Dear Deepak,

Advancing our consciousness is our birth right and We also have a right to a clean environment and I think your 7 steps for peace will certainly be a solution in the right direction. If each one of us practice 7 steps for peace, it will help the whole planet

http://store.chopra.com/blankcontentpage.asp?ContentID=179

Love,
Venky

All fine and good Deepak. I read your book "Peace Is The Way". I reread certain sections and thought very carefully about them. There are holes in some of your philosophies. I say this not because I wish to be a lightning rod heading straight for the lighthouses. I wanted to read your book and feel that it made sense. I like peace. I would love to have argued with people that we should not be in Iraq using the entire meaning you put forth in your book to back up my argument. Only there were some wide generalizations made by you to support your argument for peace. I mentioned one area I found confusing on the last thread.
Apparently, critical thought is now considered to be "thought policing".
If you want to raise consciousnesses, you cannot expect people to give up their right to critical thought. Or right off honest questions they may have by calling these questioners "lightning rods".
Sorry, but the lightning rod accusation is totally unfounded.
I have enjoyed your books and insights, but politically you have lost me. And it is not b/c I savor the status quo or have money to protect.

What can I say that Deepak hasn´t already said in his programms..? ;)
haha,
In the topic,
Q- Question: authority, ideology, for the purpose of not falling in the trap of hypnoses of social conditioning!

That, with PASSION!!
Love, Peace, Emancipation!

Just to clarify: it is some of your idealistic notions (ie. can be found in the section on good and evil in "Peace is the Way") that you use to build the argument for peace that I question. I do not
dislike the fact that you advocate peace. Nor do I seek to take away your or anyone else's right to advocate peace. I give you credit as a brilliant mind--albeit a brilliant mind that may stumble on some of the same rocks that even a brilliant mind may stumble on). Your book was carefully thought out. But so are my questions.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need another mountain,
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross,
Enough to last till the end of time.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh listen, lord, if you want to know.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some but for everyone.

No, not just for some, oh, but just for everyone

Burt Bacharach - What The World Needs Now Is Love Lyrics

Deepak,

Sir, you are, umm, well, I don't know. . .

You are just really kewl (cool), I guess that is the best way I can say it.

I noticed on the front page of this site concerns are being expressed about how political topics have become, and I have posted a few things that I would have to label hopelessly idealistic, yet with resounding "political" overtones.

I am not Indian, I am not of the Hindu religious persuasion, but the basic philosophical/religious feeling I get from this community I enjoy very much. . .

I do not want to in any way detract from the beautiful words your family and friends speak here, I am just a stranger, searching, searching for peace and a union of humankind.

So, if this is just an Indian community, I will bother you with my posts no more, like I said, this place is really kewl, and I most definitely do not want to bring any sort of negative backlash upon you or anybody else involved in this community. I probably know your answer already, but for the sake of propriety, I think it is only proper to have your grace.

Thank you sir, and God bless

Well said Deepak. If all of us could raise our own consciousness, the world will be in a better place.

I think the spirits spearheading evolution will have to witness the diseased consciousness of the stragglers in order to feel the impetus needed to push ever-harder into uplifting themselves into 'higher' states of consciousness. Going with the whole Hologram thing, this would also imply that all of us have parts that are straggling in our own consciousness that must be dealt with. If we are all ONE at some point in the big scheme, an analogy would be lifting a bed sheet from its center - at some point the edges must follow. Critical mass is it? Krishna(outside in), Buddha(inside out), Spirit of Christ(little of both) were all opening doors for this advancement to occur. For any one who has seen Vanilla Sky - "TECH SUPPORRRRRRRRRRRRT!"
It has been said that there is no GOING to heaven, we should be drawing heaven down to the Earth - effectively creating Eden.

I'd go one step further than saying that spiritual advancment is a birthright, it is a DUTY. Rosicrucians say that a spirit is either marching into evolution or annihilation. I know what my pick is!

I don't understand. Why anyone would feel oppressed and not be able to raise his/her level of consciousness. I think the higher the level of consciousness, less oppressed one would feel. Gandhi did not feel oppressed at all. Sure, he was the lightning rod but that is because he brought his consciousness to the political arena at the right time and got huge following. Perhaps it is related one's ability to articulate the issue involved. But that is all political, is'nt it? There may have been so many other people with equally high level of consciousness and chose not to get into political arena. I cannot see the connection between the civil right movement and raising the level of conscoiusness. I am lost.
Morris

Good luck y'all. It's been nice talking to all of you. This atmosphere is way to repressive to the thinking mind. As I told Fool, it is evident that critical thought is not allowed here or, at the very least, frowned upon. I read Deepak's book and came here looking to get clearer about Iraq, war, etc. But goshdarn, you guys already have everything figured out and, apparently, conscousness has now become a "civil right" that I presume is being "violated" by critical thinking, questioning, or disagreement.
I will go now to ponder my unenlightened mind. And hey, I look at it this way, I'll save twenty bucks the next time Deepak comes out with a book!
Take care everyone.

Can we create a quantum leap in consciousness? If so, how? Can we predict the when?

Dr. Chopra speaks of reaching a critical mass. Are our collective efforts here on intentBlog meant to build our numbers until we realize critical mass?

What happens when mankind crosses that magical threshold? I hope to witness it. Soon.

dulcie,

Do you want the truth, or do you want drama?

