The Quarks Made Me Do It

2011-07-01T07:07:00.001-07:00

I'm not a human, I just play one in real life.

2011-05-08T17:21:00.001-07:00

Heaven is your happy thoughts.
Hell is your unhappy thoughts.
Where you spend your time is up to you.

2011-04-01T13:09:00.001-07:00

The human brain is a device that generates the illusions of consciousness, choice, free will, and responsibility.

2011-02-17T10:07:00.001-08:00

Separation doesn't exist, it's just how we organize things.

2010-12-28T04:34:00.001-08:00

There's very little difference between upright and uptight.

2010-11-27T04:40:00.001-08:00

Risk happens only when there is investment. If I am not invested in a situation, why would I care about the outcome?

2010-10-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

My quality of life depends not on what happens to me, but on how I receive and respond to what happens to me. Not on which moments I have, but on how I navigate the moments I get.

2010-10-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Annoyance (anger, rage, irritation, blame) is always and only a dysfunctional relationship between me and my experience.

2010-09-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

The only evidence for anything that's not a current perception would be a thought. Only current perception (and that which perceives it) exists. Anything else can only be imagination.

2010-08-30T04:04:00.000-07:00

There is no "here". There is no "now".

The concept of now is predicated on the idea of time stretching out into the past and future. Given this line of time, "now" marks the point on the line where I am, with the past behind and the future ahead. When do we ever experience the past or future? Only "now". Memories arise... now. Anticipations arise... now. But "now" only has meaning as being distinct from past and future. Once it is seen that the line of time itself is imaginary, what happens to "now"?

The concept of here is predicated on the idea of space stretching out in all directions. Given this concept of space, "here" marks the point in space where I am, with space before, behind, above, below, to the left, and to the right. Where do we ever experience another place, a "there"? Only "here". Ideas of other places arise... here. But "here" only has meaning as being distinct from other places. Once it is seen that the idea of space itself is imaginary, just an idea, what happens to "here"?

What words shall we use to replace the "here" and "now" that we can now see don't exist? And what will we do when we realize that those new words are just more words that don't really tell us anything?

2010-08-29T16:29:00.001-07:00

Happiness: the feeling that everything is okay, just as it is. Nowhere you need to be, nothing you need to do. Peace.

2010-08-29T15:53:00.001-07:00

Less resistance, less pain.

2010-08-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

The effort to avoid suffering leads to great suffering.

2010-08-07T03:37:00.001-07:00

How do we know what we know?

There are essentially two ways of obtaining information: testimony and direct experience.

Information about historical events is available only through testimony. If an event occurs while I'm present, I may experience it directly at the time. From that point on, I know it only through the testimony of memory. Other kinds of information in this category include cultural knowledge, identity, political ideas, political boundaries, and so forth.

What can be known through direct experience are ideas like two plus two equals four. If I hold up two fingers on my left hand and two fingers on my right hand and count the total number of fingers I'm holding up, I always get four. This kind of information reflects universal aspects of reality that are always available to be observed. The structure of experience is observable in this way. As long as consciousness is present, the structure of experience is available to be examined.

All I can do with information received through testimony is believe it or disbelieve it. I may doubt it or take it on faith, but there's generally no way for me to verify testimonial information in my own experience.

On the other hand, since information from direct experience is universal and always available for examination, it can be known directly, without need for belief, doubt, or faith. If I wonder whether two plus two still equals four, I can always perform the finger experiment described above to check for myself. So I don't have to wonder whether non-duality's claims about reality are "true" or not. The structure of experience is always available for examination.

So nothing said here should be taken on faith. If anything said here disagrees with your experience, go with your experience.

#1 #2 #3 #4

2010-08-07T03:21:00.001-07:00

So which point of view is "true"?

Is physical reality fundamental, with awareness arising from it as an epiphenomenon?

Or is Cartesian dualism, with its equal but separate physical and mental realms how things "really" are?

Or is awareness fundamental, with apparent physical reality appearing within awareness?

Our training in science and logic tends to make us think that one of these points of view must be "true" while the others must be "wrong".

However, there are plenty of areas of life in which different "truths" are operative in different contexts. Merchants in the US generally won't accept Indonesian currency in a financial transaction. Merchants in Indonesia generally want Indonesian currency. Indonesian currency is "true" in Indonesia while US currency is "true" in the US.

