soma

I agree the environment or universe is communicating with us 24/7. We are the ones that erect barriers to the connections.

I like the way it correlates to no thing in Buddhism. Bear with me on this as I try another way to get to same conclusion. If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, is there noise? We all have heard this, we create the noise by hearing the sound or there is no noise. A rainbow needs 3 factors; the sun, water and an observer to exist as an object and if there are many observers each one sees it at a different angle so at a different place. Objects not in relation to us do not exist in our mind and every whole depends upon the parts so our existence depends upon our parts, but we see individuals as a whole. We have freedom with limitations, we come into existence if the environment is conducive otherwise we don't exist so yes we are restricted. To gain freedom all religions with their saints, prophets and founders talk about Oneness, God or Emptiness, which in my limited mind are the same thing. I see as in the example the noise of the tree or the rainbow depend upon the object and perciever demonstrating that relationships create the objects that existence, perceiver and perceived creates the things around us. If we don't observe it we say it doesn't exist. The parts depend on observer and object to be perceived so if we reduce everything down to one we have parts but we experience it as a whole connected like our bodies. We are smaller than the universe but our connected to the environment as a part. Therefore, it everything is one in the uni-verse, there is no observer or object some say oneness, but buddhist say no thing because it is empty of objects all connected.

According to a well-known theory in quantum physics, a particle’s behavior changes depending on whether there is an observer or not. It basically suggests that reality is a kind of illusion and exists only when we are looking at it. Numerous quantum experiments were conducted in the past and showed that this indeed might be the case. Now, physicists at the Australian National University have found further evidence for the illusory nature of reality. They recreated the John Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiment and confirmed that reality doesn’t exist until it is measured, at least on the atomic scale.http://themindunleashed.com/2015/06/new-mind-blowing-experiment-confirms-that-reality-doesnt-exist-if-you-are-not-looking-at-it.html

"One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all....." Ephesians 4:6 NRSV "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things."Romans 11:36 BBE "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." John 17: 21 -23 Jesus and the Bible talk of oneness creates loopy, useless thought leading to nothing driven by this natural drive to seek and know God, according to Burl it is Hell. Just kidding.......................The fish is in the ocean and the ocean is in the fish, may be the fish is not aware of it, but when it dies it becomes the ocean.

The finite universe is in the consciousness of the infinite a subtle energy called pure consciousness or what we Christians would call God which is the essence of life and eternal being. The finite consciousness cannot merge with the eternal consciousness without unconsciousness because the conscious mind needs to lose its finite awareness and see the bigger picture. We can say the finite awareness with its beginning and end is temporary; therefore, some will call it an illusion similar to a dream that we wake up from. There is no finite life without death, it is a fundamental fact of finite life, but that death is just a change in point of view, it is like turning off the light because the sun is rising. We die from finite life, the illusion that is temporary, put to death in the infinite and wake up to the eternal reality that is permanent. Our soul is infinite and will not die a reality of subtle energy beyond the mind, but our expression of it in the material world is finite, which is temporary; therefore, we should not be afraid to die, but afraid of not expressing our self when we are living.

If we enjoy the finite dimensions, we enjoy them the experiences are okay in duality, fight the undesirable side. The finite is in the infinite just like we are in the infinite, which demonstrates duality in unity. If we need two people two love that is okay, we don’t have to feel threatened by the word illusion, but if we view or experience love without duality that is okay too. Rabindranath Tagore said, “Only in love are unity and duality not in conflict. The finite has a beginning and an end, but the infinite has no end, without limitation. A person experiencing the boundlessness might describe the limitations as an illusion to people in duality, which either sparks something or makes them want to defend those limitations either way is okay.

Burl thank you, I did have a great Christmas and I am sure you did too.

Happy Holidays and may the universe be smiling on us all.

Yes, that is why we are a universe of chemicals in unity.