DEEPAK:

"The kind of oppression that many people are feeling right now is more than political"

I value this statement at this moment more then all the words I've written in the past three days. (On this site).

No matter what my thoughts on Dafur, Saudi Arabia, Kashmir, New Orleans, Brisbane, Ukraine, Peru or the Ant Arctic are, something is transpiring that supersedes all of those issues.

Something so much more basic is happening.

People are observant when they suggest that the conversation on this blog be geared more toward a spiritual direction. However the political debates you bring into focus are a part of the much larger picture that none of us can see (yet).

Something more basic is going on then civil rights, human rights, sexual rights etc.

A basic "right" of every individual is emerging. The right to an expanded consciousness.

The reason that I think the political conversation is necessary is that it effects an expanded consciousness. Will "I" participate?" Dude it was very painful. I don't know

Very timely post.

Morris,

You said "I cannot see the connection between the civil right movement and raising the level of conscoiusness."

Post 9/11 is a perfect example that consciousness is connected to civil rights issue (I don't want to use the word movement here). The kinda climate that was there in this country will vouch for this topic.

DULCEI" I think critical thought is welcomed here.

In the past 2 days I have been critical in my responses to you. I have valued your opinions. It is a backdrop for me to see how flawed my own thinking can be.

You make me think.

Dear Deepak,

Interesting post. I'm not sure how you go about ensuring that everyone has their right to consciousness protected as I suspect everyone is on a different path and so they would have different needs. Also, how do you quantify someone's consciousness level? And if you can who is in charge of checking? I applaud the sentiment though.

I believe we are on the cusp of change in our world. I think we are living at a time where the collective consciousness of the human species is ready to take a leap. It could be why the world seems to be so chaotic right now. It seems that a little chaos is expected before a shift into a new paradigm.

Peace,
Scott.

“ … The kind of oppression that many people are feeling right now is more than political.”

“…. those who want to be a lighthouse also must accept being lightning rods.“

“I think raising your own consciousness is a human right, and if you have to move obstacles in the social realm, then the consciousness movement occupies the same moral ground as civil rights did in the 1960s.”

” …society doesn't have the right to block human relationships and the love that underlies them”

“ … a great awakening, and with any luck, our backlash will end soon and we will find ourselves once more in a climate where advancing one's consciousness is protected as the most cherished of inalienable rights.”

~ Deepak Chopra

Wow! It sounds as if world peace could very well become a reality, as long as we remain conscious of peace. Deepak’s book, “Peace is the Way,” is a great book, so check it out if you haven’t already.

Love,
Char

MORRIS:

Interesting thoughts.

First I think that at some point Ghandi experienced oppression. I can't see him being human and not experiencing oppression.

Whether it's a gun barrel being stuck in your mouth or a bank teller telling you your ID is expired we all experience a form of "oppression" almost on a daily basis. Maybe we have different orientations to the concept. None the less I'm sure Ghandi experienced some form of oppression.

Second I grew up in a suburban town in the north east of America. In the 60's the black folks were oppressed. I witnessed it on a daily basis. It's hard to think about higher consciousness when your not sure if you'll be eating today.

Third. I believe that oppression can lead people to seek a higher level of consciousness versus the more familiar "fight against the oppressor".

Deepak,

Deepak wrote:
"we will find ourselves once more in a climate where advancing one's consciousness is protected as the most cherished of inalienable rights."

"Peace is the way" book should be part of the
the educational system starting grade at 3 or 4.

I would love to watch a debate live with all political leaders who in my opinion have been motivated my their own selfish greed and in my opinion made and left a MESS in this world

The debate would be with the Political Leaders and Children/Youth of the First World and the Developing World.

please join the "Virtual Peace Cell" coming
soon at www.anhglobal.org

Ashie
Heart In Aciton

I would like to do maybe a little analogy, cause I haven´t seen it made in philosophy (..or of law for that matter)

If a phenomena exists by the grace of the contrast, never mind the beholder/judgement ideas, what then would it be for the notion
of ´right´ as in civil, human?

The effectuation of it by a judge?
The effectuation by power, money or authority?
The peergroup concious pallet of behavior acceptable possibilities? norms and values?

Propably a question of sociology or antropology of law, (though the spiritual law 1 ...;)

anyway,
what was first, maybe like the chicken and the egg question,

the right or the oppression?

what is the ´contrast´ of ´a right´?

A beer (or pint for the aussie´s or english´ ;)
(a wodka for a Polish..;)
for a plausible answer,

Love, Passion,

Ps. and no ´religious´ origine of human/civil rights, that´s too easy...;)

True and pure consciousness is LOVE ... that's all.

FOOL

I did not say that Gandhi did not experience oppression. He did not feel oppressed. Also, the examples you gave are those of his fights for civil rights, needless to say arose out of his consciousness. I must say I am unable to understand why any one would feel oppressed expessing issues of his consciousness. You experience oppression when you start taking a stand. If you want others to think the way you do it becomes a political movement.
The difficulty is that everyone thinks he is got the answer and why others don't see that way. How can we figure out one is speaking with high level of consciousness. Perhaps, a simple answer is if I agree it is high if I don't it is not.
Morris

Wonderfully and perfectly said Deepak! You continue to alter and magnify my thinking processes on consiousness.

Beautifully written!