In the US, "truth" is that traffic moves on the right side of the road. In Britain, "truth" is that traffic moves on the left side of the road.

In designing and conducting scientific experiments, reductionism is useful in isolating variables so they can be manipulated and studied individually. In nutrition, reductionism doesn't seem to work -- vitamin supplements have been shown to be much less effective than whole, unrefined plant foods.

Similarly, the different philosophical perspectives are useful in different contexts for different purposes. The physical assumption is useful for understanding how physical reality behaves (science). The Cartesian duality assumption can be useful in understanding psychological and religious concepts. The non-duality assumption is useful for cultivating peace of mind.

Our mental habits encourage us to see a conflict among the different perspectives. Seeing through those habits can help us see how each perspective can be useful in different contexts.

#1 #2 #3 #4

2010-08-07T02:49:00.002-07:00

Non-duality points at the unitary structure of experience.

Most of us focus on the content of experience most of the time. We are trained to do this as children. Focusing on the content of experience is not bad, or a problem, it's a necessary part of functioning in the world.

It can also be useful to "step back" and look at the structure of experience. When we do this, we can notice a number of aspects of experience that aren't evident from the content alone.

We can notice that we only ever access what is not part of immediate experience through imagination. For example, sitting here with a computer in front of me, I have no experiential evidence that New York City exists. From the point of view of this experience here and now, New York City is only available through imagination -- it's imaginary. So is anything else I can think of that isn't immediately present to me.
We can notice that as soon as something enters experience through imagination, it is no longer outside of experience, but part of it. With the thought of New York City, that thought becomes part of the ongoing experience.
We can notice that we never experience objects directly. We only experience qualities of objects -- shape, color, weight, smell, sound, taste. We wouldn't say that the qualities are the objects, but looking closely, we notice that the qualities are all we ever actually experience.
We can notice that experience is always here and now. From the perspective of this experience here and now, events that are distant in time or space are in the same category as New York City -- imaginary.
We can notice that there is no separation in the fabric of experience. Awareness includes everything that is part of experience. Examining the nature of perceptions, we can notice that they are not different or separate from the awareness doing the perceiving.
We can notice that thoughts are composed of "virtual" or imaginary sensations. Expository thoughts are spoken by a voice in imagination. Picture thoughts are seen in imagination. We can use imagination to simulate smells and tastes and kinesthetic sensations. Emotions are usually composed of a thought (a virtual sensation) combined with a sensation somewhere in the body. All mental activity seems to be based on simulated sensation.

These are things we can notice about experience by looking at it directly. When we focus on experience directly, these aspects of it gradually become obvious, but most humans never pause to examine experience in this way.

#1 #2 #3 #4

2010-08-07T02:49:00.001-07:00

The physical assumption is that fundamental reality, the foundation of reality, is physical. The physical assumption leads us to see ourselves as physical bodies in a world of separate physical objects.

Cartesian dualism, the philosophical stance of Christianity and most western cultures, assumes that the mental world is analogous to, but different from, the physical world. That assumption leads to the idea that we are souls (mental or spiritual objects or entities) in a world of mental/spiritual objects. Under this assumption, God is another, separate spiritual object or entity, the one that created all the other objects.

The important thing to notice about these philosophical viewpoints is that they are assumptions.

#1 #2 #3 #4

2010-04-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Can you find anything, anywhere, at any time, that is separate from your experience of it?

2010-04-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Perceiving is the only evidence of awareness. Only awareness experiences its own perception, so the evidence that awareness is present is only available to awareness itself. There's no one else to receive or see or acknowledge the evidence.

2010-04-18T11:17:00.001-07:00

Any belief, at best, can only be incomplete. Usually they're flat out wrong. What is, is as it is, independent of any belief or idea about it.

2010-04-18T11:04:00.001-07:00

Agitation can only be an appearance. Underlying essence is peaceful and harmonious.

2010-04-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

The word individual means something which cannot be divided. But if we think about what the notion of a person represents, it's a body, it's a mind, it's an identity, it's a collection of relationships. At least mentally, we can divide these components up and examine each of them separately. That's not something that can't be divided. Individuals aren't.

