This got me to thinking: Who were the Bible's editors?
http://video.pbs.org/video/1051895565
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Jung and Religious Symbols
I am reading Man and Symbols by Carl Jung. Although I am in agreement with a lot, I am not sure about all of it. For instance, I am not that much into dreams.
One thing Marie-Louise Franz writes in her chapter at around page 248 is that most religions started with a symbol from the collective unconscious. Many of these symbols existed from many years ago. [She claims that] he thinks that religious symbols at first came from the unconscious, not a revelation, which most religious leaders will not second, of course. I am not sure if the Christian cross existed before Jesus Christ. I would not think so.
On page 253, she writes that he does not believe there is a religious truth aside from human consciousness. I don’t think I agree. But I do agree that people need to experience for themselves from medication to mistakes instead of only taking what elders tell them. That would be total “crystallization”, as she says, of their faith.
She does comment brilliantly on a painting showing the Holy Spirit as a spiral, as he says it often is portrayed. Curiously, in this painting, it is portrayed as spiraling into the paper. She interpreted this as meaning that further evolution will lead not to higher or lower ground, but just to a different dimension. Those who experience this in meditation, synchronicities, communicating with one who is not there, and more, know what I mean. That observation or interpretation was brilliant.
She goes on to write about how Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle says we cannot always know the Truth. Many religious leaders will say this is the basis of post-modernism and threatens them. However, most Christians, for instance, think we can’t know God fully. Jung also writes that language cannot explain it all. This would include Holy Books. This is true. As always, I am in the middle, somewhere in that yin/yang “line” that fluctuates in different times or situations. His individuation, which I may understand, if it is what I think I have been doing for years, is a whole from parts such as light and dark and what they symbolize.
One thing Marie-Louise Franz writes in her chapter at around page 248 is that most religions started with a symbol from the collective unconscious. Many of these symbols existed from many years ago. [She claims that] he thinks that religious symbols at first came from the unconscious, not a revelation, which most religious leaders will not second, of course. I am not sure if the Christian cross existed before Jesus Christ. I would not think so.
On page 253, she writes that he does not believe there is a religious truth aside from human consciousness. I don’t think I agree. But I do agree that people need to experience for themselves from medication to mistakes instead of only taking what elders tell them. That would be total “crystallization”, as she says, of their faith.
She does comment brilliantly on a painting showing the Holy Spirit as a spiral, as he says it often is portrayed. Curiously, in this painting, it is portrayed as spiraling into the paper. She interpreted this as meaning that further evolution will lead not to higher or lower ground, but just to a different dimension. Those who experience this in meditation, synchronicities, communicating with one who is not there, and more, know what I mean. That observation or interpretation was brilliant.
She goes on to write about how Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle says we cannot always know the Truth. Many religious leaders will say this is the basis of post-modernism and threatens them. However, most Christians, for instance, think we can’t know God fully. Jung also writes that language cannot explain it all. This would include Holy Books. This is true. As always, I am in the middle, somewhere in that yin/yang “line” that fluctuates in different times or situations. His individuation, which I may understand, if it is what I think I have been doing for years, is a whole from parts such as light and dark and what they symbolize.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Greek Orthodox Distinctions on the Virgin Mary
On Friday night, after the church service to honor the Virgin Mary before Easter, a theological Ph.D. student and priest gave a lecture about it. The writing needs to be reworked and he missed the major point I knew since a child about her: What is most precious about her is that she was 100% good and humble, what I think no one has or will be in her like again, certainly not me. (It's not my fault; there are just too many idiots everywhere.:)) Now, part of me is a doubting Thomas, but, even if by some slim chance we find out she is not what we all think, was mean at times, etc., it helps to have faith.
In the ways I imagine her, she was all good for everyone all the time. This was affirmed by a senior priest, helping the younger one answer a man who wanted to caution us that she did not co-create with God. Now, I don't know him, but he may be a male chauvinist piglet. In any case, the senior priest said that she was the chosen one to receive God, the most blessed person, above all Saints, and that is why she is exalted. I second that. She was humble, as he said, and completely aligned with the Will of God. he said this was her virginity, not the physical kind. (I think the official policy of the Greek Orthodox Church is that she stayed a virgin throughout her lifetime.) I love this part: We stress who she was a person more than if she was a physical virgin or not, something most people do not know that we do.
The younger priest said we cannot praise her too much, but of course cannot treat her like God. We are to take her as an example. Who follows the Lord's prayer of "Thy Will be done" and forgiving at a high rate? I don't. I love my religion, when it is explored for all it is, and taken in a spiritual and mystical manner it is meant, not fundamentalist.
