Essential Zen

...like it is your last dance on earth.

I really enjoy the insights of Carlos Castaneda, and took interest in this forum. I wanted to share with this community a free, online book that I have been reading. What it says coincides well with Castaneda's insights, and he is quoted several times in the book. This book explains how we go about taking the next step in human evolution: evolving into spiritual beings.

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Ambition: You need to change your ambition to just realizing the truth and living in the present. Everything else will take care of itself.

Happy all the time: People are always saying that no one can be happy all the time; that is BS. You should be happy and fulfilled all the time. If you are not; you are not living in the present. You will not be smiling of laughing all the time, but you can and will be fulfilled all the time once you know the truth and the life. The only time you will not be is when you are with people that do not know the truth.

Life has a balance of good and bad times, winning and losing, getting what you want and not getting what you want. Anyone can enjoy the good times, but being fulfilled in the bad times is what separates those that know from those that do not. It is all the same to me, all part of the perfection of life. As Buddha says, you will look at all things with an impartial or unjudgmental eye.

That is how you know if you are in the present or not. If you are happy and fulfilled you are; if you are unhappy and not fulfilled you are not. It is that simple.

If his spirit is distorted, he should simply fix it-----purge it, make it perfect, because there is no other task in your entire lives which is more worthwhile. To seek the perfection of the warrior’s spirit is the only task worthy of our temporariness, or manhood. Carlos Castaneda, from Journey to Ixtlan
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Page 399 of The Present (with religion) at http://www.truthcontest.com

Check it out and share your thoughts.

First thought...it ought not take 427 pages to answer the question. Second thought: the world doesn't need fixing...there's nothing wrong with it.

My favorite response is to quote from Zen: "The answer lies in the question."

Hi Jethro,.............so, this, is what you do with yourself when, you're not, concocting agricultural improvements!

Welcome, to the fray.

I followed the link you provided, but, I'm left somewhat puzzled.
Do you share the views stated on the linked site, or, are you merely, providing the link as an opening conversational gambit?

I read some of the material provided by, "The Truthcontest", and noted, a few points of interest.
The author(s) state that, The Bible, was created by the enemies of Jesus, and was motivated by the political agenda(s) of the time.
If, this was the case, ( and I, for one, would,nt argue the point,), why is it, that, the author then, goes on to quote, almost, ad infinitum, from the same book?
Is he quoting from another version of The Bible,( The Truth, presumably,)?

I also noted that, he provides no references to specific chapters and verses, when, he quotes the various things which, he claims Jesus said, thus, preventing readers from checking the veracity of his material.

On reading further, I was much amused to discover that, the music of The Beatles, is, apparently, filled with hidden religious messages .
Is this, to counterpoint all the Satanic messages hidden in heavy metal music?
Normally, about this point, the subject of mental illness springs to mind, i.e.; schizophrenia. After all, the author exhibits many of the classic signs,..............or, did you miss those?


I'll try to read some more of the material on that site, as, I rejoice in silliness, whatever it,s flavour or source, and I may post on the subject again, if, I can stomach the contents long enough to digest any of it.


Thank you for your input. Much appreciated,

Gonzo wrote:First thought...it ought not take 427 pages to answer the question. Second thought: the world doesn't need fixing...there's nothing wrong with it.

First thought: What question?
Second thought: Regardless of if you think the world needs fixing or not, mankind has created a situation where we could destroy the human race in less than an hour by pressing some buttons. We can't just fix the world though; we need to fix the source from which it is manipulated, our own minds. Our world is just a reflection of us.

serendipity wrote:I followed the link you provided, but, I'm left somewhat puzzled.
Do you share the views stated on the linked site, or, are you merely, providing the link as an opening conversational gambit?

I'll try to read some more of the material on that site, as, I rejoice in silliness, whatever it,s flavour or source, and I may post on the subject again, if, I can stomach the contents long enough to digest any of it.

I'm just trying to raise awareness and get some discussion going. I am more interested in the idea of the contest, but I do like the entries.

All I ask is that you check it for yourself.

Jethro Tull wrote:

Gonzo wrote:First thought...it ought not take 427 pages to answer the question. Second thought: the world doesn't need fixing...there's nothing wrong with it.

Jethro Tull wrote:First thought: What question?

The question was, "What is the truth about life and death?"