Separate objects aren't, either. If we examine experience closely, it's easy to see that experience never includes objects. It includes sensations, emotions, and thoughts. What we call physical objects are bundles of color, shape, sound, taste, smell, tactile texture, pressure, warmth or coolness, etc. All we experience of the physical world is qualities. Thought parses those sensations into objects. This sound goes with that shape, the other sound goes with the other shape. That smell goes with this one. This feeling goes with that one. And the world appears. The boundaries between objects are arbitrary and culturally defined. Different cultures have different approaches to time, space, relationships, events, and so forth.

2010-04-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

Dr. Phil says that choosing a behavior is also choosing the consequences that follow from that behavior.

Choosing to eat lots of dessert is choosing to be fat and unhealthy.

Choosing to burn fossil fuel is choosing to aggravate global warming.

Choosing to take it easy and not exercise is choosing to become flabby and unfit.

Choosing to eat unhealthy food is choosing chronic disease and early death.

2010-03-19T19:11:00.001-07:00

Liberation is not something that happens. It already is. It can only be recognized or ignored.

2010-03-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

All thought can do is stick labels all over everything.

2010-02-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

Anything that's not awareness can only be an appearance in awareness. Appearances are not separate from awareness, and direct attention back to awareness. Thus, appearances are pointers to awareness.

2010-01-23T20:16:00.001-08:00

Thought can never deliver reality, but it's the only means awareness has of talking to itself.

2010-01-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

"There is nothing outside this experience."

A thought.

"There is something outside this experience."

Another thought.

Clearly, if there is anything outside this experience, it cannot be known from inside this experience. If something that was outside this experience enters this experience, it's no longer outside and it becomes known. But there's no way to know whether it existed before entering this experience or whether it came into existence at the point of entering this experience.

All that can be known from within this experience is this experience and its contents -- the awareness which contains and supports it, the forms (thoughts, perceptions, sensations, emotions) that come and go within and as the awareness.

I'm not in a position to say that there is nothing outside this experience, but if there is something beyond this experience, I'm also not in a position to say what it might be. In essence, there's nothing I can say about it.

2010-01-23T19:24:00.001-08:00

The dominant cultural paradigm says that awareness depends on the brain, the universe is permanent, and the person or organism (what it claims we are) is temporary. However, most people walking around with this belief system don't seem to take care of the bodies on which they believe their awareness to depend.

The non-dual paradigm says that all appearances, including the brain, the universe, the person, the organism, and everything else, depend on awareness, that awareness (what it claims we are) is permanent, and appearances are temporary.

So, if people really believe that their awareness or consciousness is dependent on the body, why don't they take better care of their body? Why don't they exercise it regularly and feed it healthfully?

2010-01-01T09:42:00.001-08:00

No need to buy into drauma (or trauma).

2010-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

Don't trust mythinformation.

2009-12-29T06:12:00.001-08:00

"Abandon false ideas, that is all. There is no need of true ideas. There aren't any." - Nissargadatta

2009-12-27T16:20:00.001-08:00

Where is awareness now?

2009-12-27T16:19:00.001-08:00

The organism has no choice about obeying its programming.

2009-12-27T16:18:00.002-08:00

Sensation

...Thought

......Emotion

(the computer screen is awareness)

[Notice: what appears on awareness is not separate from awareness.]

2009-12-27T16:18:00.001-08:00

You cannot be unhappy without an unhappy story.

2009-12-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

When you're not looking, this blog does not exist.

2009-12-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

When you're not looking, this sentence is in Spanish.

Cuando no estas leyendolo, este frase es ingles.

2009-12-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

Ego looks to the past for its identity,
to the future for its fulfillment.

Present awareness rests in itself
with no need to pursue either identity or fulfillment.

2009-12-27T16:14:00.001-08:00

Life is a mirror

a hostile inner state will see hostility
a fearful inner state will see threats
a peaceful inner state will see tranquility
a loving inner state will see beauty

There is no difference between inner and outer. When all is seen as awareness, the distinction falls away.

2009-12-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

What is this?

2009-12-27T16:12:00.002-08:00

There's no need to struggle to "identify with" the awareness you already are.

Just be aware of what appears -- sensations, thoughts, feelings, stories.

2009-12-27T16:12:00.001-08:00

If it doesn't exist when I'm not thinking about it, it can't be real.