I was thinking about this more today for a while and let me add: Perhaps she was the co-creator because somewhere in her subconscious (perhaps she was too humble for it to be in her conscious, she held the Possibility of All Possibilities, and did not even need to try. (This kind of thinking is in line with the Law of Attraction, the Secret, being, being a space for and more.) And, as a woman, she miraculously (science cannot explain all of the processes) Co-Created with her blood and body, as mothers do. God could have plopped Jesus Christ on the Earth, descending from the sky, or a wave, but used a woman, who usually have more of a Source or yin energy to them. That's it for now.
In the ways I imagine her, she was all good for everyone all the time. This was affirmed by a senior priest, helping the younger one answer a man who wanted to caution us that she did not co-create with God. Now, I don't know him, but he may be a male chauvinist piglet. In any case, the senior priest said that she was the chosen one to receive God, the most blessed person, above all Saints, and that is why she is exalted. I second that. She was humble, as he said, and completely aligned with the Will of God. he said this was her virginity, not the physical kind. (I think the official policy of the Greek Orthodox Church is that she stayed a virgin throughout her lifetime.) I love this part: We stress who she was a person more than if she was a physical virgin or not, something most people do not know that we do.
The younger priest said we cannot praise her too much, but of course cannot treat her like God. We are to take her as an example. Who follows the Lord's prayer of "Thy Will be done" and forgiving at a high rate? I don't. I love my religion, when it is explored for all it is, and taken in a spiritual and mystical manner it is meant, not fundamentalist.
I was thinking about this more today for a while and let me add: Perhaps she was the co-creator because somewhere in her subconscious (perhaps she was too humble for it to be in her conscious, she held the Possibility of All Possibilities, and did not even need to try. (This kind of thinking is in line with the Law of Attraction, the Secret, being, being a space for and more.) And, as a woman, she miraculously (science cannot explain all of the processes) Co-Created with her blood and body, as mothers do. God could have plopped Jesus Christ on the Earth, descending from the sky, or a wave, but used a woman, who usually have more of a Source or yin energy to them. That's it for now.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Metal Book Find Dating First Century AD
Do these shed light on the last days of Jesus Christ?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110330/ts_yblog_thelookout/could-lead-codices-prove-the-major-discovery-of-christian-history
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110330/ts_yblog_thelookout/could-lead-codices-prove-the-major-discovery-of-christian-history
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Assumption or Intuition
Many times people assume, and it's often based on their background. I can write a book on this, but will keep it short so I can go to my Forum on Orthodox Spirituality meeting. Here is a common one: Someone sees a person not working. A common Christian perspective will be that they need to pray, that is their cross for now, or, in certain ethnic groups including the Greek one, there must be something wrong with them, even spiritually. They may have bad luck that we may catch if we get too close to them. Those of the Law of Attraction following will just be sure that their chakras are blocked, their thoughts or energy is off, they are not meditating enough. Some of these may be true for some people some of the time. They may think their being is off as well. But what if one is just being persistent and creating? Would these same people apply the same philosophies and theories to themselves 100%?
This kind of blanket thought is just prejudice, like if people think that black people are not as smart as white people, all divorced people have relationship issues and in no way could the other person have contributed to their issue, etc. These are assumptions, not wisdom or intuition. I am reading a Carl Jung book, and he says that each individual must be taken differently. Inquire, don't say for sure.
I believe an integrated, yin-yang balanced approach of different perspectives is the wisest. Interpretations are truths with a small "t" unless they come from a tuned-in intuition that knows what is True in the moment. Often, that can't be spoken in words. I believe each person has different intuitive abilities, and they can be cultured via exercise, meditation, self-reflection, intention and seminars. We have not talked much so I don't know where your intuition is...Reading adds a little to it if one can get into characters, human motives, etc. Intuition can always grow, while assumptions I find are part of one's family and cultural heritage, and are just conversations "in the air".
Intuition and deep listening go hand-in-hand and are not fast food transformation solutions pretending to be wisdom of the West or East.
This kind of blanket thought is just prejudice, like if people think that black people are not as smart as white people, all divorced people have relationship issues and in no way could the other person have contributed to their issue, etc. These are assumptions, not wisdom or intuition. I am reading a Carl Jung book, and he says that each individual must be taken differently. Inquire, don't say for sure.