Deepak,
By all means lets raise consciousness but by whose definition?Is their an Asian ,consciouness an African consciousness? Is there a European consciousness?Is there something called human consciousness that is all encompassing transcending race, colour, class caste etc?
Who defines this level of being and knowing for all of humanity?
Eldora

Gandhi once said,and I paraphrase "I CANNOT TEACH THE ART OF NON-VIOLENCE TO A COWARD."
Many a coward exists under the shroud of the "GIFT OF THE GAB."
It takes a noble soul who is embodied in an ego- effaced person to have the capacity to respond to oppression and injustice through higher consciousness AND virtuous actions which bring about a positive change in the lives of the downtrodden and oppressed people.
Those who cannot bear the supreme insult of denial of their self respect and basic human dignity sometimes choose the lower path of violence and destruction because they have nothing else to live for.
It is self evident that without ROTI KAPDA AUR MAKAAN{FOOD CLOTHING AND SHELTER} CLEAR THINKING DOES NOT BEGIN LET ALONE HIGHER "CONSCIOUSNESS".
I TEMPER MY AWAKENED CONSCIOUSNESS WITH THE EMBARASSING FACT THAT I FEEL HELPLESS IN MY INABILITY TO DO MORE AT THE PRESENT.

I wonder if there isn't some benefit in moving away from criticism to a discerning mind that seeks to find the truth no matter how small in everything that is said.

As far as criticism it can serve a purpose and could be beneficial if we remember not to criticize the person but to target the belief, thought, or idea.

Also if your thought, belief, or idea is being criticized then one must remember not to take it personally because you are not the thought, idea, or belief. If you are offended then it is you with the problem and not the one that is critical.
.

Wow!
Awesome!
Right on!

Thanks Deepak

Deepak, I don't really understand what you are saying here. It seems to me that our level of consciousness is largely a personal matter and I don't understand how it could be taken - or given - so how can it be a right?
Or are you talking about holding certain beliefs that you associate with different levels of consciousness?
But even so, how can that given or taken or interfered with?

Love, Kristin

Richard,
I can't open the Kosha's blog anymore but I read your reply to me and I wanted to say that I appreciated your thought that "you are a programmer or a program" because it reminded me of the importance of moving beyond conditioning and using the mind rather than letting the mind use you. That does fit with what I was saying that we are either aware or we are not aware.

And, I agree that levels of consciousness do exist, and yet it was interesting to look at it from the perspective of simply being aware or not.

Love, Kristin

To quote Mr. Chopra,

"To be brutally frank, the opponents of consciousness tend to fall into two camps:

1. Those who desperately cling to the status quo for no better reason than to resist change.
2. Those who make money or protect their privilege by holding others down.

I cannot speak for you, Mr. Chopra! But I felt tired & futile back in the Roman Empire. Just I feel futile now under the America Empire.

Someone should speak out.

Especially the most privileged.

Hi Kristen,

I think there is a problem with style sheet the .css file that is causing the blog to appear blank when somebody posts a certain way. If you open it and choose view source then save it to your hard drive you can read it.

I suppose it is like being aware of the witness behind the experience.

Love & Blessings

Richard

Deepak’s presentation of “Consciousness as the new civil rights issue” is a brilliant and powerful new perspective on Consciousness. It has inspired me to suggest a practical and institutional way to at least focusing widespread attention upon the issue of enabling all people to enjoy the full measure of Consciousness - that will arise from a public discourse about implementing it – if not from actually implementing the Amendment.

It is to suggest that American, European, Indian, United Nations, and eventually, other National and Regional Constitutions include an Amendment that identifies Consciousness as an inalienable human right, and direct Government to compel public education to provide all human beings with content and skills to enable the liberation of their consciousness.

This will result in correcting, revising, integrating and removing such conceptual conditioning that obscures consciousness, and thus a) limits their freedom to feel authentically, think objectively; speak accurately and act effectively, and b) confines their pursuit of happiness by limiting the full potential of its creativity, intelligence, productivity and empathy within the narrow channels allowed by their conditioning.

Specifically, when implemented, this Amendment will reduce the likelihood that our core worldview continue to obscure and the power of our consciousness. A core worldview is the cluster of concepts in our worldview that stand for oneself and one's relationship with the other key elements of our existence.

The core concept of our conceptual system is one's identity. And the other key concepts of the system are those that relate the self to these other key elements, like feelings, thoughts, ideas, actions, other people, other creatures, and the rest of the world. In a great many people these key elements would include elements like GOD, Spirit, Soul, etc., and among these people, these concepts would take many forms, like Jehovah, Allah, Christ, Brahman, Buddha and so on.

Together, clustered around our central identity concept, the core worldview functions as our primary filter for both interpretation and interactions with the rest of the world. And it is the extent of refraction or distortion imposed by this conceptual filter that determines the extent to which our consciousness is obscured.

Here's where this becomes a RIGHTS issue. Most of the concepts that comprise our core worldview DON’T originate from our direct experience. They originate instead from cultural conditioning that was uploaded into us during our early years, when we have no way to review, or evalutate or reject the conceptual clusters of beliefs and assumptions.

This means that every new human being is being invaded with conceptual content from outside oneself, which conceptual content is uploaded into the conceptual levels of our being, resulting in the obscuring of one’s consciousness. As much of this conceptual content is isolating and divisive, it dramatically limits the freedom of the individual. How can someone conditioned to regard oneself to be a Protestant, a Catholic, a Sunni, a Shiite, a Buddhist or Hindu – or American, English, German, French, Russian, Indian etc., be free to regard the world objectively and feel accurately?

