Monday's MeditationMom Moment - Do You Believe In God?

Q: MeditationMom - do you - or do you not - believe in God? Some of your writing seems atheist, and sometimes it seems that you do mention God a lot.

MM: Neither, and both. You'll have to practice your Buddhist non-dualistic thinking to be happy with this answer. My writings are confusing because I respond differently to individual people . All the people who write to me are truth seekers - the religious and atheists alike. The truth everyone is intuitively looking for is "beyond belief" - literally - and already belongs to everyone. As Jesus said: "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." This freedom is all that matters.

Maybe I should ask you which God you are asking me about?



A joke on the subject: A tourist in an Irish bar asks his neighbor: "Are you a Catholic or a Protestant?" "Neither!" answers the Irish patron with some annoyance, and adds: "I am an Atheist."
After a pause the tourist asks: "Well, are you a Catholic Atheist or a Protestant Atheist?" to which the Irish man replies with a little more enthusiasm: "Actually, I am a Buddhist atheist."

God - to most people - believers and atheists alike - is an idea. Many different ideas actually, we
fight wars over. Everyone has a different idea about God - even the kind of God people don't believe in is fought over.

To others, God is a suspicion - as in "there must be something or someone greater than little old me "out there" running or overseeing things". Atheists are more mature, and brave enough to live in a chaotic and random universe. To them, God is simply a stupid, if not a dangerous and destructive idea. Most atheists just want people to stop killing each other in the name of God. Atheists though are blind too, for example, about how many people have been maimed and killed because of what they believe in - which is science.

To the devout God is a feeling - a very profound one, and anyone telling them "there is no God" is saying "you don't have that feeling". When, especially people who tell others to get in touch with their feelings, their emotions, their sexuality, as well as their "dark side", then tell those people that "their feeling" of God - their "being in touch" with the divine or the sacred in life - is not real - all hell breaks lose between these two groups.

Those who actually discover God, discover something far beyond thought or feeling, and beyond anything anyone could say anything about, and certainly something beyond belief. They usually stay silent on the subject. If they say anything they risk being misunderstood, getting crucified or stoned to death, and also risk starting yet another religion for humanity to fight over. In other words - when it comes to God or the divine - you cannot learn about it from anyone or any book, even though this can certainly be inspiring and give valuable guidance in the best of cases.

Ultimately - the whole subject of God is best avoided as it is a fight among the blind over something they are all speculating about. Believing is OK, and not believing is OK . Both can help, or be a hindrance, on the way to truth and freedom.

What is meant by God is equivalent to absolute, infinite and eternal truth, absolute, infinite and eternal freedom, love, compassion, wisdom, kindness, perfection, principle, all-one-ness that includes all opposites of good and evil, and all that is beyond all ideas. There is only one way to discover this, and that is with the deepest trust during meditation. This trust needs to be greater than the fear of death. The reason for that is that only with that, can one go beyond thought or feeling - beyond oneself - completely. "Oneself" is the blindness that prevents discovery.

When the Dalai Lama was asked what his religion is, he answered that his religion is Kindness. This is a highly scientific answer and demonstrates the insignificance of individual, personal, belief or non-belief in God, or any religious dogma.

Ramana Maharshi said it well: "No one doubts that he exists, though you may doubt the existence of God. If you find out the truth about yourself and discover your own source, this is all that is required."

In other words - God is a discovery - and unlike anything that anyone has ever believed, or not believed in.

Monday's MeditationMom Moments- 01/12/09 - Eating Meat And Buddhism

Q: Can you call yourself a Buddhist if you eat meat?

MM: You can if you like. Over time, though, as awareness, sensitivity, compassion and intuition grows as a result of meditation, eating meat becomes more and more difficult. Meditation, with its long periods of sitting in silence is made easier by simple, vegetarian food, but if you have a physically demanding job, for example, some meat is OK. Always - no matter what you eat - the most important thing is to eat with gratitude.

"There's Probably No God -

...Now Stop Worrying And Enjoy Your Life."