2009-12-27T16:11:00.001-08:00

The idea of attainment assumes a separate person who can attain something.

2009-12-27T16:10:00.002-08:00

Why is it so hard to hold onto?

The idea that it's hard to hold onto is just a thought.

Relaxing into what is in this moment isn't hard at all.

Try it.

2009-12-27T16:10:00.001-08:00

The final understanding
is that there is nothing
that needs to be
understood.

2009-12-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

If you don't mind being unhappy, what happens to the unhappiness?
Wouldn't you like to find out?

2009-12-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Everything that appears in awareness is part of experience. I am the awareness containing, perceiving the experience. Everything is within me. I am everything.

2009-11-28T03:53:00.000-08:00

Giving an answer to a poorly worded or misleading question just leads the questioner further astray.

2009-11-27T04:54:00.001-08:00

In the Christian story, Jehovah sets things up so that humans are destined to fail and sin. Jehovah then sends himself on a suicide mission to redeem humanity from his own wrath for breaking rules that he himself made up in a situation where he himself placed them. Wouldn't it have been simpler to make a world in which humans could live comfortably and happily and made humans to be satisfied with that comfortable, happy existence?

In the non-dualist story, consciousness hypnotizes itself into believing in a separation between itself and the mind/body/world that results in suffering. Then, seeking to escape the suffering, it either wakes up from this hypnotic trance or goes deeper into it, creating more suffering. Why hypnotize itself in the first place?

Stories about god seem to show that god is an idiot.

2009-11-27T04:53:00.001-08:00

Kindness is the coin that operates the cosmic vending machine.

2009-11-22T14:27:00.001-08:00

"My experience is what I agree to attend to." William James

2009-11-01T04:23:00.001-08:00

Consequences: when reality says, "You started it!"

2009-10-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Boredom, and sometimes depression, comes with the territory of being human. Don't fight it. Get used to it. Accept it. If it is a part of you, throwing it out will only impoverish you.

2009-10-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Constantly be asking yourself, "What is the most useful, worthwhile thing I could be doing right now?" Whatever the answer is, do it.

2009-10-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

Suffering is the ego bitching about the way things are. To stop suffering, stop bitching.

2009-10-08T06:38:00.001-07:00

There's no penalty for failing to adopt my opinions.

2009-09-22T17:10:00.001-07:00

Claiming to know things that are not knowable can damage your credibility.

2009-08-28T04:05:00.000-07:00

civilization: A state of society in which more neurotic and psychotic people have more brutal and efficient methods of annoying, torturing, and killing each other.

2009-08-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sparing another pain is not a problem. Abandoning myself to do so is.

2009-08-15T14:38:00.001-07:00

Suffering is the ego bitching about the way things are.

2009-08-03T17:33:00.001-07:00

All there is, is the perception of sensation in this moment. All else is imaginary.

2009-08-01T21:07:00.001-07:00

Your religion is whatever you don't question.

If you don't question the Bible, that's your religion. If you don't question your understanding of the Bible, that's your religion.

If you don't question the Qu'ran, or your understanding of it, that's your religion.

If you don't question science or rationalism or skepticism, that's your religion.

If you don't question your senses or your thoughts or your feelings, that's your religion.

Religion is whatever you put your faith in and accept blindly, without question.

2009-07-22T14:40:00.001-07:00

Focusing on the shortcomings of my relationships, I feel lack,
unfairness, deprivation. Focusing on what I have, my privileges
and good fortune, I feel grateful abundance. Which do I prefer? Which
would I rather focus on? Do I know what hurts and what doesn't?

2009-07-18T12:28:00.001-07:00

Every answer raises at least as many questions.

2009-04-04T22:45:00.000-07:00

"I believe that awareness is universal, but it's not yet my moment to moment experience."

"Of course it isn't and it never will be. The character in the play doesn't experience the actor. Rather, the actor experiences the character. You don't get to experience awareness. Rather you are an experience of awareness."

2009-04-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

The word "word" captures its own essence perfectly. It is an example of itself -- it is a word. It represents all the elements of the class it identifies -- all words.

There is no word or set of words that capture the essence of what is/awareness/being/suchness/reality/void/emptiness/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. The best that can be done with words is to point at the it that isn't even definable enough to be an it.