Now there are two strategies for addressing this invasion of the integrity of an individual that obscures and contains one's Consciousness: either before the invasion by prevention, or after the invasion, in the form of correction, revision, integration or removal of those elements of our core worldview that contribute directly to the obscuring and containment of our Consciousness.

We currently don’t know how to implement prevention strategy without taking new human beings from their families which are the primary sources of such conceptual invasions. In any event there is much useful knowledge that also gets transmitted like this.

So the alternative is to provide all individuals, as early as they are able, to correct, revise, integrate and remove those uploaded concepts that are obscuring their consciousness.

Any government that is committed to ensuring life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all of its citizens, must also recognize and acknowledge that the uploading of conceptual conditioning into young individuals constitutes an invasion that diminishes at least the freedom, if not also one’s capacity for the pursuit of happiness – if only by obscuring one’s consciousness, and its bounty of creativity, intelligence, productivity and empathy

As it is the self-avowed responsibility of governments to protect us from the diminishment of our liberty and the pursuit of happiness, it is high time that a Constitutional Amendment compelled our Governments to provide us with the means to enjoy the full measure of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which has traditionally being thwarted by the conceptual content that was uploaded into our conceptual filters when we were helpless to prevent or refine it.

Dear Dulcie,

With your comments you are really standing in your own power and I respect you for that. Because that is what Peace really means. To be consciously aware of your own strength or power.
This might give rise to chaos but if we respect the freedom that is inside each one us we can honour this in ourself and in the other. Often we are debating from our own point of view because that is the way we have been brought up with all kind of conditioning attached to it.
As I see it, freedom gives you the opportunity to fill in your own life the way you would really want it to be and I think that we have to come up with ideas on how we can develop this for ourselves and our surroundings with respect to every living being. And that means that in a way we have to program ourselves from scratch.

Thank you Ravi and Richard and others for leading the way.

Thank you Deepak for making this happen.

Namaste, Mieke

Brilliant, Deepak! Pure, deep, clear brilliance of spirit!

It is our right to raise our consciousness because it is our destiny to evolve. And if I am to be brutally frank ;) what is oppressing us is the narrowness of our own present level of consciousness.

We have the right to evolve beyond our self-made problems, and the darker the absurdity of our present state of affairs, the clearer it becomes that the answers are in a new level of consciousness.

The influence of entropy, of personal and social resistance and fear, is nothing in the face of the necessity to evolve. Every one of us who is growing knows that this means shaking off all norms or structures we are used to and that this expansive movement happens like a wave, for all humanity alike, and cannot be resisted.

Liberation from the limitations of our consciousness requires us to step over the imaginary lines of our old conditioning in all aspects of life. We are not rebelling against outside situations, we are rebelling against our own limitations, and the pull towards evolution is happening in consciousness as a whole.

We have a right to evolve, because evolution is our nature.

Deepak, you are an inspiration to many people who are striving to shine forth the values of an expanded consciousness. You are being your most authentic self regardless of what anyone thinks you should be and no matter how furiously the lightning strikes :) It is clear to me that you are aware that the lightning is just another phenomenon in the vastness of yourself.

Deepak,

As usual, your words open up new vistas of thought.

Aurora' it is our right to raise our consciousness because it is our destiny to evolve'. very nice indeed. There are those who are spiritual who believe in innate intelligence and others who believe they are more intelligent than nature and want to control others.I think evolution is about going from the control level to the higher..we have to pass from each though. There are no short cuts here.Perfectionism, on the other hand is a disease which can lead to insanity so says sri nityannda. He also said that the universe responds to our state of being, and state of being brings us status and not the other way round.

In the Far East when one dies, he checks in with BUDDHA.

In the Middle East, he checks in with Allah.

In the West, he checks in with St. Peters, who represents Jesus in Heaven.

Tyan died. St. Peters greeted her at the Gate.

St. Peters checked his computer & before he said anything,
Tyan,"I thought you got kicked out of Heaven by the military muslims & the evangelicals!!!What happened???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

St. Peters, "GOD forbid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are you here? Have you found Celia your boyfriend who was missing in action in Iraq yet?"

"No. I am looking for my doctor girlfriend who was looking after some kids in New Orleans & I never heard from her since."

"Did you check with Bush?"

"That moron knows nothing except for giving out speeches to the stupid!!"

"What is her name?"

"Lyne."

St. Peters, "She hasn't checked in yet. The Hindu camp is my best answer. They are the only people for peace & for compassion!!!

By the way, have you found Celia yet???"

"Those Indian guys stink!!!", Tyan.

Disappointed, Tyan is back on earth again.

Dear Kaveetaa,

I have a little grandsun whose state of being is so beautiful that when looking at this child i feel the happiness radiating around me. And the universe responds to me if I tell myself that I wish my grandchild and all the children in the whole world to follow their destiny in a way that will make them happy. And if I raise my consciousness a bit further I understand that we all are children of this beautiful planet called Earth and we are all able each in our own way to make this a place that everyone loves to live on.Let us try it. Not by trying to reach perfectionism but by trying to figure out how we could for instance change the education of our children to make them aware of being unique and being one on a deeper level at the same time.
Mieke

Mieke,

Your thought of children in this context was sooo wonderful.. I simply love to be around them too. In fact the happiest years were when my kids were toddlers. I decided to make a choice to be with them so gave up a career and never regretted even for a day. I am in tune totally with what you aver. I truly wish we could take the children with us and raise their consciousness as if by the magic of our deeds. like everything else we protect them from , I wonder if we could vicariously through our experiences shield them from pain, sorrow. anguish. I wish we could take their share and let them get the fruits thereof. I know it is not possible nor advisable, since each has to tread his own path. Our children have come through us but not from us..Agreed??

