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a message was written on the wall

           in your room

           you would read it every day

           go out into the world

           and live by the message

           the smiles you sent came back to you

           no one ever saw such a smile

           a smile to a stranger on the street

           they might turn and follow you

           back home

           there was the message on the wall

           which no one ever saw

           but everyone heard your version

           and got their version

           and spread that version

           until the time no wall

           was without a version of the message on the wall in your room

           then you bought some plywood
 

           took out your carpentry tools

           the box was simple

           but covered the message

           the door locked

           with a key you couldn't get duplicated

           at the shoemaker's

           and that was that.
 

           so life went on

           you became famous

           and the message stayed in the box

           you hardly opened it anymore

           in fact it was enough to look at the box

           soon you started building versions

           of the box that holds the message

           that you looked at every day

           and which held something that everyone could have

           so of course people built their version

           and spread that version

           and soon shops all over were selling

           versions of the box that held the message

           that was never revealed

           and whose versions

           have been covered over

           by versions

           of the box
 

           that covers

           the original message

           that you've forgotten
 

           by now millions of people had been killed

           or abused

           because of things having to do

           with the box.

           but that's just peoples' ways

           it's always been that way

           people need to respect each other's box

           that's all there is to it.

           there should be freedom to build whatever box you want

           as long as it doesn't hurt anyone

           plus we need to kill others to keep our freedom to build our boxes

           and to kill those whose boxes we're not supposed to like

           sort of thing

           you know what I'm saying

           okay.
 

           fine.
 

           then one day someone tells you your hair is mussed up

           and you're ugly

           well you don't believe it

           but you don't have a mirror either

           so you put a mirror on the box that covers the original message

           on the wall.

           now when you look at the box

           you look at yourself

           every day

           until you can't stand it

           and you tear down the box

           you don't understand the message

           anymore

           you look out the window

           you see buildings that look like versions of the box

           you take your hammer to the plaster

           until the messsage and a big sheet of wall

           have crumbled down.
 

           but oh it's only the world

           you've heard there are places where the box isn't built

           but you don't know how to get there

           and as for now

           well this won't do

           so you rebuild the wall

           put up a box

           any box

           that you buy in one of the shops

           and all is well
 

           not really though

           it occurs to you that

           there may be lots of people

           who put up boxes because it's the right thing to do

           but they don't see the need for them

           any more than you do

           so you start asking people whether they really want their box up

           and they're polite

           and all

           and say of course they do

           but now you've opened something

           you sense you've opened the original box

           and for a moment you remember the original message

           but then it's gone

           and it isn't long after that they've killed you anyway
 

           there are still men, women and mostly children in rooms

           sitting in front of blank walls

           when a message appears

           there always were

           always

           and will be

           and it's really not anything worth making as much a fuss about

           as people have

--Jerry Katz
from Live Journal
____________________________________________________________________

AMIGO

Dear friends,

The words of Janis Joplin jumped up out of my memory while we
were making this third Amigo: 'Freedom is just another word
for nothing left to lose'

A real 'jnani' edition with: free, freedom, free will, being
the subjects in review.

A scoop this time: an interview with Alexander Smit from 1988
in which he tells us about his Realization after meeting
Nisargadatta

Further: Wolter Keers, Jan van Delden, Tony Parsons, Hans
Laurentius, Douglas Harding, Ramesh Balsekar, a.o.

Maybe Amigo will shed some light on the subject Free Will for
you you can find it here: http://www.ods.nl/am1gos

