30 Days of Haiga 2017: Day 18: Autumn Approach

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The Real Cie

30 Days of Haiga 2017: Day 16: Crushed to Dust

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30 Days of Haiga 2017: Day 15: The Harvest

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30 Days of Haiga: Day 14: Lament for My Flag

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Fighter planes image (upper left corner) source NPR News

Racist graffiti image source: Olean Times Herald

Misogynist quote source: Donald Trump

Notes:

I like to think the piece speaks for itself, but I will include a little personal history. 

When I was a young child in my early school years, I was very proud when it came time to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I sprang to my large and far from dainty feet, puffed out my scrawny chest, put my hand over my stalwart young heart, and spoke those hallowed words in my biggest voice. 

I was born in 1965. I didn't go to Kindergarten. Many years later I had a nightmare that Ronald Reagan ordered me to go back to school starting with Kindergarten. Initially, I attempted to comply, but then I realized that there was no legally binding reason for me to do this and I said "I quit," and walked out of the classroom to the sound of Mr. Reagan's voice berating me as a loser.

From first through third grade, the Viet Nam war was still taking place. I believed that the United States would eventually see that the war was a bad idea and would end it, so I said the Pledge proudly because I believed that my fine country would eventually do the right thing because we were the Good Guys.

During the next several years, the country was healing from the aftereffects of the Viet Nam War. I believed that we were headed in the right direction, and I thought that Jimmy Carter was a fine president and would continue to take us that way.

The Reagan era began when I was fifteen years old and I came to believe that we were all doomed to either eat flaming death in a nuclear holocaust or freeze to death in the nuclear winter which would follow. The Pledge of Allegiance lost its former wondrous appeal to me, but I still said it because I felt it was my duty as a patriot to try and believe in my country.

As my son says, the United States is still one of the best countries to live in, but we have a lot of problems. The election of Donald Trump brought a plethora of pathology boiling to the surface. 

We are not post-racist or post-misogynist and we are severely intolerant of anyone who isn't a God-fearing American "Christian." I put Christian in quotes because I don't think the behavior of those who subscribe to the ideals of American religious fundamentalists is Christ-like in any way. There is a frightening new wave of nationalism, and free speech is under fire. There is normalization of bigotry and intolerance.

This is not the America that young me believed in when she put her hand over her heart to proudly say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school and even at home in her bedroom on Saturday and Sunday because she thought it was the right thing to do.

This America brings tears to the eyes of middle-aged, working class me as I write these words. I despair for the loss of innocence in the heart of the child I once was and fear for the future of who I have become, for those I love, and for my fellow citizens of this world.

~The Real Cie~

As real as it gets

Sanatana Dharma

"Sanatana Dharma is is the original name of what is now popularly called Hinduism or Hindu Dharma. ... "Sanatana" is a Sanskrit word that denotes that which is Anadi (beginningless), Anantha (endless) and does not cease to be, that which is eternal and everlasting. The conclusion is that Hinduism is a geographical or political word, given by foreigners and it has very little to do with religion. Therefore, most Hindus are confused about what Hinduism is or what it stands for. The original religion is called Sanatana Dharma as mentioned in the original Vedic literature's."

The words "religion" and "dharma" denote two entirely different concepts and perspectives. Religion is comprised of rituals, customs, and dogmas surviving on the basis of fear and blind faith. Dharma--a word, unfortunately, with no English equivalent--encapsulates those great laws and disciplines that uphold, sustain, and ultimately lead humanity to the sublime heights of worldly and spiritual glory. Established in the name of God, a religion is an institution that requires a growing number of adherents for its expansion and future existence. A religion discriminates against human beings who do not belong to its particular order and condemns their way of living and being, whereas dharma is eternal, looking for no followers for its propagation. With no discrimination whatsoever, it leads a human being beyond the realms of man-made, institutionalized dictums. Instead of creating fear of God, it makes God manifest in the human heart, not in an anthropomorphic form, but as the absolute and universal One in whom all diversities reside in perfect harmony. - Swami Rama

Santana Dharma

Experience based rather than belief based.
Without any ideological divisions.
Beyond any historical date of founding.
The process of growth, which comes from the seed.
Inherent in, and inclusive of all.
Applicable to all people of all places and times.
In the world, while above the world.
God-centered rather than prophet-centred.
Devoid of sectarianism or denominationalism.
Both immanent and transcendent.
The whole and the parts.
Loving of all and excluding of none.

The universal flow of Dharma,
regardless of what name you call it,
whether Dharma or some other name,
has eternally existed.
It has been before any of the
great teachers were born.
It is not better than, or alternative to,
but is inclusive of all.
Dharma is that out of which our
earth and humanity itself emerged.
Dharma not only is,
but always was, and always will be.
To live in alignment with,
and to know the true nature
of that Sanatana Dharma
is one of the ways of describing
the higher goal of life.

