Unity - Impediments to the Colors Coming Together - Ourselves

What a curious sort is man. We are always saying how much we want peace and harmony in our lives, yet we do everything possible to prevent it. Think about this for a moment. There are two driving forces to having a "successful" life, fame and fortune. We hear this so often. He has gone off to seek his fame and fortune. Yet, when you think about it, these two driving forces are at odds with what we claim to desire, peace and harmony. For in seeking out fame and fortune, we have to compete with others in order to amass that fortune or bring notoriety to ourselves. This is not to say that we don't, at times, work together towards that common goal, but for the most part, it is a solitary pursuit. These two are like the cocaine of life though. Once you have that taste, you want more and more until you can no longer control the desire, it controls you. How many times have we heard about Hollywood heroes who have meltdowns despite having the fame and fortune? How many times have we heard about the bad behaviour of the rich and famous, or the power mongers of our society?
How can people who supposedly have so much, be so unhappy? I don't know how many times I have heard someone say that if they had their money, they wouldn't act like that. Want to bet? Ego drives our desire to be known, to be more than what we are. Ego is never satiated. It is always hungry for more and more attention. It is a gluttony of the mind. We acknowledge this, even if unwittingly in our terms, he has a big head, she is full of herself. We would like to believe that if we were in the same position that we would not act in such a way. Yet, are we sure we wouldn't? And why are these people unhappy? Could it be that as ego grows it begins to take any criticism or negative comment as a personal attack?
Fortune is much the same in that it is an unquenchable thirst. Once we have tasted we desire more. We are driven by the desire to amass. The more we amass, the more we feel we need to protect that which we have amassed. Often times, we put more energy into protecting our things than we do our friends and families. The further along this path we go, the less we see others and their needs and only have eyes for things that we covet? Why else would someone with millions of dollars spend hundreds of thousands to retrofit a jetliner so that it is like an Airstream in the sky?
I remember for myself as a young man thinking if only I could make $15,000 a year, I would be set. Once I made it there, it became $20,000 and so on and so forth, until I came to realize that as my income grew, so did my desire for things. So I was stuck on a treadmill that there is no end to. No matter how much you make, your desires grow to match and you are always chasing the carrot. Once I stopped needed to have things, my need to increase my income also abated. I found that I could continue to live on the same amount with maybe the occasional adjustment for inflation.I found the need to compete abated also. I was all ready pretty sure that I wasn't destined for fame and fortune, so my ego was pretty much in check.
So let's say for the moment, that we come to the realization that fame and fortune are like a drug that we will never get enough of. Suppose we break our addiction to this, can we also change the way we deal with others?
One of the needs of ego is to promote ourselves, to make ourselves seem more important than others. We sometimes do this at the expense of others by trying to diminish them in some way. How many times do we hear about how someone stepped on others on their way to the top. Of course, getting to the top brings along the baggage of insecurity that someone is going to topple you. So you demean those you feel threatened by so as to raise yourself up. Bullies are notorious for this. The most insecure people are bullies. They need to put others down in order to make themselves feel good.
It is this desire or need to elevate ourselves that brought about bigotry and prejudice. We seek out that differentiating quality in others whether it is their race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, or even blemishes or deformities. We use that difference so as to say, see you are not like me so I am better than you. You then set out to diminish them in some way. The Civil Rights movement came about because African Americans had had enough. Many whites believed blacks to be inferior yet, do we not now have a black President? Native Americans in this country were thought to be uneducated savages, yet wasn't it Chief John Ross of the Cherokee who took the State of Georgia to the US Supreme Court and won? Of course, it was a bittersweet defeat as President Andrew Jackson told the court, they made the ruling, now try to enforce it, and then ordered the removal of the Cherokee and others to the Indian Territory. This march in the dead of winter in which many lost their lives came to be known as the Trail of Tears. When you look at all the inventions in Asia including the transistors that miniaturized the radio, how can anyone deny intelligence there also. Just because we are different, does not make us less. We must be careful of the yardstick we use to measure. There is a prophesy, I believe it was Hopi, in which it talks of the four races being sent off in four directions to learn different things. At a time in the future, all the colors would come back together and share the wisdom of what they found and this would bring about a time of peace and harmony for all people. Yet, if we do not open our hearts to each other, how can we come together? There are also those who follow the crystal skulls that believe that these skulls when brought together will release great knowledge that will help us in the future. They will only come together when we as a people come together. For as long as greed and power blanket the earth, the information imparted could be put to bad use.
If we truly desire peace and harmony in our lifetime, then we as a people need to make a concerted effort to look at the way we treat others. We must learn to accept each other with all our differences. We need to treat others as we would treat ourselves. Not just say the words, but act on them. When the day comes when we don't have to have protests against discrimination like Proposition 8 in California, when we can learn to accept each other as another of ourselves on a different path, a different journey, and respect that, only then will we begin to bring peace and harmony into our lives. We need to take a look at our lives and what we deem important. We need to look at how we treat others, and maybe even take stand with our brothers and sisters in support of equality.
There is a quote that I will paraphrase as I can't remember its source.
"Do not stand in front of me, for I may not follow. Do not stand behind me, for I may not lead.Stand beside me and share the journey."
My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.