I agree we are a bag of chemicals, but we are not just a bag of chemicals, we are a bag of chemicals in an arrangement that reacts to the environment and other people. These interactions change the chemistry in the brain. If we like that one lens just a bag of chemicals it is Okay many people think this way and are happy to live a materialistic existence acting and reacting, but some people after a 4 billion year chain of evolution of chemical reactions, selection, diversification, sadness, joy and other experiences that would be hard to design with just the mind or another molecular machine. Some simple machines or system do unite and display an evolved, new, emergent behavior that could not have been predicted by looking at the simple system alone. For example, we have bags of chemicals analyzing another bag of chemicals answer to give an adequate response to a question posed by a bag of chemicals right here? Not everything should be reduced because it is only a perspective not the ultimate picture. There are many frames of reference and they all have advantages and disadvantages. Not everything should be reduced because it is only one perspective not the ultimate perspective and neglects the big picture, which is more gestalt in assimilation. If we are just chemicals, we are just objects and this can lead to dehumanization and domination because now we can treat humans like animals or objects. This has played out far too many times in history so we know how it ends. Science is built to detect mechanism, but not all aspects of reality so it is a mistake to assume that science will give us philosophy or meaning to live because that’s not how it works. People don't experience consciousness in a way that is a "just chemical one." It seems we need to approach this issue from multiple disciplines and to approach it from multiple angles. The Mona Lisa is not just paint; a Bach suite is a bunch of notes, but much more in a stream of sound. Imagine standing in an Art Museum with your nose inches from a painting. In your vision you will see dots of color, but nothing more, step back and you see a hand or leg, better than dots, step back again and you see a master piece and when put together mean something even more about reality. Many people live for what they know the same way many scientists and other people live for what they don’t know. Buddha who swore he would not give up until he achieved enlightenment; he persisted and attained to a state of wisdom and power unparalleled in human history. Jesus single-minded demonstrated the high point of service to others that is pointed to by believers and atheists as an example of pure devotion. Confucius had a vision of human integrity and Lao Tzu had insight into the way of things. Steven Hawking believes that Einstein's theory was just another switch to open our minds to a greater representation. These individuals stepped back from the painting and saw more than just the parts; they put and are putting the puzzle together. We are much more than a bag of chemicals, we are a universe of chemicals.

Thanks for the source of the quote and link. My mind likes to examine the answers to why too, but like young children I can say why to people all day to everything they say until I am just quiet. The dualistic nature of words makes it difficult to explain an experience that we have beyond them. Poetry does a good job when after a reading people are quiet in deep reflection having united with the experience explained. Zen uses Koan to shock people beyond the intellect with paradox so they say to sit like Buddha, one must kill the Buddha. In the Quantum Age we can benefit from trying to reunite things with words when we have learned to separate things using words to study the parts. It is all about knowing the separate self and unity, what a person wants in the moment unity or individual expression, it is all good it is not an either or situation. People drink, use drugs, watch movies, read books, meditate, sleep, fall in love, even study to get a vacation from the mind by altering our consciousness with different chemicals. The non-dual knowing to communicate the experience moves in dualism through concepts, words, chemicals, art, philosophy, sub-atomic energy or just playing in the sand with children to express unity. We can choose our chemicals or experiences depending on our not knowing.

Thomas I am similar to you in I like to see similarities and different ways to say the same thing.

Steve I like your explanation not to be slaves of the intellect that is the gift Buddhism has given me, because like tariki's quote .....we are in paradise, and what fools would we be to think thoughts that would put us out of it.

Someone said, "The intellect is a great servant, but a terrible master." And was this person using intellect to make this statement? Either way it is a no win for this person. Yes, he was using his intellect, which as a tool is a great servant, but if we identify with it, it is a terrible master leading us in circles, fear mongering and desiring everything that glitters in duality. If illusions are, then Absolute changeless permanent reality cannot be Absolute changeless permanent reality. I think it can be Absolute changeless permanent reality because it doesn't change, the change is within it. In Christian speak, God the Father doesn't change, but his creation, which is temporary changes. Another way is God the Father is one all encompassing ocean that is infinite, does not change because it is whole even though change is happening in parts of the infinite, the infinite is still unchangeable. The forces within different currents cause waves to appear out of the whole ocean. I am at the peak of one wave and you are at the peak of another. We are illusion-ating thinking that we are separate. Another wave with Buddha or Jesus at the peak says you guys are not divided, you two are one in an Ocean of Bliss. Just go deep within yourself and you will see the connections where everything is one. Just empty your mind so you will sink into a state of grace and experience the unity.