Very funny London Bus advertising by atheists to "counter" religious ads. It's entertaining living in free countries. Rich countries - who have money for such silly ad wars among the various proselytisers. Richard Dawkins - our most popular proselytiser for atheism, says he would have liked to have them drop the word "probably" even though during his satellite appearance on the Bill Maher Show he admitted a scientist always has to build in some iota of improbability, and therefor he could not say with 100% certainty that there is no God.

"Converting" to Atheism is mentioned in this video as well. How can one convert to a non-belief? You can only convert to a different belief as in "I believe there is no God". This takes as much faith as believing in God. Atheism is in fact trying to be a belief system like Creationism. Just the other extreme on the same continuum of ignorance or faith. Like Creationism pretends to be scientific, science professors like Richard Dawkins pretend to be experts on spiritual matters without ever having meditated to any degree that would make them anywhere near expert on the matter. The blind, being led by the blind with PhDs - who, of course, collect the money from their followers.

If it indeed said "There is no God..." on those buses, many Muslims would have been pleased in London, as this they could consider a truthful - if incomplete statement. Maybe not a bad start for the West. Just like any religiously raised teenager moves from childhood trust and belief through a predictable atheist phase before searching for the truth himself, maybe the Western population is ready for that stage of spiritual development. According to the Gospel of Judas, even Jesus laughed in dismay at the apostles' simplistic belief in a creator God that was not grounded in any of their own meditation experience, nor in any understanding of his teachings and the higher mysteries.

The search for what is, for a lack of a better word called "God", requires no less commitment, suffering, headaches, confusion, frustration, and work than the search for the Unified Theory in Physics. We keep looking - either until we find it, or as long as we're having fun searching. How silly would be an ad banner on a London bus trying to convince Physicists to go out and get some exercise instead of hovering over their desks 24/7 because "There probably is no Unifying Theory" and tell them to "stop worrying and enjoy their lives"?

Atheists assuming agnostics or the faithful don't enjoy their lives is a bit presumptuous and unscientific. In the advanced, religious ecstasy is far more pleasurable than any drug one could take. Atheist "ecstasy" always stays in the realm of the physical, material - sex, drugs, food, fame, power, math, music, architecture, etc. The hobbies of kings, not buddhas or prophets.

Considering the present worldwide crisis of having overspent on all of our enjoyments way beyond our means out of some sort of desperation for enjoyment (fueled by advertising) - maybe "enjoying ourselves" a little less is where the bliss is actually going to come from. Living like Kings pales in comparison to living like Buddhas, Christs, Prophets, Saints...But - it does not hurt to be king for a while - guilt-free - to figure that out before moving on. So Atheism has its purpose. There is no question that the religions' preachings against natural and simple pleasures has pushed people into the insane seeking of extreme and perverted pleasures.

As I mentioned in an earlier post - "the infinitely small iota of probability" is where Atheists and Believers need to meet. The word "probably" is the most important word in this ad campaign and makes a great mantra for meditation. A very enjoyable word which creates humility in both science and religion. Let's all indeed enjoy our short and precious lives, and allow others to do the same. It does not take belief in or against God to do so.

Intellectual Suicide

In response to Monday's Post -

Q: Excuse my ignorance but this sounds an awful lot like intellectual suicide.

MM: Better than actual suicide - as so often the case with philosophers and genius intellectuals, no?

But, to address your concern more directly. Slowing, calming, and transcending the mind is not supposed to be an intellectual, or intelligence suicide. It is getting yourself completely out of the way and into a space of infinite possibility and uncertainty which means facing life and yourself as it truly is, rather than the way we construct it with our minds.

No matter the level of sophistication by the most intelligent philosopher or intellectual...it can never be defined. As it says in the Tao...the Tao that can be named is not the Tao. A wide open mind - to all possibilities in utter uncertainty - is a completely free, still mind. At that point of no thought - it is like a Ferrari in neutral - or a VW in neutral - your intelligence level does not matter. That is why Alexander the Great can learn from a beggar in the street. This kind of mind is simply awake. Awake has nothing to do with logic or intellect. That is why athletes soldiers, and criminals are such great candidates for meditation. Their life already depends on being awake.