Unity - Impediments to the Colors Coming Together - Countries

Continuing on with the theme of working to remove the impediments that keep us from coming together, one heart, one spirit, I would like to turn my attention to countries.
No borders
No fences
No walls
No borders
No fences
Unbound
From Unbound by Robbie Robertson.

If it isn't religions that seek to keep us separate, it is our own "motherlands". How long had the US and Russia been at odds. Each of our countries telling us that the other was evil. Yet, if individual people from each of the prospective countries were to come together, we would find that they would be sharing in the dance and music if given the opportunity. Yet, in some cases, these very same countries actually make it illegal for you to associate with someone from a supposed "enemy" country. Imagine being jailed for simply stopping to have a drink and a laugh with a stranger. Imagine being jailed or at least subjected to extreme questioning and suspicion for simply breaking bread. Yet, that has happened and in some cases continues to happen. Imagine that you are subjected to questioning simply for being of a certain decent. Yet isn't that what is happening to many around the world? Where do these suspicions come from? Our governments continue to tout propaganda regarding other countries to instill fear so that we will not come together as a people and find that the emperors have no clothes!
Can you imagine the richness of our cultures if all our wisdom, all our songs, all our dances were allowed to be shared?
There are so many prophesies that talk of a time when we all will come together to do such a thing. According to one, each of the races was sent off into a different direction so that they could concentrate on their own wisdom. When the time was right, they would all come together and share what they had found. This would bring about a time of peace, balance, and harmony. What happened? Well, for one, we have religions that try to tell you they are the one true religion and that you have to follow them. Two, our own governments that try to make us believe that all others are lying and that we are the one true "heroes" of the world and whatever we do is for the good of all. The thing is, if you even question this, then they denounce you as unpatriotic, a traitor, a communist, or socialist.
Where did these borders come from? Where did these artificial lines in the sand arise from? Why do we continuously feel that we need to build these fences? Whether it is the Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, or this spiffy new wall they are building along our southern border.
Our governments work overtime to make sure that we are fearful of others. They need to. This was no more evident than under this latest administration that took a horrendous act and fanned the flames of hate, fear, and distrust. In just a few months, this country looked on every Middle Eastern person, whether a first, second, third, or even fourth generation, with distrust and fear. People who got on a plane with someone from Middle Eastern decent, or even looked Middle Eastern, would cause great unease. Unspoken questions about whether they were there to hijack yet another plane. The old Cold War game of distrust was put back in full force and helped to stir the drums of war. We were led to believe that our government was here to defend us from these terrorists. So we went into Iraq. Hmmm, wasn't it Osama Bin Laden that attacked us? Oh that's right, weapons of mass destruction. What, there wasn't any? Well, we have the troops over there anyway...
The thing is, our leaders, no matter what country, have a propensity to instill fear in the populace in order to take their power from them. After all, we have to surrender our power to them so they can protect us. That is why it was so easy to pass the UnPatriot Act, um, sorry, the Patriot Act, to take away our rights and give the government more power. The US is not the only government guilty of this.
We are told that the fence along our southern border needs to be put in place to stem the tide of illegal aliens coming in and stealing our jobs, our government services, our healthcare. Yeah, they are taking the real choice jobs aren't they? Let's see, laborers, hotel maids, dishwashers, farm workers, yep the choice jobs that every American is clamoring for. I worked for a hotel company and they could not get enough people to take those hotel maid, busboy, laundry, and other cleaning jobs so they had to bring in workers from Jamaica for the summer. Yet, they stirred up all this brouhaha about closing the borders and set about building a wall along our southern border. Oh, but we can skip over that golf course because hey, illegals don't cross the fourteenth tee. So we don't need to build the wall right through the golf course, but those houses over there are okay to build through. The fear fermented so much that we can no longer just drive up to Niagra Falls unless we want to stay on the Buffalo side. We have to apply and get approved for a passport. So we have to go through all this government questioning to get a passport just so we can cross a bridge to Niagra. No more can you just take a cruise over to Bermuda without first getting grilled by the government in order to get a passport. Who are they trying to protect? Or is it just another way to gain more information about the populace? My only concern is that they will give me a passport just to get me out of the country and then not let me back in. Which of course can happen if you make it on their list or have a name similar to one that is on the list.
Can you imagine a world without all these fences and borders? John Lennon posed that question in his song, Imagine. One of the big reasons that you hear from those wishing to impede the flow of illegals is that they are taking from resources that should be going to our own citizens. Yet weren't we supposedly one of the most prosperous countries in the world, yet we couldn't share? Part of the reason that many Mexicans and other illegals come into this country is seeking a better life. Yes, they don't follow the right channels, channels that are bureaucratic and slow. Their families are hungry now. Imagine for a moment if we did away with all the borders, all the fences, all the nationalities. Imagine if we truly acted in the true spirit of religion, coming from the heart. Imagine if we saw that people in another area of the world were starving and we brought them food and medicine without asking for anything in return. No negotiations for land, resources, mineral rights, just out and out love for one another. What would this world be like if we didn't have a flag to fight for?
Imagine.
I have read in numerous writings that it is time to bring balance back to the world. For too long the world has been dominated by male, especially alpha male, energies. This has kept the world at war and out of balance. Maybe it is time to pull in the fangs and claws and start introducing more feminine energy to the world. Note, that I am not saying to put women in complete charge, but a balance. It will be a long tough road to get there given that there are many areas where women are considered chattel.
I guess the point I am trying to make is that it is time to stop taking our governments at face value and start questioning the reasoning behind their actions. When we hear someone questioning the government and getting assailed for doing so, stand up for them and say, there is a true patriot for they have the courage to stand and ask the questions. Remember, that here in America, it is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people, for the people. If you, the people, aren't asking the questions of the government, then you have given your power away and deserve whatever government you get. We are at a crossroads with a new government coming into play. It is time to take a stand and have a voice. It is time for the people to hold their government accountable for whatever lies and deceptions may have transpired over these past years. It is time to chart a new direction. Not a direction born of fear, hatred, and hoarding of resources, but one of heart. One heart, one spirit, one people. No borders, no fences, unbound. It is time to let our spirits soar free from fear.It is time to break down the walls and fences that divide us and take the time to learn of these other cultures and remove the ignorance that divides us. Maybe if we stop seeing those on the other side as enemy, we might see that they are just like us, just trying to survive in this world of diminishing resources. Maybe if we start to come together as a world community instead of individual countries clamoring for resources to hoard, we might just find that bringing together the wisdom of all the people may be just what we need to find our way out of the morass we have gotten ourselves into.