30 Days of Haiga 2017: Day 11: End of Story

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Notes:

Without going into too much detail, which would detract from the viewing of the image, I have had a difficult year. I have changed jobs six times and eventually ended up changing careers entirely. 

There are aspects of my current job which I really appreciate, but it is not an easy job and I do not make as much money as I did in my previous profession, which there are several reasons I can't go back to, the biggest one being changes in my diabetes which lead to fatigue and weakness if I don't pace myself.

I feel like I have lost the things that made me who I am: my imagination and my ability to enter other worlds astrally and psychically. My heart is heavy and I feel broken. I feel that I am constantly being punished and that there is no need for external hells when all the hell I need is here in the loss of that which made me who I am.

Cross-posted to:

Crazy Creatives Cheerleading Camp

Dark Hearts Love Too

Dream About Me Sweet Brother

Encyclopedia Netherworld

Esoteric Escape

Fetch

Netherworld Writer's Guild

One Love

Starry Demons

Strands of Eternity

What is God?

The real Jesus?

It is within the letters of Luke that we learn of Jesus speaking of the kingdom of heaven, telling us that it lies within us. With this parable Jesus, a Hebrew Buddha, reveals that heaven is within you not something you reach after death. This simple truth has been distorted over the years by various organised religions who have totally misunderstood their Messiah's words. By adding a touch of the supernatural they have missed the truth. Heaven, hell are mere words invented by man then fed to the superstitious. Heaven and hell are subjective points of view. As with all words they were invented to enable communication between our species and as such carry no weight to the rest of the natural world. Yet, even so, words are necessary for without them understanding, a poetical meaning at times, would not be conveyed. As concepts, heaven is bliss and hell the reverse. Bliss is a state of perfect happiness, oblivious of everything else often perceived as being reached after death. This is nonsense. You do not have to die to be blissful but rather have to live now.
When I think of heaven, or I should say, the way I was taught as a child to think of heaven it was as a distant location somewhere beyond the known universe, a sort of extra dimensional place where the dead hang out. This is categorically not what Jesus said. Here is the quote...

"The kingdom of heaven does not come with signs to be perceived. You cannot say, ah, it’s over here or look, it’s over there, for I tell you the kingdom of heaven is within you."

Now, this makes perfect sense to me as it does to Taoist's and Buddhist's. Heaven is a hidden kingdom but not one found on any celestial map, it is not a location found only through the death of the physical body but is found within us all should we have the desire to seek it. Heaven is consciousness. it is when we 'awaken' from the control our minds put us under.

The more I read of Jesus the more I realise how right I was when I wrote these juvenile lines. Jesus was a songwriter and a beautiful song it was too but the band he chose to play it were off key and out of tune. Where once I was angry now I am not. I bear no malice nor ill will to those who remain devout but nonetheless, the words of their Messiah now resonate with another layer of meaning of truth, a deeper, more powerful force than I first perceived.

The words of Jesus I feel have been misrepresented. Much of what he said bears the stamp of a man connected to the now. He certainly was conscious. Eckhart Tolle puts it best....

“Jesus speaks of five careless women who do not have enough oil to keep their lamps burning and so miss the bridegroom and don’t get to the wedding feast. These five stand in contrast to the five wise women who have enough oil."

Five careless (unconscious) women.

Who do not have enough oil (consciousness) 

To keep their lamps burning (stay present) 

And so miss the bridegroom (the Now)

And don’t get to the wedding feast (enlightenment). 

These five stand in contrast to the five wise women who have enough oil (stay conscious)…These parables point to the transcendence of the egoic mind and the possibility of living in an entirely new state of consciousness.”

Another quote from Jesus...

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Living life more abundantly is a direct reference to being 'fully 'awake,' to be conscious. This quote strikes a powerful chord within me for in this matter Jesus and Lord Buddha share the same thought. Being conscious is to be as one with 'God,' it leads you to 'heaven, and away from the mental toil of the hell we allow ourselves to live in.

Jesus also spoke of getting rid of the ego in Matthew 16: 24 -  "If anyone wants to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  By denying themselves or, in plain English, denying the ego the individual moves ever closer to self-awareness but also removes the pain the 'I' can not only inflict the self with but also others.

Of course, God has no religion. God speaks to all humankind. God presents several paths by which we can attain the truth of living and of dying and of the self. Eckhart Tolle again...

“All religions are equally false and equally true, depending on how you use them. You can use them in the service of the ego, or you can use them in the service of the Truth. If you believe only your religion is the Truth, you are using it in the service of the ego. Used in such a way, religion becomes ideology and creates an illusory sense of superiority as well as division and conflict between people. In the service of the Truth, religious teachings represent signposts or maps left behind by awakened humans to assist you in spiritual awakening, that is to say, in becoming free of identification with form.”

