things about various personalized Gods, just don’t make sense. This includes both the things God does, and the things God doesn’t do (allows). For instance, animals and innocent children are suffering on this planet. Why? If you accept a human-like version of God, why doesn’t He put a stop to this? Many people who have limited views of God, can understand this when you explain it to them, as long as they have the slightest open mind, and the Spirit of God is present in you when you explain it to them. Now let’s consider God in a different, un-humanized way."
--Excerpted from the Children of the Law of One
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| What’s in a Name |
[03 Nov 2009|02:33pm] |
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mood |
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The name of our order is unfamiliar and odd to most people. One reason is that we have deliberately avoided public notoriety, generally preferring to live and work in peace, undisturbed, behind the scenes. The “dark ages” are still with us, despite what history books say. Sometimes specific members become famous, but only when necessary for their work, or unavoidable.
Another reason the name sounds odd is because of its obscure and foreign origins. The name of the order was originally expressed as one concept, and can only really be understood as a whole, but breaking it down may help you understand it better. Just try to keep this paradox in mind - the name means many things, but only one thing.
The first part “The Children of...” relates to us all being “Children” in the sense of “subordinates of God (which we call the Universal Spirit)”, “obedient to God and Universal Law”. The end part (“One”) essentially means “God”. Rather than a giant silver-haired man in the sky, we consider God to be the totality of everything that exists - the Universe itself even - thus God is the “One”. The middle part of the name (“the Law of”) comes from the fact that within “the One”, there are "Universal “Laws” that govern the operation and function of everything in the Universe (applying to all things, all vibration, physical or spiritual). Put this all back together again, the “Children” of the “Law” of “One” then essentially means “those who obey Universal Law and serve the Universal Spirit”.
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| Polar Reversal |
[03 Nov 2009|10:46am] |
These MPAA are upside down.
They think the 'pirates' are losing them money, it going down the drain.
Instead people are eating it up. Consuming the content faster than ever.
It's a classic case of polar reversal.
Sphincters open, close.
In goes the content, out comes the mold.
'Cept the bosses have their pants around their ankles,
their butts hanging over a wishing well.
When they're done, they stand up, shake themselves,
and dig their hands in, hoping for gold.
Instead, people eat up the excrement,
consume it,
and up bubbles the coin.
Those bosses are used to the magical wishing well
It has served them a long time.
But what do the bosses eat when they're upside down?
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| Self-Worth |
[03 Nov 2009|10:24am] |
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Am I cheap,
nothing more than the sum total of my coin and its consumptive powers,
Or is my worth the earth?
This is why I work to earn the planetary keep.
It's not strictly about being fancy,
but it can be.
It's finding a balance,
taking a chance,
Moving heaven and earth to find the romance
Learning to love in spite of the difference
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