Faith, though, is a sort of intellectual suicide, where the mind is still involved, but disregards logic. Faith realizes the truth can't be figured out, so it just makes up something that works. But even faith is still a mind "in gear".

The intellect tries to figure out the truth, which is impossible. It can easily drive the thinker to insanity and suicide unless a master is around. Or, the intellectual will settle for a "conclusion" and stay there proclaiming it truth, at which point it is nothing but faith in disguise and a new "ism". Atheism is a perfect example.

Meditation is a way to come across the truth by happenstance if you're lucky and if you can handle it. Not everyone is ready to face infinite uncertainty, infinite possibility, and eternal not-knowing, and the surrender this entails, even though it means liberation. That is why meditation is so difficult to begin with; and faith or philosophy so much more popular, but then fails us.

Jesus said: "You shall know the truth and it shall set you free." He didn't say: "Don't worry, kids - you'll figure it out". It is not a question of figuring it out, it is a question of being able to face it - this already existing truth within all of us. Love and trust are essential. Most people need Jesus, God, Buddha, Mohammad, Saints, Santa Clause, pink Unicorns, or a puppy in order to relate this love and trust to someone or something - once again a handicap we have because of our logical minds. Even atheists worship Richard Dawkins, for example, and Buddhists the Dalai Lama. But - love and trust can also be cultivated - without any reference point, which is the point of meditation. When this love and trust reaches infinite patience, we're home, and set free.

So - 40 days in the desert - regularly - for everyone ;)

Monday's MeditationMom's Moment - Buddhism and Atheism 12/22/08

Q: Is it possible to be an atheist and a Buddhist?

MM: In the beginning, yes.

But eventually, Buddhism and meditation will destroy atheism - and all other "isms" - even Buddhism - in ones mind. The goal of Buddhism and meditation is an empty, open "beginner's mind" of "don't know" which is incompatible with any conviction about God's existence or non-existence, or any other conviction about anything else.

108

Recently I came across the "108 mental afflictions" in Buddhism several times on the Internet but it took me a while to find them listed anywhere. One thing that made me want to look into this is Dr. Emoto's theory that chemical elements are directly related vibratioanlly to our emotions. His research with water crystals has made him write in one of his books about the connection of sadness and aluminum, for example, and gold and gratitude. Maybe some day there will be a periodic table of the emotions.

I finally found the 108 mental afflictions listed on a well researched site called virtuescience.com.

Buddhists are very much scientists of the mind and have dissected its movements to very fine points of observations so I find this interesting, although tedious. In my own meditation practice I watch for minute movements of the mind, but without naming each movement anymore. For example - blaming and then forgiving are just a tension to be noticed, and then a relaxing of that same tension. There are too many thoughts involved in actually analyzing the various tensions like blaming and the how-to-s of forgiving, and all the 108 others. But - that is after years of doing it "brick by brick", so to speak.

Going over the list makes for great self reflection. One instantly recognized ones own and others' most habitual afflictions. Also, I learned a few new English words I didn't know. James Barton's site is well organized and alive as he updates it regularly. A great resource for not only Buddhists.

The 108 Defilements of Buddhism

I (James Barton - creator of virtuescience.com) created this page to help me and my readers explore the meaning of the 108 defilements mentioned in Buddhist literature. Due to my studies with the virtues and vices (check out my free ebook: "Inner Medicine") it seemed to me that the 108 might not be arbitrary but perhaps had an inner logic reflecting reality. If you have any information regarding them then please let me know. Also if you have a website that deals with the 108 defilements let me know and I will put it up here.