Aurora,

Aurora would you be so kind and elaborate on this state of being and knowing that you and Deepak call consciousness?.
You talk about stepping out of your limitations.Could you explain ?In what ways are "limitations" similar across the spectrum of human existence?
The way I see it all this is relative your limitations/consciousness are different from mine.Or is there some generality of states of being conscious? .What is the goal of this state of being and knowing?Where does it lead the consciousness graduate?
What do we look like when we are conscious?How do we behave when we are conscious?How do truth seekers know they have reached consciousness?
Eldora

Dulcie,
If you have something to say say it.Criticism is good in this world of ideas .We are a diverse nation of human beings each of us is in fact different. This individuality is our heritage our right .It is what makes us disc tinctly unique,
Your ideas are respected and valued .Why deprive us?
We will read your book when you write .So write on Dulcie!
Eldora

All men stink.

All Indian men stink.

An old spinster.

The Law of Cause & Effect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do yoy get IT!!!

Fool!?!?

Yes Kaveeta, I do agree with you. We receive our children as a gift and have to let go of them bit by bit. This is also what my mother told me and what I told my own children. But I have to tell you, being a grandmother is something so totally different that you have to be one to believe it. Me, learning so much of this little being, realizing that I would move the earth for him if I could. I do realize that this is the circle of life and that we all live on in our children and this is truly the state of being to strive for. Peace in my heart is the most beautiful thing to achieve in my life. But I also have the intention to leave a better world for my children and grandchildren and that is what I still want to achieve by standing in my own power and trying to do the best that I can in my own way.
Mieke

Eblandin and Scott
Good questions.
In the pro-Intelligent-Design group's view, they are really suggesting ways to protect the civil right of children, as it were, to advance their awareness about evolution and existence of God. Others may think that the underlying motivation is advancing their brand of Christianity at the expence of scientific thought. So, when talk about an individual/group's ability to recognize and be aware of some fundamental human values as a civil right, we not only lack precise definitions but it is hard to formulate them. The civil rights come into conflict because their defintion depends upon perception.

To have self respect and to know that I am as worthy as anybody else is of course not only a right but natural by birth for a human being. What causes an individual or a group to lose this awareness is the already existing economical, social, cultural, and political environment in which the individual/group has to live and the necessity of having to adjust to it. The individual/group may try to resist at first but gives up resisting when met with ovewhelming force. There may come a stage when the individual/group gets brainwashed into accepting their inferior status in the society. In modern times, it is at least, politically incorrect to say one race is superior to another or one gender is superior to another or one religion is superior to another. So it seems some awakening has taken place in societies' collective awareness.
Historically in all religions, women are treated inferior to men in intelligence, and in spirituality. We know the double standards of Islam. Christians think God is a man and many Christian sects do not allow women to preach in Churches. Officially, Hindu philosophy does not discriminate against women but in practice, there is a lot of discrimination in Hindu society. Yet, there has been considerable change
in women's status towards the better, in all societies and awakening of society as a whole in this aspect.
It is unfortunate but whether it is in ancient or modern times, besides the instinct of self respect, there are also aggressive instincts in human mind that provoke the desire for domination. Being in a physically advantageous position gives support to achieving that desire. Religion is a tool which is supposed to help human beings in conquering the desire for domination and treat others as one would treat oneself. But in practice religion failed to do so. Each religious group thinks it is its civil right to raise its own "level of consciousness".

"GOD is Consciousness is Enlightenment is Ultimate Wisdom is everything........."---------------------Confuse-us, a Chinaman who lived in the same era as BUDDHA------

Enlightenment cannot be explained in words or by any other means.

Enlightenment is BEING. IT is actually more than an experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But experiencing Enlightenment is a start.

Symala
So it means knowing you are worthy?Worthy of what?Respect ? Respect from whom?Bigots,racists?
Maybe consciousness empowers you to ignore these people?But what if they ridicule you, hurt you, attack you verbally and physically? How does your consciousness help you to deal with those levels of disrespect and prejudice ?
eldora

GOD is also ONENESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But don't confuse IT with "mix-it-all-up"

There are Indian men. We all agree they all stink!

But there is Mr. Chopra!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope this will boost your ego! Mr. Chopra!

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Mr. Chopra, will you marry me??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

To our children's children (thank you Mieke):
the atom is no longer a particle,
it's a wave
to be a wave implies space for the wavelength
to traverse this space requires time
who will take the time? the particle

These are the four manus of Hinduism. We are just like our Father (made in His image) in that we create all sorts of things in our mind and then come out believing them.

"oh wotteth man this
what a marvel it is
when seeing and saying and hearing
are done" the gita

Mrs. Chopra,

After all I have said & not done, I fooly realize my STUPIDITY & my admiration for Mr. Chopra.

If he wants to marry me, I will kill him with my two hands.