I believe an integrated, yin-yang balanced approach of different perspectives is the wisest. Interpretations are truths with a small "t" unless they come from a tuned-in intuition that knows what is True in the moment. Often, that can't be spoken in words. I believe each person has different intuitive abilities, and they can be cultured via exercise, meditation, self-reflection, intention and seminars. We have not talked much so I don't know where your intuition is...Reading adds a little to it if one can get into characters, human motives, etc. Intuition can always grow, while assumptions I find are part of one's family and cultural heritage, and are just conversations "in the air".
Intuition and deep listening go hand-in-hand and are not fast food transformation solutions pretending to be wisdom of the West or East.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Rango
The new Johnny Depp animation flick Rango was not so pretty to look at. Yet I found the symbolism and metaphors great. Water could be taken to mean money. Dirt can be taken to mean resignation and cynicism. Getting through the dirt to get water can be taken to mean doing growth and development work on yourself.
The snake can be taken to be one’s internal conversations against oneself or possibility like not being good enough. We often think we may be exposed as frauds, as Rango was by the snake. He did not kill the bird out of skill. Yet he had to get over the hump, like throwing his hat over the fence, and walk into his future with confidence. What is the worst that could have happen? He could fail and not look good to people. But that had happened before, and it would happen again anyway. Play big and fail big.
The people of the town Dirt had sold out and trusted the mayor, who wanted to control the water, or money, or their thoughts.
At the beginning of the flick, he had to blend in with the dirt, yep, to conformity when it is not of Truth, Integrity or Beauty. Finally he crossed the road, as the armadillo told him. He had a new sense of himself, and so of life. This does not mean it will get easy.
This film was rich in metaphors, like Alice in Wonderland, although not as pretty to look at.
The snake can be taken to be one’s internal conversations against oneself or possibility like not being good enough. We often think we may be exposed as frauds, as Rango was by the snake. He did not kill the bird out of skill. Yet he had to get over the hump, like throwing his hat over the fence, and walk into his future with confidence. What is the worst that could have happen? He could fail and not look good to people. But that had happened before, and it would happen again anyway. Play big and fail big.
The people of the town Dirt had sold out and trusted the mayor, who wanted to control the water, or money, or their thoughts.
At the beginning of the flick, he had to blend in with the dirt, yep, to conformity when it is not of Truth, Integrity or Beauty. Finally he crossed the road, as the armadillo told him. He had a new sense of himself, and so of life. This does not mean it will get easy.
This film was rich in metaphors, like Alice in Wonderland, although not as pretty to look at.
One and Individual
Recently, an Oriental student at NYU overheard a first business conversation I was having with someone as I had to quickly get back to what I was writing so I can get in the subway and get home on time. He concluded I am suffering, don’t think I am beautiful and more. He could not believe I had just been listening to Osho. When I told him that Osho had talked about selfishness, he automatically assumed (what he likes to do – maybe he should meditate more) that it was to gain security. I pointed out he is trying to fix me and he denied it. It was clear from some talk and emails that I have done more growth and development work, have more life experiences and am more authentic. Nevertheless, we can all learn from each other. Given my commitments, I chose not to put the time to communicate with someone how is not open and who wants to talk in the context of his assumptions about me, perhaps coming from his assumptions of the West and beautiful women or actresses. He even said he judges by language or dress, which can change. I pointed out he does not know about the Holy Spirit distinction, creativity or self-expression, and that, if he really is all about being One, he would not be at NYU, later competing for work. He did not get it. When he saw my article for an upcoming ladies’ fitness article, he kept asking how one accepts themselves and reaches for a goal. I said it’s a yin yang balance. He did not get it. I emailed it is about balance. You get it. There is no how, just some tips.
I said one can be grounded and happy, yet feel, win, lose, LIVE…not make all of life suffering and make that wrong. That is one fault of Buddhism at its extreme.
I tested him and said my Mom is really sick and we need money for health care. Not surprisingly, he did not shuffle money from his bank account to mine. But if we are one, my mother is his mother.
Again, it’s about a yin yang balance in be/do, West/East, individual/One. More on this has been written in other posts on this blog.
I said one can be grounded and happy, yet feel, win, lose, LIVE…not make all of life suffering and make that wrong. That is one fault of Buddhism at its extreme.
I tested him and said my Mom is really sick and we need money for health care. Not surprisingly, he did not shuffle money from his bank account to mine. But if we are one, my mother is his mother.
Again, it’s about a yin yang balance in be/do, West/East, individual/One. More on this has been written in other posts on this blog.
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