Someone said, "The intellect is a great servant, but a terrible master."

I would say the many illusions are the temporary changes in the one Absolute changeless permanent reality that is one if we call it God, The Father, Consciousness or the Ground of Emptiness that is infinite with no beginning or end. We can't conceive of God or even describe him without using our illusions so Emptiness is used to keep it pure. I feel Jesus came to introduce us to the experience beyond the mind with the Father. "I and the Father are one." The individual through perception knows that which is outside by bringing it inside the conscious mind where the perception and the perceiver become one and the same. This is a process of love where one knows and loves something by bringing it into the heart where the bodies are distinct, but the different presences merge into one existence. “And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.” (Mark 10:8) Love draws people so close to each other, we can see the parts of each one in the other and being so close they can sit in silence for hours communicating without words. This experience of love is subjective because when one person loves another person that love comes along with what that person might dislike and can't stand; therefore, pure love is not objective, but a subjective unity of what exist. Nothing can appear in the objective world unless there is first a subjective world to perceive that object; therefore, there is no object on the outside of Reality because everything exists inside subjectivity. This is the perception that the Christian theologians have while they understand that the Universe has to be one in order to exist at all with all reality and everything within it. Our thoughts arise from a pure consciousness in which both the one who sees, and that which is seen, exist in unity in a medium where nothing is outside the Absolute Self. The Bible says, "God is everything." Therefore, God exists in me, and because of this I can recognize other beings in which God exists, which is the medium through which we are conscious of others, our environment and ourselves. There is no permanent, immovable, material reality that we can be attached to, no single observation or awareness of the world, only different subjective views of reality as everything is vibrating and renewing. Everything in the universe is energy carrying information, a consciousness at its own level or form that is perceived. William Blade, a farseeing mystic and poet said, “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” Since objects are not permanent and are constantly changing we don’t see them as they are, but we see them subjectively as we coexist with them.

Welcome Lemony, and congratulations on your relationship. With LGBTs joining your congregation everyone should grow mentally and spiritually even just thinking of making them welcome is growth.

I like Jay Garfield's quotes, I will look for his books.

Thanks Steve I like the quote from the article you posted. We can be in the midst of complications in addition to being aware of the harmony in the same moment. This practice is not for everyone, but it brings us to the psychological process of mindfulness where we are aware of the internal and external in the same moment.

Speaks volumes, Thank you

I say look at the picture what do you see? Some say I see the rabbit, some say I see the bird and both are correct. If you could talk, which you can't in the middle way you would say there is a picture. The picture contains the duality of bird and rabbit in its wholeness, but the picture would then be part of a greater wholeness so there would and wouldn't be a picture. Slap me if I am wrong....................Och

Our mind deals with duality the positive and negative, right and left. Beyond our mind our one consciousness, the middle way, no thing sees all things in unity as one whole not separated. The mind sees all the angles to truth from truth and in truth and all are true, but beyond the mind there are no concepts, words, ideas or thought on truth, there just is..........................the middle way

Our mind can't percieve the rabit and bird at the same time, but our consciousness can in the middle way. “You’re perfect. And there’s room for improvement.” ~ Suzuki Roshi

"As for where we end up, I admit I do have more than a passing interest." That's an easy one, Thomas. It's where we are in the moment! I like that quote Steve, thanks. I like Christians I just came back from Asia and met with a Catholic choir and Thomas you are right they were open and considered many options and paths in life. I was staying at one house and the owner a lady saw me meditating and invited her pastor, not Catholic to save me so we opened the Bibles and just when he was about to start the sale pitch, I said I have a question. If Jesus asked you to become Buddhist would you? He would not answer the question. I like this man, he was very sincere, but he was not brought very deep in his teaching to be so afraid to answer and show his devotion so I gave my answer. I don't blame him I hope he didn't answer because he was concerned about the lady's faith. It was a great ice breaker to discuss on another level and later to laugh on a different level. We come back to the states and that lady and her sister come and stay with my wife and I for a few days. The sister said she wanted to meditate hinting she wanted to learn. I didn't teacher because it was not where we were in the moment.