Jethro Tull wrote:Second thought: Regardless of if you think the world needs fixing or not, mankind has created a situation where we could destroy the human race in less than an hour by pressing some buttons. We can't just fix the world though; we need to fix the source from which it is manipulated, our own minds. Our world is just a reflection of us.

I still maintain it doesn't need fixing. We've long been in a situation where a couple of button pushes would destroy the world. I grew up in the 50's with air raid and atom bomb drills. Fortunately we don't do that scary nonsense any longer, however, the threat of total destruction is now probably greater than ever.

And I agree, our world IS just a reflection of us. From Gautama in The Dhammapada, my favorite lines: "We are what we think. With our thoughts we make the world." - however, he made no judgment whether what we made was good, bad, or indifferent.

In my opinion, the world is here for us to experience being human, and that being the case, we have to allow for all possibilities, and one of those possibilities is total destruction.

Actually, the question is an intriguing one, and essentially is the basis of all philosophical thought. It seems every culture has its own notions about life and death, good, bad, etc.

I'm currently reading a book about the Australian Aborigines, written by a woman who shed all her clothes and joined a remote group for a three month walkabout in the outback. Their attitudes about life and death are in stark contrast to those of the predominant White European culture. In some ways they coincide with the Native Americans, and to a degree with what don Juan was on about, in that they have a deep respect and reverance for the Earth and their place in the scheme of things. They refer to other cultures as "mutants". The title of the book is "Mutant Message Down Under" by Marlo Morgan.

The problem I find with it is that it throws the baby out with the bath water, in that it is a total condemnation of the White Man. In my opinion, there are many things they believe that could be incorporated into our ways. I doubt, however, the opposite is true. I also find it impossible to totally condemn my culture for its shortcomings, in light of its magnificent achievements.

But what's to be done about raising consciousness, which is what I believe you are implying here. That is, perhaps the world will be saved from destruction if we can raise the consciousness of all its human beings. I maintain as I said, there is no need for that, and further, that the potential coming Apocolypse in 2012 won't really change anything.

A great line from Nisargadatta in the book of his interviews titled "I am That" said if you want to change the world, start with yourself. I, for one, don't feel like changing the world.

Welcome Jethro! Love the song about the pedophile in the park btw!
I did go to the site you mentioned...truth is such a nebulous thing dont you think? My truth is certainly not yours, and I have yet to find the "universal truth".
In my own thinking I dont think that there actually is a universal truth. I do have a question about this though,

If his spirit is distorted, he should simply fix it-----purge it, make it perfect, because there is no other task in your entire lives which is more worthwhile.

Who defines distorted? Wouldnt spirit be perfect, and the person disorted (if in fact there is such a thing as a distorted person)?

"What is the truth about life and death?"

depends on who you talk to, because we all have our own truths, because we are uniquely only ourselves....the only one who has had our experiences and memories therefore completely unique in the universe...cool aint it?

for myself, life and death is like light and darkness.. a balance that creates perceiveable motion, from one point in 'time', or one position or place, to another. the spirit is the guide respsible for that motion, as i see it a 'knowingness' or watchful eye, of the intent and expectations of the warrior, which aligns the 'time' as it advances onto someone. the life is then split itself between the known 'human' life or realms known, and the 'darkside' of the world unknown. which is to say the death, or advancment of the tonal. also the darkness, or the death, (a big topis here) is the place in which light fills, the light of awareness made into form, cast into the void of nothingness, that gives place to any and every formation of light.

as per the bible.. there are differwent bibles in different times, or different worlds. 'the enemies wrote the bible.. yes and no. see now is all that truelly exists, and so if one places there eyes in that expectational alignment upon 'entering the reading' then that is what they would read. however in my opinion, and delight, the reading is done in dreaming itself, as all creations are, and as such i must say that depends on the position of awareness, or point of observation.. or vantage point that one is 'seeking from'. the horizons of attention now, the judgments taking place within you, are reflective in nature. for myself at one time, I have seen the bible written, partially by enemies, and at another time, the purity of 'all life'. like a conversation with God. imo, this reflects the state of the tonal of a warrior, and as such immpeciblity, or 'ffixing the spirit' or cleaning one's eyes, inner and outer, IS the only worthy task... very much like 'perfecting the energy body for the moment of death (Tao). every task in life being a 'practice' in life and death. practice being possible a weak word, however the moment as i have seen it expands in all ways.