I will leave you with a quote I used in the last blog. I think it is just as fitting in this one.
Leaders don’t force people to follow – they invite them on a journey. – Charles S. Lauer

If your leaders need to resort to fear and division in order to lead, then they are not true leaders. What we truly need at this time are not leaders in power, but healers. Maybe President-elect should invite the Grandmother's Council to bring their feminine wisdom into his cabinet. As I write this, the image of Grandmother Mona Polacca comes to mind.
www.nativevillage.org/Interna...page.htm

There is something about her. I feel it.
My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.

Unity - Impediments to the Colors Coming Together - Religion

You hear many speak of envisioning a new world. They believe by us concentrating on the world we would like to see, we can bring it about. This is all well and good, but I think we have to move beyond just thinking about the world as we wish to see it, and start to take actions to make it so. Unfortunately, in order to do this, we have to work on changing the mindset of the people. In my last blog, I spoke about our current economic status and how we have to change the way corporate America sees its people. In the next couple of blogs I hope to look at ways that maybe we can start changing our mindset with regard to religion, countries, races, and gender/sexual orientation/sex.

In this first segment on religion, I would like to explore ways that we can get beyond the dogmatic beliefs of religion that work against the people coming together. I often quote an old Hindu teaching:

“There are hundreds of paths up the mountain,
all leading in the same direction,
so it doesn’t matter which path you take.
The only one wasting time is the one
who runs around and around the mountain,
telling everyone else that their path is wrong.”