ostentatiousness	grudge	gambling	ingratitude
dipsomania	ambition	dominance	faithlessness
manipulation	stinginess	pessimism	hostility
abuse	debasement	sexual lust	sarcasm
humiliation	jealousy	gluttony	unruliness
hurt	cruelty	unkindness	obstinacy
envy	indifference	negativity	furtiveness
sadism	enviousness	derision	falseness
high-handedness	know-it-all	rage	aggression
rapacity	effrontery	disrespectfulness	hard-heartedness
eagerness for power	lying	insidiousness	self-denial
inattentiveness	contempt	wrath	haughtiness
greed for money	seducement	vindictiveness	insatiability
voluptuousness	excessiveness	censoriousness	dissatisfaction
egoism	ignorance	hatred	greed
impudence	imposture	cursing	imperiousness
lecherousness	callousness	malignancy	torment
intolerance	blasphemy	shamelessness	irresponsibility
obsession	prejudice	arrogance	violent temper
garrulity	dogmatism	presumption	intransigence
oppression	prodigality	lack of comprehension	obstinacy
pride	conceitedness	delusion	quarrelsomeness
self-hatred	violence	vanity	hypocrisy
stubbornness	baseness	pretence	mercilessness
disrespect	ridicule	masochism	tyranny
capriciousness	deceit	anger	discord
calculation	unyielding	desire for fame	deception

The 108 Kinds of Emotional Desires (Klesas)

108 kinds of emotional distress: (S. Klesas, J. Bonno) This doctrine is from the Abhidharma; The different kinds of Emotional Distress (S. Klesas or Klistomanas) are the afflictions of mind that stain or defile comprehension of realities (dharmas). Most kinds (darsana-heya klesas) are conceptual errors (false views) and can be eliminated by the path of insight, which is proper knowledge of the four truths. The most intractable (bhavana-heya klesas) must be eliminated through the cultivation of meditation practice because they are habitual and ingrained compulsions. The 108 different kinds are calculated as follows:

There are 36 in the Realm of Desire:

A. 10 eliminated by knowledge of the Truth of Suffering: greed, hatred, ignorance, conceit, doubt & the five false views (disbelief in cause & effect, clinging to views, belief in the ego, belief in extremes, and belief that rituals will lead to salvation)

B. 7 eliminated by knowledge of the Truth of Origination: The above ten except belief in the ego, belief in extreme views, and belief that rituals will lead to salvation

C. 7 eliminated by knowledge of the Truth of Extinction: The same as above

D. 8 eliminated by knowledge of the Truth of the Path: The same as above except belief in that ascetic practice or rituals will lead to salvation is added.

E. 4 eliminated only through practice of meditation: greed, hatred, ignorance & conceit - To a degree these four can be eliminated by knowledge of the Four Truths as conceptual errors, but there is a habitual and ingrained aspect to these that can only be eliminated by the intensive practice of introspective meditation. Doubt and the Five Views can be entirely eliminated through knowledge.

There are 31 each in the Realms of Form & Formlessness (Total of 62): In these two realms there is no hatred because they are purified from the desire for food or sex. Since the Realm of Desire associated with much suffering, it is easier to eliminate the relatively more crude afflictions. Since the Realms of Form & Formlessness are associated with more subtle kinds of contentment, it is more difficult to eliminate these afflictions.

A. 9 eliminated in each by knowledge of the Truth of Suffering (like above but without hatred)

B. 6 eliminated in each by knowledge of the Truth of Origination (like above but without hatred)

C. 6 eliminated in each by knowledge of the Truth of Extinction (like above but without hatred)

D. 7 eliminated in each by knowledge of the Truth of The Path (like above but without hatred)

E. 3 eliminated in each by greed, ignorance, & conceit

The 10 secondary afflictions (Upaklesas): absence of shame, absence of embarrassment (before others), envy, stinginess, regret, sleepiness, restlessness (distraction), sloth, anger, and the concealment of wrongdoing.

36 + 31+ 31 + 10 = 108

Then there are our modern attempts at making these kinds of lists .The emotions are paired in such a way that you can use them as antidotes. If feeling harassed or trapped, for example - turn it into amusement. It works. Just find the corresponding emotion in the Happiness column and it is surprising how simple it can be to switch, if you know what the corresponding emotion is you are looking for. If you were to try to feel secure instead of uneasy it wouldn't work, but if you tried to feel glad instead of uneasy - it can be an instant shift to hapiness. Give it a try. The title links to the site this list came from.