all the best the Amigo editors

~~~~~~~~~ the meaning of life, is becoming who you are
[Gerard Reve] ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

_______________________________________________________________________

in the land of nonduality you don't have to know which way
the wind's blowing to be a weatherman.

--Jerry Katz

_________________________________________________________________________

NINA

"solving is something of a problem, yea? Problem fixes
are just temporary. Temporary completeness until the
next problem"

I spend most of my waking hours solving problems.

I spend most of my waking hours casting about in my Mind's
Eye looking for what something will become.

I have discovered that what I am looking for is really simply
a connection to what is there already, fully-formed, just
encrusted, hidden within Michaelangelo's stones.

This activity happens to be accessed through the practice of
architecture, but it could be anything.

The toughest problem I am currently learning to solve is
how to Live With not knowing (how to flash the sidewalls
of a parapet cut, how to figure out steel member sizes,
what the code constraints are, where that storefront
window catalogue has gotten to, who ate all the office
snacks, where that horrible mechanical vibration is
coming from)

and uncertainty (of outcome, of process, of correctness, of
the future)

I don't know about other professions, but in architecture, it
is commonly heard that one never stops learning. This is
another way of saying "Ya Nevah Know!"

So, what do I know? Well, I'm getting around to trusting that
"I can do it." That's the Big Solution, isn't it?

Plugging along while living with it. The condition of
continually addressing problems.

I say addressing because solving is something of a problem,
yea? Problem fixes are just temporary. Temporary completeness
until the next problem in that area is brought to my
attention. The problem is always there to solve, albeit in
changing form.

Life is an iterative process.

working hard,
or hardly working?
Nina

____________________________________________________________________

MELODY

It is the Last Supper. Everyone has finished their dinner,
and the waiter brings Jesus the bill. "Heavens above," says
Jesus. "I can't afford this!" And he passes the bill to
Peter. "Holy Mackerel!" says Peter, passing the bill to Mark.
"Lord save us!" says Mark, and he passes the bill to James.
This continues all down the table until at the very far end
the bill is passed to Judas. "Holy Moses!" cries Judas. "And
where the hell am I going to get thirty pieces of silver?"

_______________________________________________________________________

GENE POOLE

"it is advised to work first to develop the widest
possible conception of what is, to be able to predict
downstream effects, of any deed enacted."

Please look here:

<http://www.innerx.net/personal/tsmith/QuanCon.html>

Specifically:

<http://www.innerx.net/personal/tsmith/Ganesha.html#IndraShivaGanesha>

Quote: (describing the Net of Indra)

"At each juncture there lies a jewel; each jewel reflects all
the other jewels in this cosmic matrix. Every jewel
represents an individual life form, atom, cell or unit of
consciousness. Each jewel, in turn, is intrinsically and
intimately connected to all the others; thus, a change in one
gem is reflected in all the others."

[endquote]

To become aware of your nature is to understand that to
massage yourself so to produce a state, is also the ability
to extend this same state to others...

This ability is latent in everyone. How it is used, for what
purposes, to what ends, is the real issue. One who has only a
small conception of what is, risks producing unfortunate
(bad) consequences, by use of developed powers of this sort.
Thus, it is advised to work first to develop the widest
possible conception of what is, to be able to predict
downstream effects, of any deed enacted.

____________________________________________________________________

SU (SUGAR) GANDOLF

Family outing to a Chinese restaurant

This is a true story I hear every time I get together w/ my
cousin and her daughter, who is now 18 and was born and
raised in Houston. I reserve the right to screw up the
details, and names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Family outing to a Chinese restaurant. "Annie" is six years
old. Meal ends. Everyone takes a fortune cookie. Annie reads
hers first. It says, "Always obey the Golden Rule". She
smiles contentedly. Her momma wonders. Asks Annie, "Honey, do
you know what the Golden Rule is?"

"Of course, Momma", she says. All eyes on Annie. She smiles
confidently, sits up in her chair, and proudly proclaims:
"Don't Mess With Texas!!!"

Everyone laughs 'til the tears are rolling out of their eyes.
They are not gonna have to worry about this gal one bit...

____________________________________________________________________

GLORIA LEE contributes

We can't help being thirsty moving toward the voice of water.
-- Rumi

_________________________________________________________________

NINA

Words!

http://www.critical-reading.com/grammar_reading_writing.htm

"Some read the words as:
             Woman, without her man, is nothing.
Others read the same words as:
            Woman! Without her, man is nothing.
We find, to a great extent, what we want to find!"

____________________________________________________________________

JAN BARENDRECHT

Young children neither have a problem with death nor
with nudity but somehow this essential simplicity is
lost, replaced with a complicated set of moral, ethics
and taboos... Disassembling this is what causes pain...

The dog preferring me over its former 'boss' serves a
good reminder of this. Not having been educated, not
having learned tricks, not having fear, not being
aggressive, the dog can walk, run and swim along freely.
Today was very hot and when she saw an open bottle of
water in the hand of an elderly lady, that was
interpreted as an invitation to drink. The lady, first
baffled, responded like a mother feeding a baby and one
who knew it too :)

______________________________________________________________________

JODY RADZIK

THE MYSTERY OF TRANSMISSION SATSANG

"It really wasn't meditation at all. It was creative
visualization as performance art with him as the
director."
 

I have my doubts about transmission satsang. I was once
a facilitator for a transmission teacher in the US
Southwest. I spent 5 months attending his public
sessions as well as going on hikes and to parties and
art openings with him as he "made the scene."

I learned the story of his realization, complete with
fantastic descriptions of visions and meditation
experiences. He told me he could see and speak to the