“There is only one absolute Truth, and all other truths emanate from it. When you find that Truth, your actions will be in alignment with it. Human action can reflect that Truth, or it can reflect illusion. Can the Truth be put into words? Yes, but the words are, of course, not it. They only point to it. The Truth is inseparable from who you are. Yes, you are the Truth. If you look for it elsewhere, you will be deceived every time. The very Being that you are is Truth. Jesus tried to convey that when he said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’ These words uttered by Jesus are one of the most powerful and direct pointers to the Truth, if understood correctly. If misinterpreted, however, they become a great obstacle.”

“Jesus speaks of the innermost I Am, the essence of identity of every man and woman, every life-form in fact. He speaks of the life that you are. Some Christian mystics have called it the Christ within; Buddhists call it your Buddha nature; for Hindus, it is Atman, the in-dwelling God. When you are in touch with that dimension within yourself — and being in touch with it is your natural state, not some miraculous achievement — all your actions and relationships will reflect the oneness with all life that you sense deep within. This is love. Laws, commandments, rules and regulations are necessary for those who are cut off from who they are, the Truth within.  They prevent the worse excesses of the ego, and often they don’t even do that. ‘Love and do what you will,’ said St. Augustine. Words cannot get much closer to the Truth than that.” 

In Buddhist terms, Jesus was a Buddha - an enlightened man. When asked at his trial by Pontious Pilate if he is the son of God his reply was 'So you say.' He does not admit to the implied heresy of claiming a direct birthright to God. Heaven lies within, remember that.

Is Fat Really The Worst Thing A Person Can Be?

Thank you to Julia Smith for sharing these thoughts from J.K. Rowling.

"Fat’ is usually the first insult a girl throws at another girl when she wants to hurt her.

I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me; but then, you might retort, what do I know about the pressure to be skinny? I’m not in the business of being judged on my looks, what with being a writer and earning my living by using my brain…

I went to the British Book Awards that evening. After the award ceremony I bumped into a woman I hadn’t seen for nearly three years. The first thing she said to me? ‘You’ve lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw you!’

‘Well,’ I said, slightly nonplussed, ‘the last time you saw me I’d just had a baby.’

What I felt like saying was, ‘I’ve produced my third child and my sixth novel since I last saw you. Aren’t either of those things more important, more interesting, than my size?’ But no – my waist looked smaller! Forget the kid and the book: finally, something to celebrate!

I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny – a thousand things, before ‘thin’. And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons."

The Cheese and J.K. Rowling Hath Grated It

The New Cold War - A response

The New Cold War is, in my view, the Old Cold War as seen in a mirror. By that I mean the Imperialism as exhibited by the U.S.S.R has been reversed.  Now, rather than face the fear of a missile launch from what was the Red Bloc we, that is the rest of the world, fear the ever growing presence of Imperial America as it strings a veritable noose of missiles around the Chinese border whilst forever pressing forward into what was once Soviet soil. Korea may be the imminent threat, certainly not Iraq as voiced by George W Bush, but it is the manner in which China has been surrounded by weapons of war making them feel under siege whilst the Russian's regret conceding an inch of territory let alone Eastern Germany, we must question. 

We only have to look at the maps of the Russian Empire from 1949 until 1989 and compare them to contemporary maps of the region to see the stark reality. We then must ask how and why this has happened and then question what on earth were successive American Presidents thinking when they broke the unwritten agreement as made between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

 

Gorbachev voluntarily conceded East Germany saying that America could even rearm unified Germany as long as they and the West didn't encroach one inch on what was Imperial Russian soil. America now has missile bases in Romania which is within striking distance of Moscow. This is no different to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 yet the West does not seem overly concerned at the implications. Russia has been forced into a corner one there are only two ways to get out from. The first is by peaceful negotiation. The second is to do what they are already doing - flexing their muscle in the Ukraine and Syria. 

The Cold War has just warmed up but it is the same protagonists as previously with little changes, apart from the change in balance, of who the combatants will be. Russia is now finding they are forced to ally themselves with China which China is glad to accept as they too are being lambasted by President Trump. Why is it our political administrators never see history repeating itself but steadfastly, and quite literally, stick to their guns?