I find this to be good wisdom in that it basically says that we should honor each others paths. There are those who believe that we are not humans having spiritual journey, but rather spirits on a human journey. If that is the case, then couldn't it be possible that we each may have our own spiritual direction. Yet, we always seem to follow the path and beliefs of our fathers and mothers. Though in truth, this may not be our own calling. Belief.net has a questionnaire that one can take to see how your own beliefs, your own feelings align with various belief systems.
http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx

It would be interesting to note just how closely our results from this test are aligned with the religions that we have been following. I was raised Catholic, but never really believed in it. I had a tough time reciting the Nicene Creed. I just couldn't buy that the Catholic Church was the one and only. I was more at home in the wood. I found peace in sitting in a small glade with the sun filtering through the trees, the squirrels, rabbits, and birds around. Listening to the babble of the brook as it ran over the rocks. This was my church. This was where my spirit was alive. Yet, I followed the belief of my parents even to the point of going to the Chancellery to see about becoming a priest. You see, I have always been seen as a spiritual person and given that I was Catholic, many believed I should be a priest. For the longest time, I endured being called Father Ed. Yet, I never really believed in the church. I think I would like to be a spiritual leader, but I don't know as I could be a part of an organized religion.

It seems like the major religions are more about control and domination. The Catholic church has a real dark side in this concern. There is still in effect a Papal Bull regarding the taking of lands from non-believers. This was put in place before Columbus and was one of the reasons Columbus had the "authority" to do what he did to the people he encountered. The Grandmother's Council recently went to the Vatican in hopes of meeting with the Pope and having this rescinded. The Pope decided to get out of town and went on vacation. The Grandmothers Council is a group of indigenous Grandmother, elders, who have come together from many traditions in order to bring about change. http://www.grandmotherscouncil.com/ Of course, it isn't just the Catholics, look at the Muslims, and their Jihads. Mind you, it isn't the religion itself per se, but the leaders who seek to dominate and control. If one were to follow the true teachings of Jesus or Mohamed, we would have a lot more tolerance in the world. Some theologians believe that Jesus had traveled with John of Arimethea to learn of other beliefs. It is said that in the Gospel of Thomas, once thought of as heretical by the Catholic church, not sure if it still is, that Hindu and Buddhist influences can be read in the quotes. In short, I believe that if any religion tells you they are the only one, they are the true religion, unless you follow them, you will not be saved, RUN! Oh, and if they talk about having a Kool-aid party, um, pass.

I have always thought that if religions were not so afraid of losing power they would consider allowing the teaching of a diverse set of beliefs so that people can find their own paths. Even if the young people, in the end, stay with their parent's religion and beliefs, they at least would have been exposed to these other beliefs, removing the ignorance that prevents us from honoring and respecting other paths.

When you find yourself saying negative things about other religions, ask yourself, "What do I really know about this religion? Am I just following the ignorance and hatred of others? How can I learn about other religions and beliefs so that I can remove my own ignorance and learn to accept their path?" Mind you, I know these days with all the hype about how all Muslims are terrorists, which is a total fabrication in order to to control through fear and hatred, it is hard to see other religions in a good light. I ask that you not buy into the negative images and take time to learn for yourself. Go to Amazon or your favorite book store, and on their search put in, "idiots guide to buddhism" or hinduism, or islam. Another resource for books on religions is Oxford University Press. http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/?view=usa
The thing is to get beyond ignorance and not be drawn in by others ignorance but take the time to learn for ourselves and share what we learn with others. In this way, we remove ignorance. Of course, you will have some, like that priest that I wrote about back around Father's Day, who will tell you not to listen to these others. It is out of fear that these words are spoken.

Oh, and how did I make out on the quiz from Belief.net?
1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. New Age (89%)
3. Mahayana Buddhism (87%)
4. Unitarian Universalism (85%)
5. Liberal Quakers (81%)
6. Jainism (70%)
7. Theravada Buddhism (70%)
8. Sikhism (69%)
9. Hinduism (69%)
10. Scientology (68%)
11. New Thought (66%)
12. Reform Judaism (65%)
13. Taoism (62%)
14. Baha'i Faith (61%)
15. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (59%)
16. Secular Humanism (55%)
17. Orthodox Quaker (53%)
18. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (48%)
19. Orthodox Judaism (48%)
20. Islam (43%)
21. Nontheist (30%)
22. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (29%)
23. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (25%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (25%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (24%)
26. Roman Catholic (24%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (18%)

With Roman Catholic coming in at number 26, is it any wonder I had trouble becoming a priest? I had thought about joining the local UU church, but then we were considering moving so I figured I would wait. I know what I believe, I just need a community that shares my beliefs. In the meantime, I will continue to learn so as to remove ignorance from my own mind. I pray that others will follow this path also.

I believe that many religions can learn from this quote:
Leaders don’t force people to follow – they invite them on a journey. – Charles S. Lauer

I will leave you with one more quote from the Buddha.
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
The Buddha