Divine Mother directly, just like he was talking to you
or I.

He was really a nice guy for the most part, until
someone stopped coming to his meetings. Then he would
suddenly "know" things about this person because
"Mother" told him so.

His "technique" was to sit with the group for 15
minutes, and then ask each member to describe their
experience. As people told their stories, mundane and
fantastic, he'd subtlety shape the interpretation to
match his own, which was of course that the experiences
were caused by him. He'd spend a lot of time praising
those who did have grand experiences, as well as
encouraging those who didn't.

It was pretty clear that these folk were generating
their own experiences which then got spun by him. It
really wasn't meditation at all. It was creative
visualization as performance art with him as the
director.

As for my own experiences with him, I came to an
occasional blissy spot, but not anymore than I might
have otherwise.

He tried to take credit for those too.

He never really seemed insincere, just petty. He
obviously loved the attention, but all in all he was an
ok guy.

After a while I couldn't buy into what Mother was
supposed to be telling him, so I left.

I doubt whether anyone got enlightened, but who knows?
I'm sure there were some profound moments for some folk,
but I'm also sure a great deal of them were more
suggested than authentic.

If you're a transmission guru surrounded by people
adoring you and believing that your touch brings light,
a certain group dynamic takes over and fuels the lust
for having an experience. There's a kind of manic peer
pressure to be blissful, so you either have bliss or you
make it up and believe in it. Either way, the guru gets
the credit, and all you really got was the sideshow
hypnotist treatment.

There's a great illustration of this in the movie "Holy
Smoke" with Kate Winslet.

So there really isn't any mystery at all. Transmission
satsang isn't much more than a pep rally with hugs. Many
might have what turn out to be life changing
experiences, but they had them because they believed
they would. How could they not in the presence of God?

There may be some genuine moments for some folk, but the
whole enterprise of transmission satsang is really just
a series of psychic transference parties with the guru
as the center of projection.
 

MELODY

"I have often compared my experience of meeting the Dalai
Lama with that of a tuning fork."

Having never gone to one, I really couldn't comment on
them.

There was a time a year or so ago that I was 'meeting'
some particulary difficult attachments. I was writing to
my teacher about them....we were dialoguing back and
forth thru email rather rapidly....and I was very
emotional at the time.

All of a sudden he asked for my phone number and called
me. After saying hello and then hearing his name, I kind
of relaxed and dropped like a ragdoll of sorts.

All upsetness...all confusion immediately disappeared.
And somehow, for some reason, a sense of calm and
clarity came over me. There was such a sense of
immediacy in just those few spoken words ....such a
presence.....I just can't describe it.

There were some words spoken, but to tell the truth, I
don't remember them. I just remember.....oh, I can't
even describe what I remember just that one minute
everything was confused, emotional and painful,

and the next minute there was such clarity and
acceptance.

My sense was that some part of me was
ignited....'plugged in'....like a car that had been
struggling by running only on 2 cylinders (perhaps
chakras?) suddenly had all cylinders open and operating.

I have often compared my experience of meeting the Dalai
Lama with that of a tuning fork. Put one in the
proximity of another that is already 'vibrating', and
the other will begin vibrating right along with the
first. When HH shook my hand it was as if a jolt of
electrical current shot thru me.....like all of a sudden
a 'thermostat' had been cranked up high. And I 'heard'
him say (without speaking), "This too is you".

I also knew immediately that that current did not come
'from' him to me, but that it arose from within me with
his touch and namaste bow.

And as with the experience with my teacher, I can't tell
you what he said that night in his talk. The words just
became background music to what was happening
energetically.

_________________________________________________________________

JAN SULTAN contributes

WHEN DUALITY AND NONDUALITY MEET, by Aziz Kristof

"It is only when duality and non-duality meet, that the
complete Understanding is born."

It is true that there is only the Self, but by whom is
this Self reached? The Self is not reached by the Self,
for the Self is already One. Why would the Self need to
reach the Self? There is no Two-ness in the Ultimate!
The Self is reached by its foremost creation, which you
recognise as your sense of Me. Pure Me is the primordial
expression of the Source and the perceiver of all.

If there is no duality, there is no experience. In
non-duality, there is neither ignorance nor
Enlightenment. Therefore, duality is meaningful and
divine in this essence, for it allows Creation to
happen. But duality without unity, that is, non-duality,
is sheer ignorance. Duality, extracted from the context
of Total Existence, represents the fragmented state of
existence. From the other side, non-duality without
duality is the absence of consciousness or simply death!
It is only when duality and non-duality meet, that the
complete Understanding is born. It is the ultimate
meeting of time with timelessness; it is the ultimate
reality of the Soul and the Beloved.

The mind has to intuitively grasp the subtle meaning of
the Non-dual Path. If one does not practice according to
this understanding – one is not honest to one's own
Soul. Either one lives in the illusion of a
pseudo-Advaita intellectual 'Enlightenment,' or one
lives in an anticipated future, overlooking the truth of
the Now. If you negate the Spiritual Path and the
necessity of the inner work, you are being dishonest
with yourself. If you keep on saying that the Self is
all there is and there is no need to practice, you
simply deceive yourself. In such a case, you simply
refuse to see how fragmented your mind is and how
painfully you are disconnected from the light of
Creation. Wouldn't it be sheer hypocrisy? Many
Krishnamurti's and Advaita followers are stuck in this
incomplete understanding. Here, denying the need for
practice, one tries to realise the Self immediately. But
one is unable to! The Spiritual Path is a reflection of
the basic necessity to evolve, a reflection of common
sense and wisdom.
 

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