North Korea is a danger. That much is obvious. Still, another question has to be asked, who is the world's largest seller of arms? And who did that nation obliterate during the last Korean War? It has been written in American history books that 20% of the Korean population was massacred. Not the military but women and children too. Is it any wonder that Korean's north of the divide have long memories? I believe Kim Jong Un is hell bent on revenge but hasn't weighed up all the options. War would be catastrophic for all humankind. It would probably provide the reality all those Sci-Fi films have depicted. Another is to place an embargo on oil as suggested by Japan. This would very likely bring the nation, innocent population and all, to their knees. The other one, the one both Republican's and those Moderate Republican's right of  Bernie Sanders would probably veto, is to broker a peace agreement.

No, I don't think North Korea is carrying out a Cold War with the USA. I think the situation is far more incendiary than that. The New Cold War is the same as the Old Cold War warmed up a bit and with the roles reversed. 

The Afterlife

No mysticism, no need for deities or the belief you will be reincarnated just the simple fact your self returns to the eternal when your physical form dies. There is no need to fear death if you live a life as you want to live it now in the present. 

The New Cold War

You're Lost Little Boy Version 13

Photoshop Manipulation by The Real Cie

I had a very realistic nuclear attack dream where I was in downtown Denver and could see the cloud appearing on the horizon. People were staring and screaming. Some were starting to run, but most of us realized there was no escape.

I wanted to see my son again. I wanted to call my mother, with whom I have a troubled relationship, and tell her that I love her even though our bond is difficult. I wasn't afraid so much as extremely sad. I knew there was nothing more I could to do. My last words were "Gem, come get me, please come get me."

When I woke up in my son's living room, I was surprised because the dream was that real.

I'm not sharing this as some sort of prophecy of doom, just a thought that with the Cheeto Warmonger and his pissing contest with Krazy Kim Jong Un, the pervasive feeling that power-hungry kooks could reduce us all to ash and perma-fuck the rest of the planet which many of us remember from the Cold War has made a resurgence.

I was once talking to my son about how living during the Cold War has formed the sorts of things I write and even the way I think. I said that I never thought much about the future when I was younger because I was pretty sure I didn't have one as I figured I was going to die in a nuclear exchange.

My son made the remark that he didn't know what it was like living during the Cold War, but the older science fiction that he likes to read gave him an idea of how people who lived then thought and felt with the looming shadow of possible nuclear war.

The other day I said to him "remember how you said you didn't know what it was like to live during the Cold War? Well, thanks to Trump, now you do."

My reasons to hate Lord Dampnut do not lessen as his time in office marches on.

~Cie~

Jesus Said

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

This, like so much in the Bible, is a symbolic fable. Jesus is not speaking of how nice it would be if we have a consumer society or an even larger supermarket filled with cut price goods but is speaking of an abundance of life. Jesus is speaking of awareness, of being awake to life so that you may enjoy it all the more. Of silencing, those thoughts that persist to race through our brains, that seldom cease their endless chatter unless we work to silence them. When we do 'God,' or as I would say the eternal, communes with us, we become one, we awake to all that there is, we become present, in the now. This is meditation, this is Mindfulness.

Hate

It is not the hated who hurts but the hater. Hate hurts the hater far more than the hated. Hate can upset and unsettle the hated but hate burns at the mind of the hater until they, not the intended, are its victim.

Music Of Cathedrals and Forgotten Temples | 1-Hour Atmospheric Choir Mix

Barry Gibb - In The Now with Barry Gibb

Barry Gibb is 71 years old today. He is a lovely man who has known a lot of loss, being the only surviving brother in a once-large family. His sister is still alive as well.

I didn't know that his wife was THAT Linda Gray, AKA Sue Ellen Ewing.

Barry once saw the ghost of his brother Robin. Robin also told him in a dream that he needed to start making music again.

Linda saw Andy's ghost.

It is my belief that this close family will always be together.

I know that a lot of people think that ghosts are "delusions" of a troubled mind, brought on by grief or longing.

I have seen very few ghosts, but the ones I saw were not people I was particularly close to. In fact, most of them were animals, and most of those were not animals that I had known. The second human ghost I saw was not someone I knew at all or had any connection to.

I was not "under the influence" of anything which might alter my thought processes at the time when I saw these ghosts, and I was rested enough that I wasn't prone to the hallucinations which can come with sleep deprivation. Said hallucinations always consist of animals in any case, and not animals which would be seen in the area where I live. 

I generally see penguins when I'm sleep deprived, but one time I saw a bear and another time a large snake such as an anaconda or python. These animals could be astral projections, but I am willing to agree that they could also be visions brought to me by exhaustion.

I believe that not all realities or possibilities can be explained by modern science. I think it is fair to be skeptical but to paint someone as demented, delusional, or "insane" because they have experienced something that cannot be explained by modern science and which the person judging them demented, delusional, or "insane" has not experienced is short-sighted, rude, and unfair. I believe in keeping an open mind.

Happy birthday to the wonderful Barry Gibb. I am glad that his brothers are still looking after him.

~Cie~