Feelings Are A Matter of Degree

	Happiness	Depression	Anger	Fear
	Relieved Refreshed Glad Pleased Amused Content Optimistic Calm Composed Comfortable Cool Secure Relaxed Confident	Flat Bored Discontented Resigned Apathetic Numb Blue Gloomy Low Sad Down Bewildered Blah Melancholy	Peeved Bugged Annoyed Ruffled Harassed Irritated Irked Frustrated Put-upon Resentful	Shy Startled Uneasy Tense Concerned Timid Apprehensive Cautious Pensive Up-tight
	Delighted Joyful Merry Ticked Glowing Festive Frisky Spry Happy Proud Joyous Excited Cheerful Giddy Great Playful	Disappointed Slighted Drained Disheartened Hurt Ashamed Depressed Lost Regretful Ignored Burdened Rotten Lonely Unhappy Distressed Forlorn	Disgusted Ticked-off Mad Smoldering Riled Pissed-Off Hot Contemptuous Animosity Jealous Fed-up Mean Spiteful Angry	Alarmed Jittery Scared Frightened Fearful Threatened Trebly Shaken Anxious Worried Nervous Afraid
	Elated Ecstasy Blissful Sparkling Overjoyed Radiant Wonderful Fantastic Exhilarated Enthralled	Miserable Crushed Helpless Humiliated Worthless Abandoned Overwhelmed Hopeless Lifeless Dead	Enraged Fuming Burning-up Furious Incensed Infuriated Destructive Hate-filled Explosive	Dread Panic-Stricken Terrified Horrified Petrified Shocked

Monday's MeditationMom's Moment - Nihilism Versus Buddhism - 12/15/08

Q: I wonder if you can shed light on what possible difference there is between the idea of non-identification and nihilism. I used to think that spiritual enlightenment came from non-identification with anything, while nihilism was an identification with nothing. I'm no longer so sure there is any meaningful difference between them. I no longer see what that difference might be. The erasure of the ego may seem like a necessary step on the path to enlightenment, but if you're not a tree or a flower but an actually living human being with choices, with responsibilities, what practical use has it?

MM: There is no practical "use" for enlightenment."Usefulness" is a very human idea.

Flowers will be flowers and human beings will be human beings. A human being will make human choices and flowers will make flower choices. A flower will turn towards the light and open to warmth, and retreat from coldness and darkness. Human beings are the same - until they get confused. They think too much.

This distinction between "nihilism" and "emptiness" is very important.

Nihilism is the result of thinking (philosophy) whereas Buddhist teachings about emptiness are a result of not-thinking (meditation). The mistake many people make is that they approach Buddhism as a philosophy. They try to grasp and understand Buddhist teachings through intellect, rather than confirming them through meditation.

If a person studies Buddhism without meditating he or she will often end up a nihilist. Nihilism concludes that nothing matters and life is meaningless - so depression or insanity is a common side effect. Nihilism, as well as Buddhism emphasize non-attachment. This leads to arrogance and coldness - a false kind of detachment which avoids attachment and as such is nothing but attachment in disguise. A more experienced Buddhist teacher is often around to pull the student out of this blindness by demonstrating to him his attachment to the idea of non-attachment itself. The Nihilist usually has no such teachers.

Genuine non-attachment, on the other hand, as a side effect of maturity developed through meditation, leads to warmth and compassion, even glad self-sacrifice and service. It does not avoid responsibility or making choices, at all.

Nihilism - and even the teachings of non-attachment of Buddhism - are a great attraction for the young - because it helps with overcoming the heartbreak of failed romance. But only initially, because later it becomes an excuse for avoiding love altogether. Therefore, this so-called non-attachment creates suffering as it serves to protect the self rather than risk it.

Meditation leads to the discovery of what is behind existence. Through it we encounter the source of all things. Everything is recognized as of no ultimate importance because of impermanence. At the same time everything becomes infinitely precious and miraculous, not because of its usefulness, but simply because of its very existence and interconnectedness.