All say & no action!!!!!That is my point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If we do nothing, Bush & the devil will take over the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Syamala,

Interesting. However, it is one thing to declare a right and an entirely other thing to be able to protect...especially when we can't really define it. States of consciousness can be hinted at by definition but really only experienced.

For example, we can say you have the right to free speech, and then define that right. Free political discourse without the fear that government might lock you up for disagreeing with their policy. However, the right to certain levels of consciousness is scary because everyone defines it differently and there is no way to tell where someone is.

Even saying: "We have the right to evolve." What does that mean? Evolution is happening or it is not happening.

However, we CAN have the right to PURSUE the evolution of Consciousness, but not the right to get it...just like you can have the right to pursue happiness but no one can give you the right to Happiness...that comes from within.

Peace,
Scott.

When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it - always.
- Mahatma Gandhi

Sorry, I think I had a moment of Zen there. What I meant to say is that I don't think my consciouness is sphereical or rectangular, that is to say it occupies no space. Therefore, if it occupies no space then it is not limited by time, as my previous post proves....(Sherry's algorythm) Therefore we can say it is eternal. Now wouldn't that be something to realise?

Our prayers are thoughts, vibrations. They carry meaning. I don't think their meaning is lost on the Buddhi Intelligence of the Creator.

I know it isn´t in the topic..yes it is! ;)

For the people in the Netherlands,
Dr. Chopra on 9 april in Amsterdam en 11 april 2006 in Utrecht

http://www.nieuwedimensies.nl/
http://www.happylife.nl/

and,
Neale Donald Walsch naar Nederland

Neale Donald Walsch houdt een lezing op 21 oktober 2005 in de stadsschouwburg te Deventer en op 22 en 23 oktober 2005 een 2-daagse Workshop op het landgoed De Horst te Driebergen

http://www.heartevents.nl

MORRIS:

I agree

Thank you so much Deepak, for being a lighthouse and also for having to be the lightning rod! In sharing your wisdom you have done so much in helping people to raise their own consciousness, in me especially! I am forever grateful as I would say I am one of those women you mentioned who are currently "cresting a wave in consciousness-raising." If not for your books, I might still be floundering around in the trough! I imagine a world where every one of us has a chance to feel what it is like to be on the crest, to view the light and find their light within.

RAVI:

Brilliant idea. I think the UN would be a great place to initiate this dialogue.

Scott,
I agree with everything you said. As you said, in some part of the world, we at least accept that freedom of speech is a civil right although we may not have access to it in practice because of circumstances. At least we know what freedom of speech means. But what does evolution of consciousness mean or level of consciousness mean? How do you define them?
Independent of my above response to you, I want to clarify my previous comment at the end -Each religious group thinks it is its civil right to raise its own "level of consciousness". By "own" I mean defined by that group and as understood by that group. My point is what is a civil right for one group may restrict the freedom of another.
We can write laws to give freedom to speak but to write laws to give freedom of thought? Don't we already have that freedom?

Syamala:

Referring to freedom of thought, you ask rhetorically, "don't we already have that freedom?"

The answer is a resounding NO!

Our thought, which means all the conceptual formation and processing is done with data that we did not choose.

Imagine you had twin triplets that you gave away for adoption immediately after birth to a Palestinian family, an Israeli family, and a White Supremacist family.

Now imagine them grown to adulthood. And imagine the way their thoughts would be interpeting what is going on in the world today.

Kaveeta, I agree with you, control is an expression of fear and separateness we can learn to let go of, step by step. I loved your quote about the universe responding to our state of being, thank you.

Eldora,

I’ll try to explain my perspective. On the surface, we may seem to have completely different experiences, situations and limitations, and this is maybe the most obvious level of life. As they say, we all walk our own path… but the deeper we look, the more we see that we are not separate entities isolated from everything else, but a whole, moving together in a stream of evolution. Even if the details of our paths seem to be colourfully unique for each of us, we all walk from the illusion of being a small, separate, ephemeral physical entity at the mercy of a hostile and unpredictable environment, through different stages of awareness of who we are, to the complete knowledge and experience of our identity as the source, process and product of creation.

We know that we have reached a limitation every time we face a problem that doesn’t seem to have a solution. Such dead-end situations are the challenges that stimulate the growth of our consciousness. Depending on where we are on our path, our challenges may look different, but the lessons we learn through them are similar, like the insight that our physical body is a product of the mind, that the mind is a tool of creation, that our actions don’t need to be automatic and so on. Step by step, every one of us gets closer to the truth we share, and the focus on a "separate" path dissolves more and more together with the illusion of our individuality.

You ask "what do we look like when we are conscious?" We are always more or less conscious; human beings represent a stage of evolution where consciousness is aware of its existence. But at this stage in our collective evolution, we still largely identify with the roles we play as individuals, and measure our value according to physical/moral /social/political/economical norms and not in terms of pure existence.

You then ask "How do we behave when we are conscious?" - again, being conscious is a relative term, but the more our consciousness expands, the less our behaviour comes as an automatic, conditioned response to life. Being free from conditioning means being free to access our full potential as creators of reality.

"How do truth seekers know they have reached consciousness?"- If there is anything to reach, it is the full recognition that there is only consciousness. This truth reveals itself as soon as we have removed the different layers of separateness.

Hi to the Intentblog family: I loved the reference to "inalienable rights."

In the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights--it is amazing that there are the words, "We take these truths to be self-evident....."; and yet, those who wish to diminish, or totally obliterate, the "inalienable and unalienable rights" of others will do everything possible to remove the awareness of those "God-given" rights.