Gonzo wrote:Actually, the question is an intriguing one, and essentially is the basis of all philosophical thought. It seems every culture has its own notions about life and death, good, bad, etc.

I'm currently reading a book about the Australian Aborigines, written by a woman who shed all her clothes and joined a remote group for a three month walkabout in the outback. Their attitudes about life and death are in stark contrast to those of the predominant White European culture. In some ways they coincide with the Native Americans, and to a degree with what don Juan was on about, in that they have a deep respect and reverance for the Earth and their place in the scheme of things. They refer to other cultures as "mutants". The title of the book is "Mutant Message Down Under" by Marlo Morgan.

The problem I find with it is that it throws the baby out with the bath water, in that it is a total condemnation of the White Man. In my opinion, there are many things they believe that could be incorporated into our ways. I doubt, however, the opposite is true. I also find it impossible to totally condemn my culture for its shortcomings, in light of its magnificent achievements.

But what's to be done about raising consciousness, which is what I believe you are implying here. That is, perhaps the world will be saved from destruction if we can raise the consciousness of all its human beings. I maintain as I said, there is no need for that, and further, that the potential coming Apocolypse in 2012 won't really change anything.

A great line from Nisargadatta in the book of his interviews titled "I am That" said if you want to change the world, start with yourself. I, for one, don't feel like changing the world.

G, it is obviously known, to myself and all beings that i have known in my life, that all life and positions of reality exist, including all futures.. as well as having no futures. which is to say the truth, that only now exists, and 2012 is an illusion itself. a lie. on the other hand the 'mayans' which i dream with frequently have also stated the 'end of the calender', which is to say the filling of time. the completion of times purpose. i would never limit myself or another to any such date, as i know full well that time is an illusion, and persoally I have already experienced the apocalypse. now on the other hand, there is a very shady 'intent' in place in the wprld at the time of this 'destructive prophecy' whihich relates to secret societies and the judgement thereof, which also relates to survival of the fittest or the cleansing of the collective human consciousness. the purity of faith in other words, as we full well know that each and every 'man' in in choice of their own future and awareness. well now in that limited view of that 'ranky' scam, i see that the collective remaining of the human race would be the ones who 'knew' and held to faith.. surpassing the destructive prophecy annd having pure faith anf knowingness. on the other hand, these views are small and fragile themselves, seeing the neighbours as weak themselves, when we know agaunb full-well that a mink can see the buddha in everyone and in anyone. another point that i have seen in my journies, is the collective collapse of all forms of awarenss, into each other, which scientifically stated is the collapse of the universe on a multi-verse level of 'all-time', back to the source, collapsing the 'nbody of god', and the body of all forms of life within the 'cosmos' to the source'. as i have sen the gateway to this event personally i describe it as the final evolution of life, the ocmplte mergence with "god' the creater and watcher of all forms of life from the begginning of the 'split'. i can only define this event as 'beyond' and glorious. it is what my spirit seeks, and has waited for. going further, i have always thought every advancment, and new awareness, new feat, and a finality, when it was not, always going further beyond the views of my small ego. which is too say that this glorious merging of all awareness, and beyond, IS just another stepping stone into the ''' welll beyond words. or descriptions, especuially on a human level. whatever human may mean.

Hi Toolio. Welcome.

As, you are posting here, it seems, you have something to say, which, you wish others to consider.
If, this is, your purpose, then, I feel, I should, point out that, you are posting in a self-defeating manner.
Regardless of what, you wish to say, the lack of capitals at the start of sentences, the appalling spelling, and, the complete lack of paragraphs, make your posts, almost, completely unintelligible.
These problems, can be easily rectified, and would make your posts readable, rather than, verging on gibberish.
I may be wrong, of course, and, even with the problems rectified, your posts, may still, be unintelligible. Perhaps, we shall see?

I look forward to your next post, which, I might, be able to decipher enough, to understand what, you are trying to say.
After all, if, a fuckwit like me, can learn to make myself understood, I'm sure, you can.

you really have come along there Seren!

Ooooooh, yes indeedee, Maiv!

The drivel which, I post, thesedays, is so clear and concise, that, even, a blind man can see, it,s total bullshit!
Mind you, I've been lucky enough, to have had, some good teachers.

I wonder if, Toolio, will be willing to help the visually challenged, in a similar way?