Attaching importance of meaning to things, ideas and people imprisons us, while deepest gratitude without attachment - frees us. The Buddhist goes about his daily tasks in gratitude valuing even the tiniest insect. The Nihilist, on the other hand, values nothing, and is only almost right. He is even a step ahead of others. Therefore Nihilism is dangerously deceiving.

The infinite and eternal - manifests as something finite and impermanent - therefore pointing towards the eternal... in an inexhaustible variety of forms, endlessly appearing and disappearing - for our enjoyment, inspiration, and in-formation about the beyond. The Nihilist, attached to his intellect, ideas, and insights, does not go beyond - he stays here with nothing - dying of thirst while swimming in the river.


The whole thread live here at Boards.ie.

Monday's MeditationMom's Moment - Impermanence - 12/01/08

Q: Firstly let me say I find a lot of good things in Buddhism. In fact I was tempted to become one at one stage. However there is something which has been bothering me lately.

First let me define devaluation as a defense mechanism to avoid ambiguity. An example would be say if you failed an exam and to avoid self criticism and frustration you came to the fallacious conclusion via compartmentalization that the subject was irrelevant in the real world or the test was unfairly structured. Basically if you can't get something you devalue its worth to avoid frustration etc.

I've noticed that Buddhists tend to do this a lot in regards to pleasures of the flesh. Whats the point in accumulating wealth if its all impermanent. It will only lead to a cycle of craving resulting in more suffering. To people in poor nations who watch the decadence of the Western world on their T.V.'s I can see how from a psychological perspective this could be a useful defense mechanism.

So is it a truth, a defense mechanism or something in between?

MM: No question these teachings can be used as a convenient excuse, or as a "feel better about your lot in life" defense mechanism, and more often than not, are being used for exactly that.

That does not take away from the truth, though, that all wealth and pleasures of the flesh aka wives, husbands, children, knowledge, status, money, etc, are impermanent. Even our own body is impermanent.

What that means is that all things are therefore infinitely meaningless and infinitely precious - in this very moment in which they exist. Wealthy - poor - sitting in the dirt - in your own blood - on a golden thrown - or in a Ferrari - if you miss the moment, you simply miss. If you don't miss, you discover what Buddhism is trying to teach - the true end of suffering instead of a clever way to avoid suffering.

You bring up a good point, too. "Defense mechanism to avoid ambiguity" - the whole goal of Buddhism is a serene "don't know" attitude after a long dismantling of knowing. You'll have to forgive those in Buddhism who are still learning to unlearn to reach full ambiguity.

My Baby's Universe And Symmetry

My "baby" (a Mom's relative term) is nine years old, and he is very interested in the Universe lately.

As I read about the Physics Nobel Prize going to Makoto Kobayashi, Toshihide Maskawa, and Yoichiro Nambu recognizing their work on the hidden symmetries of elementary particles today in the New York Times, I realized I better figure out how to explain quarks to my little scientist. I managed to explain the basic Atom to him the other day, but quarks are a different story. And symmetry - well...you can get a feeling for it in the above picture of the Golden Rock Kyaiktiyo Pagoda.

In 1972 three kinds of quarks were known - the up, and the down and the strange quark. In 1974 charmed quarks were discovered, and then in 1977 and 1994 bottom and top quarks. It made me laugh when I read this. This would make a cute children's book. Quarks are the constituents of protons and neutrons which make up the nucleus of an atom.

That which holds together the nucleus, is the pion, which is the carrier of the strong nuclear force. The lightness of the pion is its magic and gives the nuclear force it's reach to hold together elements that are constructed in many different size configurations. Pretty cool stuff.

Then there is the mystical Higgs-Boson - the hidden molasses and stubbornness of the universe that theoretically gives everything its mass. We may find out soon how this works, but then - we'll have to find out what the Higgs-Boson is made of and to do that we usually think we have to take things even further apart.

When I was nine, my universe was much more manageable, made up of the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, stars, the Milky Way, and space - lots of space!!! - and everything I knew here on Earth was made of invisible, small atoms. God knew all , and I knew somehow that I would too, when dead.