After all, that is what those words, "inalienable and unalienable," are about--that truth that we did not "give ourselves," or another, these rights--they were given to us by a "higher force," maybe an eternally Creative Force, and that we also can't give those rights away or take them away from another.

There is a saying: "If you don't know what your rights are, you don't have any." Hence, the need to keep the masses ignorant--for those who find self-satisfaction in dominating others--rather than helping them to realize their own rights to powers that are "not of this world."

Ravi: I think you are a reincarnation of one of those "Founding Fathers," of those divinely-inspired documents, that are our most recent attempts at re-establishing our rights-to-those-rights! Dave

Ravi,
In the circumstance you described, the thought process was influenced by Israeli, or Palestine, or White Supremast environment. That is exactly what I said in my previous post - I said that in practice, people are brainwashed by the society they live in. So, I am not disagreeing with you om that point.
There is no inconsistency in what I said in the two posts if we use Scott's langauge to explain. Scott says we have the right to freedom of speech but in real world, we cannot always have access to it. Similarly, by our very existence, we have the right to think freely without bias or without being influenced by past or future. That pure Consciousness, which is within us all can tell us at any instant, how to think freely in an unbiased, unselfish way self-respecting but respecting others as well but we are not able to listen to it or access it.

Thank you Aurora.
But surely this state of being which according to you merges us with the realisation that there is only consciousness should also guide us as to how we live our lives in the face of such ever present human planes of existence as hate, racism ,bigotry ,cruelty and greed,disrepect closed minds and dishonesty.As we all move toward this higher ground how do we deal with these issues in our workplace families communities.After all as we evolve toward this state we still have to eat, work ,pay our bills and take care of our families.
Does this consciousness state render us impervious to the pain of human cruelty?And if so how does it do that ?
eldora.

Syamala,

Thank you for you kind explanation. My post above of the 16th, 10:31pm therefore suggests a somewhat far-fetched, but not entirely unrealistic solution toward ensuring for future generations, freedom of thought from the conditioning that invades us from the cultural environment.

Aurora, what a beautiful post (to Eldora)!

I would like to suggest that there is only a single layer we need to focus upon, namely our conceptual filter. It is here, specifically at this level, that our interpretations and learnings get distorted, which misdirects our actions.

Hi, everyone:
I am very new to this blog site. I have only read a couple of Deepak's books, but I know this:
There has to be a higher purpose for mankind than making money. It is this higher purpose that ought to drive our collective economies and politics.
Will we disagree? yes. But fundamentally we have to admit that there has to be something greater than money and move towards it; otherwise it will only be status quo.
Collective consciousness is the only answer. Moving in that direction is the only solution.

Eldora asks Aurora:

"Does this consciousness state render us impervious to the pain of human cruelty?And if so how does it do that?"

No doubt Aurora will answer Eldora thoroughly as she has done already. But in the meantime, I would like to take the opportunity raised by the use of the word 'state' in Eldora's question.

Consciousness is not really a state. It is our common ground, within which emotional, cognitive, fantasy, active and physical states occur.

Consciousness doesn't guide us. One (pronoun for Consciousness) is who any of us – is, and also who all of us – are.

I am now going to propose, for convenience, a model of reality with which we can navigate all of the main kinds of reality and discuss consciousness and its relationship with us.

Imagine five planes of very thin glass, each exactly five millimeter thick standing behind your eyes, the nearest of these planes exactly one centimeter behind your eyes, and each of the other plates standing exactly another centimeter behind the first one and so on.

Now imagine each of these planes of glass rising from the ground up to the sky above and to the horizon on both sides of you.

Imagine that the space between each of these planes of glass contain layers of stuff, which stuff is part of your life.

Imagine that the space between the first and second planes of glass is the layer of your imaginations. You know, all your fantasies and possibilities. These are made up entirely of conceptual (abstract and non-physical) stuff, albeit organized in clusters that don’t reflect the way in which you experience your world. Let's call this the third layer (the first and second will be addressed soon).

Imagine that the space between the second and third planes of glass is the layer of your knowledge. You know, all your beliefs and assumptions. These are also entirely made up of conceptual stuff. However, unlike layer 3’s organization of this stuff in ‘unreal’ clusters, the conceptual stuff in layer 4 is organized in a way that reflects the way you experience your world. Let's call this the fourth layer.

Imagine that the space between the third and fourth planes of glass is the layer of powerful and weak magnetic charges, attractions and repulsions, that arise in response to every thing you notice either in the physical world in front of you, in the sensations in and actions made by your body, in the units of the layer of imagination behind them, the units of knowledge in the layer behind them. Let's call this the fifth layer.

Now imagine that the layer between the fourth and fifth plane of glass contains your operating system, your core worldview, your sense of self and the key relationships between your self and other key elements of your life, your family, other people, other life forms, and the rest of nature (the physical universe). Let's call this the sixth layer.

Finally, imagine that the space behind the fifth glass is consciousness, the part of you that is consious of everything else, is aware of everything else, observes everything else, perceives everything else. Let's call this the seventh layer.

Now let us return to those two mission layers, numbers one and two.

Currently, you think of yourself as your body, facing the world before you. Think of these two domains as two additional layers to add to the five layers we have already considered.

The world before you is the first layer, and it includes your body and the non-intention-based motions and processes of your body.

