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Saturday, November 3


MICHAEL READ

Over on the Allspirit list someone posted a link to
Steven Harrison's web site.

http://www.doingnothing.com/

After reading through most of that this is what I
emailed to Steven:


***

Dear Steven,

I just found your web site via a link posted on the
Allspirit email list on Yahoo.

What a delight it is to find a 'parallel thinker'
such as yourself. At some point in my education I
was taught to think. Who the particular teacher was
must not be important, because I cannot remember
that person's name. <grin>

What I learned about thinking is that thought is a
tool. Or, a mechanism that one can use to solve
problems. I was also taught that not every thought
will be the right one to solve the problem.
Deciding which thought is appropriate would come
about through experience or, the process of trail
and error. The trick about thinking well is to take
an objective stance or attitude. At least to be
objective enough to use the answers presented by
thinking without becoming - um - overly objective
or disconnected from life.

I appreciate what you have to say about myth. Yes,
it does seem that folk will do anything to protect
their personal myth about - everything. The
concepts of religion, philosophy, science,
politics, and so on do seem to hold the world in
thrall. What a drama!

Your observations on gurus/teachers/mystics -
thanks for the grins! The thing about taking on the
mantle of guru or teacher - hoo boy! - what a trap.
The guru who allows even one person to worship him
or her has 'blown it' big time. These types of
gurus are eventually self destructive.
Hmm...victims of their own publicity? Perhaps. Yes,
you are correct when you say it is about power.

I must confess that there was a time when I wanted
to gain enlightenment more for the power of it than
as, say, a process of self discovery. Fortunately,
I was able to think that one through to its logical
conclusion <grin>. Basically it is that if indeed
there is only one thing, one god, one universe, who
is there to wield any power and over whom could
power be projected?

The whole thing fell apart. What a relief! lol!

When, for lack of a better term, the awakening
event happened for me, everything was turned upside
down, so to speak. The events leading up to that
'fateful' afternoon are only story. There is one
amusing circumstance which occurred that afternoon.
I was at that moment reading a passage from some
book on Buddhism where Gautama is reported to have
said, "When I gained pure and perfect
enlightenment, I realized that there is no such
thing as pure and perfect enlightenment! Marvelous!
Marvelous!"

At that point something strange and wonderful began
to happen. All of my concepts and beliefs about
enlightenment began to fall away. Then what I can
only refer to as a 'stream' of information began.
It was information about everything - spiritual,
physical, emotional, reality/unreality - just
everything. And, this stream of information was
accompanied with power. Great power - the power to
do anything.

Good grief, what a temptation! For sure my mind/ego
wanted to lock this experience down and use it.
Everything I thought I had wanted was there.

Fortunately, something, be it grace, luck,
intuition, or <grin> that ability I learned as a
schoolboy, to think, intervened. The information
and accompanying surge of power were allowed to
drop away like the beliefs and concepts did.

All that was left was awareness. It was everywhere
(and not really anywhere) and every person, place
and thing in existence. The experience was not an
accomplishment on my part. The whole thing was
merely another event. Yet, it has changed how this
character lives and interacts with everything.

Well, this email is getting quite long. I'll close
with a little poem I wrote about the whole silly
thing.

Nothing higher
Nothing lower
No you
No me
Just this
Abundance!

Love and blessings,

Michael

_________________________________________________________________

BOBBY G.


"The whole notion of reincarnation is based on the
notion of separateness." Wayne Liquorman

The idea of reincarnation is about ego death.

For instance, the present moment along with the "I
am" (aham vritti) gains the attention of the mind
with the cessation of the chain of thoughts. I am
aware of my presence instead of lost in cause and
effect of a thought nature.

The ego submerges in this moment. It finally
re-emerges and it may be some time before it
sub-merges again during which time thoughts lead
one to another until they cease again and there is
the here and now (in a manner of speaking).

What happens seems to be classic reincarnation
descriptions. For instance, I (ego) reincarnate
because of past tendencies or karma. I am "born"
into situations that provide me with a chance to
learn and overcome my mistakes. I may have
thousands of these 'lifetimes' before I am
enlightened (the mind does not re-emerge). In the
final death of the ego it never arises again (no
more rebirth).

___________________________________________________________

JERRY

gotta love this guy:
<http://members.tripod.com/tathagata2000/index.htm>

"On some days he would go out to the bus stop, but
when the bus actually came he realized that he
didn't have anywhere to go so he had to go back
home, even so this happened continuously."

NINA


Dear Honorable Mr. Katz,

Clearly from an unenlightened point of view, as I
have no horn on my forehead, I submit the
following.

My dog Elliott has no horn on his forehead, either.
However, he has a noticeable lump just over the
equivalent of a canine crown chakra. What does this
mean? Should I give him an important name and make
a website for him? I have been looking for another
job and wouldn't mind traveling the world, though I
am not hep on the idea of marketing. Too much
stress on the nerves. However, if it is for a good
cause - you know, world enlightenment or perhaps
simply self- promotion - perhaps I should give it a
shot.

Please let me know what you think as soon as
possible as I may be out of a job on January 1 and
need to keep my bases covered. Airplane tickets for
traveling the world are cheaper if you order ahead.

Thanks in advance for your consideration. I look
forward to your response.

Best Regards,
Her Hornlessness of Asheville

P.S. I believe if you study Mr. Tathagata's
forehead closely, as I did in Microsoft Photo
Editor, you will discover that the horn is actually
a very cleverly molded piece of silly putty. If you
look very closely, you might even be able to make
out headlines from last Thursday's New York Times.
It sure is hard to get ink out of silly putty. I'll
be sure to use fresh silly putty when I get
enlightened.

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