My son on the other hand- as a fan of the Science Channel, "bets" there is life in the ice covered oceans of Europa, and in the lethal clouds of opposite-to-Earth-spinning Venus. He bases his guesses on the thriving life in the lethal environments of our deep sea volcanic vents. As far as everything here on Earth is concerned - atoms to him will be tiny, gigantic things made up of whole universes (once I explain them properly). And God - just seems to be known to him. No explanation needed. Here You Are may have something to do with that, without me ever having had to explain much.

The world of atoms and subatomic particles he is not yet very impressed with - because the eternal question: "And what are those then made of?" - no matter how many times we split nothing into nothing, cannot be answered by me, at least not in terms of physics. The truth that we don't exist at all and that all this matter is an illusion, is no fun for a nine-year-old, and simply annoying to almost everyone else. It can put a knowing smile only on the face of an old sage.

In meditation there is also a point of perfect symmetry.The way I usually explain it is with the image of standing under the sun at noon at which point the shadow matches the soles of one's feet. It appears and disappears according to the balance of two things. Once they are out of perfect alignment "the third" appears, in this case the shadow, and takes on infinite forms and shapes. The koan to contemplate is: "Is there a shadow under your feet?"

When you are nine, your shadow (thought) is still small and you are very busy growing it. Only later in life do you start longing for the days of small or absent shadows and try to find your way back. Meditators find their way back to this original state of union - that perfect symmetry - through love, trust , infinite patience and courage. Those are the same qualities required of parents.

IQ Test Or Not?

Here is why you can feel fantastic about reading this blog - maybe. I can easily spin the pretty girl in both directions or take every one inch section of this image separately, and likewise spin it in opposite directions, every one to two revolutions.

When I don't try to do anything and go into non-doing as in meditation, the image just takes turns spinning left and right, about every 8 - 12 revolutions. After a while of that, this one person spins in both directions simultaneously. Maybe only Buddhists can see such a paradox - or people who have been married for a long time and raised many kids. At that point all awareness of her being female vanishes as well, which I found very interesting. Either I am really smart, or Yale wasted a lot of money on these brain studies. I doubt I'd score that high on an IQ test with all those tricky brainteaser puzzles, which involve neither nakedness nor dancing.

But - I am very impressed with whatever science must be behind this moving image.

If you see this lady turning in clockwise you are using your right brain.

If you see it the other way, you are using left brain.

Some people do see both ways, but most people see it only one way.

If you try to see it the other way and if you do see, your IQ is above 160 which is almost a genius.

Then see if you can make her go one way and then the other by shifting the brain's current.
BOTH DIRECTIONS CAN BE SEEN

This was proved at Yale University , over a 5 year study on the human brain
and its functions. Only 14% of the US population can see her move both ways.

I guess that last sentence explains our present financial crisis.

Is the Dalai Lama Enlightened?

This was the topic of discussion the other day. The consensus was: "Enlightenment is a concept that we can't really define using our own experience as it is beyond human comprehension so it would be difficult for us to say who is, or who isn't."

That is true. Only an enlightened one would be able to tell with certainty. Then we would have to decide if the one declaring the Dalai Lama enlightened or un-enlightened is enlightened. Others can only suspect or assume. The Dalai Lama himself says that he is not enlightened, and people suspect he is is lying. The assumption is that he is lying out of compassion so people do not feel inferior to him. People insist on putting him on the pedestal of enlightenment for their own purposes. After all, who would they be if they followed and adored an un-enlightened one?

To say that "enlightenment is beyond human comprehension" is true, but enlightenment is not beyond humans!!! An important distinction. It is quite possible that the Dalai Lama is not enlightened, and the monk cooking his food or sweeping outside of his door - is.

Buddha

There is a little Buddha in Here You Are, and a little Buddhism, too. Right where all the other religions also hide in plain view, between the lines. On Amazon.com Here You Are is tagged as a Buddhist children's book. There are about 200 others. The best way to find it, is to enter Mayke Briggs, or Here You Are Briggs.