2009-04-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

From the perspective of the organism, all activity is about survival, then about comfort, then about pleasure.

From the perspective of awareness, none of the activity matters at all. It's just things moving around. Nothing really changes.

The organism doesn't need to be ashamed of its desire to survive and what it does in pursuit of survival, comfort, and pleasure. Awareness doesn't look down its nose at the "selfishness" of the organism.

Sometimes awareness uses organism A to help organism B, but not always. Just because an organism is not being used in such a way is not the organism's fault. That A is being used in a helpful way is not to A's credit. It's just what's happening.

2009-04-01T19:26:00.001-07:00

A problem serves one of two purposes. Either it gives the ego something to do, a reason for being, a validation. Or it serves as a doorway to seeing through the dual illusion of problem and the ego that has the problem.

2009-04-01T19:24:00.001-07:00

Problems are the ego's job security.

2009-02-20T04:08:00.000-08:00

Letting go of belief can spell relief.

2009-02-19T04:27:00.000-08:00

"Conditional love" is an oxymoron. "Unconditional love" is redundant. Love that sets conditions is not love but a business transaction.

2009-01-01T14:10:00.001-08:00

Suffering is self-extinguishing.

2008-12-21T18:10:00.001-08:00

Humans are at the mercy of their beliefs.

2008-10-26T04:54:00.000-07:00

All reality is virtual.

2008-09-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

This form is a echo of the universe. This form is made of the same stuff that all of the universe is, and the same energy that animates the universe also animates this form. The awareness that sees through these eyes, this mechanism, is an aspect of universal awareness. They cannot be separated -- they are not different. The will expressed through this form is an aspect of the universal will expressed through all that is.

2008-09-12T15:05:00.001-07:00

Beliefs always make sense from the point of view of the believer.

2008-09-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

Boredom is a consequence of ignore-dom.

2008-09-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Heaven is gratitude. Hell is resentment.

Heaven is appreciation. Hell is rejection.

Heaven is acceptance. Hell is ignore-ance.

2008-09-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Befriending and embracing creates Heaven. Rejecting and resisting creates Hell.

2008-09-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

The universe gives me everything I want and nothing I don't. If it comes to me, it's because I have asked for it in some way.

2008-03-01T16:08:00.001-08:00

"Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum (I think that I think, therefore I think that I am.)"
- Ambrose Bierce

2008-03-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

You may think you have facts. I'm fairly well convinced I have only opinions.

2008-01-24T04:36:00.001-08:00

Success may not make me happy, but being happy does make me successful.

2007-12-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

Don't expect to be understood -- they don't. Rather, expect to be misunderstood, because they do.

2007-12-14T14:28:00.001-08:00

Elrond Hubbard

2007-12-08T06:40:00.001-08:00

Have you ever noticed how arguing doesn't change how people feel?

2007-11-27T05:46:00.001-08:00

People who live in mountains have always looked down on their neighbors.

2007-11-26T05:34:00.001-08:00

It doesn't matter so much what you believe. Fear turns us into
demons, love into angels.

2007-11-16T05:51:00.001-08:00

Buttons are pushed and
Strings are pulled as needed
No one does anything
(There is no one to do anything)
Everything gets done

2007-10-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

Those in the middle of the herd are protected. That's the situation of those of us in the "developed" world.

However, the herd has to have margins and existence for those at the edges is, by definition, marginal. They are vulnerable -- to predators, to stronger herd members who can steal their food and push them to the edge, to famine and drought and natural disasters.

The noble goal of morality is to improve life for everyone. But it's not possible for all members to be at the center of the herd. There will always be a margin and life at the margin will always have the possibility of breeding resentment and envy. Some will always have more status than others and may resent that and take violent action in response. Of course, the privileged ones will respond violently when/if they feel threatened.

2007-10-25T15:51:00.001-07:00

Life is a photo album.

At each moment, a page turns.

Once a page is turned, it's gone. There's never a second chance to look at a picture that has passed.

I find some pictures pleasing, others less so.

Sometimes I don't look at *this* picture because I'm distracted by *that* one. But *that* one is just another picture in the album, another page being turned.

I can look at the pictures or close my eyes.

Sometimes I close my eyes because I think I don't like the current picture.

But by the time my eyes are closed, I'm not ignoring the one I didn't like, but the next one.

Sometimes it seems I can choose to look at this picture or that one. Maybe so.

Sometimes it seems I can choose to look at the picture or close my eyes and ignore it. But even if I can choose, the choice winds up applying to the next moment, not the one I'm in when I make it.

Is ignoring the picture ever a good idea? Is it ever something I want to do? Can ignoring a picture ever bring satisfaction? Can ignoring *this* picture ever avoid pain in the moment without bringing a less desirable picture down the line? How would I know?

2007-10-22T04:35:00.000-07:00

Words cannot contain what is. Rather, what is contains all words. Words are just concepts that attempt to point at it.

2007-10-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

"Truth" is the idea that an idea (a thought) can accurately reflect reality. It's a lie. It can't. However, most human beings hold the concept of "Truth" sacred. That is, they believe it exists, they believe in it, and they search endlessly trying to find it, or trying to prove that they have found it.

2007-10-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

If all is Consciousness and Consciousness is all, what is a who? Who is God? Who am I? All just ideas in Consciousness.

2007-10-11T11:22:00.001-07:00

All there is, is energy. We can call it Love or Consciousness or Light or light or whatever we like, but it's all there is and it's all the same. It's what sees through your eyes and hears through your ears and experiences your life. It's what determines your choices. It's completely impersonal and mechanical. It has no values, no morals, no point of view. Rather, it contains all values, morals, and points of view.

The operation of the energy never goes wrong, never makes a mistake. It always operates perfectly. From the (apparent) relative human point of view, it seems possible for bad things to happen. It seems possible to make a mistake. Energy always operates exactly as it does -- no bad or good, no mistakes or corrections. Just what happens -- light shining, particles moving, thoughts streaming, humans living, everything happening.

2007-10-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Nearly all of the problematic thinking, the thinking that causes
suffering, is about blame and credit. Who did this? Who did that? I
did! You did! They did!

We hold the idea of free will sacred. We want recognition and credit
when we do something 'good'. We want to blame somebody when 'bad'
things happen.

But each event has billions of causes. How can one be singled out and
held totally responsible when the event depended on all of them? What
happens is what happens. 'Free will' implies that it could have
happened differently. What does it mean to say that it could have
happened differently? 'I' could have made a 'different choice'?
Really? Could I? How? I made the choice I did. If I had made a
different one, looking back at it, it would seem just as inevitable as
the one I made. The choice made is a function of what went before,
what information is available in the moment, what seems best. The only
way I would have made a different choice would have been if something
else seemed best at that moment, and it didn't.

But all this 'I'ing is misleading, too. The one the choice is being
attributed to isn't there any more than the choice is. There's just
what happens, what appears.

Thinking about this is just thinking. Thinking can lead to a
conclusion that 'I' am real, that 'I' have 'free will', and that 'I'
am 'responsible' for 'my' 'choices'. Watching the process carefully
can also lead to a conclusion that all there is in each moment is
awareness watching the appearance unfold. Both of these descriptions
are just descriptions. Either can be believed. Neither can be proven
or disproven. Neither is 'the Truth'.

But seeing the complexity of causation and the emptiness of the ego
idea can allow the sense of responsiblity to relax and with it, all
the psychological baggage that it engenders -- guilt, sin, shame,
pride, arrogance, malice, spite, humility, jealousy, envy, and so
forth, so that suffering can be seen through.

'Finding fault' and 'assigning blame' creates a mentality of
victimhood and is an immature and painful way to live. 'Taking
responsibility for oneself' is more mature and creative and leads to
less suffering. Seeing through the ideas of ego and responsibility
leads to freedom from suffering. Painful events may still happen, but
without being "my fault" or "your fault" or requiring forgiveness or
recompense.

'Taking responsibility for oneself' creates an unbearable burden for
the one attempting to take responsibility. Reality is just too complex
and doesn't do my bidding. The people who seem to be truly sane and at
peace are the ones who, in one form or another, have let go of trying
to run the world and are willing to accept what is, as it is.

All that's really needed is careful watching. What is can be seen by
looking, not thinking.

2007-09-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

2007-09-22T09:17:00.001-07:00

"There's always someone else for you to blame." It could be me. Or him. Or her. Or "them".

2007-09-18T09:04:00.001-07:00

Life is a role playing game.