The intention-based actions and activities are the second layer. Why this distinction? Because everything that happens in the first layer operate according to the laws of the hard sciences, and are motions that occur out there, relatively independent of consciousness. Everything that happens in the second layer, being intentional, are the products of all the other layers, namely 3 imagination, 4 knowledge, 5 emotions 6 identity and 7 consciousness.

So the common physical reality we share comprises two kinds of transformations, the motions of the blind physical universe, and the CHANGES brought about in it by human actions driven by the other layers of reality between the 2 human actions and 7 consciousness.

Let’s call the layers between 2 and 7, namely 3, 4, 5 and 6 together, the layers of intelligence.

Your existing sense of self, is a combination of yourself as both the acter of all the motions that occur in and from your body, and the acter, the agent of all your intentional actions.

This sense of self has a serious has a serious deficiency. It divides your reality into two, divided by your skin. Outside your skin is the world out there, and inside your skin is the world in here. According to this model, all the other layers are within the body. Hence objectivity means looking outside at the physical universe outside your skin, and introspection means looking within (inside your skin).

This model places you, the experiencer of your life, in layer 2, regards layers 3, 4, 5, and 7 to be inside layer 2, and regards the world out there, outside your skin, to be layer one. This makes it very difficult to observe anything but the physical world out there, if only because we have not idea how to look IN HERE, within your skin.

This is why this is a serious problem. After all, your actions and activities in layer 2 are the result of content and processes within and among ALL the layers. Layers like your imaginations, your knowledge, your emotions, your identity and consciousness are all running on their own, driven primarily by layer 4, made up entirely of conceptual content.

So, when your virtual EYE of your physical self is located between layers 2 and 3, and you are looking forward, it is difficult for you to focus on and manage the content and processes that are driving the actions and activities you attribute to yourself as your body!

Now imagine a shift in identity. Let’s carry out an experiment. Just disengage your identity as your body. This means simply cutting the link between the concept that stands for the part of you that is experiencing your life, and the concept that stands for the part of you that stands for your body.

You have just temporarily dismantled your ego, which is the familiar sense of self you have been operating on from as far back as you can remember. Instead, redefine yourself as layer 7. Consciousness. Now the virtual EYE of your self as Consciousness has all the other layers lying in front of you. Now, suddenly, all the other layers, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 are before you. Now you can begin to see the contents of each of these layers, and how they interact with the content of the other layers layers.

What happens when you focus on the contents and processes occurring among all these layers? You realize that what you used to call MIND has been replaced by specific objects and operations that you can both observe and modify. Everytime you notice any content or process among these Intelligence layers, a new memory or interpretation is formed and falls into layer 4. Everytime a you notice this interpretation, an emotional charge gives a value to that assumption that makes it more or less important than the other elements already in the system.

Every time you have a new interpretation or memory, new imaginations come into being, which can be combined with existing memories or assumptions to form new imaginations or objects that fall into layer 3.

Bottom line, the shift of your identity from your body to consciousness dramatically increases the range of your experiences, and accelerates both the correction of existing assumptions and the formation of new assumptions. And as we have already seen, assumptions being tbe building blocks also of imagination, you get to have more ideas to let your emotional layer give value to, and all this makes you smarter, and better able to perform at work, increase your income, and take care of your family.

We can go on and on, but I better stop for this post. Let’s use this structure as a convenience for further inquiry, should anyone have any questions.

"inalienable and unalienable," david wrote,

It is by the grace of..
power, authority and money,
That you have them,

"We take these truths to be self-evident.....";

And then you, very unpolitly if I may add,
uninvited, party-crash,
a pre-emptive strike,
on a subject of international law,

"If you don't know what your rights are, you don't have any.`

This could very well be, the campaign slogan of the Bush administration,

´the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights´

I´m a big fan,
though,
I would feel pretty stupid explaining this
paper tiger, in... (you may state a ..of preference here)

Love, peace, Passion!!

Oops! I forgot to address the issue of being "impervious to the pain of human cruelty."

Of course, we will not become impervious to such pain. But SEEING pain as an object in layer 5 is less horrific than BEING pain as physical body.

Also understanding where cruelty comes from and how it works, let us begin to fashion various strategies to reduce it in future.

Well, that´s pretty simple, my dear Ravi,

It´s a neuro-association thing,
for as the most of the conditioned bundles of reflexes, have ´programmed´ themself into,
(or was it the high blood sugar level?, they pump
with passion into the bloodstream of themselfs?
or their kids?)

Or was it a spiritual thing? for one could see what the state of ´awareness´ of one is, for the source of pleasure they find themselfs to be ´amusing´?

Anyway,
The law of Giving and Karma is my ´legal´ ´prescription´ on that one,

Love,

Let´s talk about ..love, magic, ecstasy, Ravi,

and an applepie on Christmas Eve,

the rest are...mechanics! details! ;)

and woman...man..,
never mind, it´s all for a good laugh,
(for as you can´t laugh at your..´past conditioning..;)

But I do have a serious question, though,
For all the people who take themselfs seriously,

Where does humor come to life? in wich layer?

Love, peace and a smile ;)

because, let´s face facts, it must be of ´divine´
origine, there is nothing as ´instantly healing´
as a good laugh, endorfines, serotonine and what whatever else is made in the cocktail of god,

I have never read anything on this subject in a spiritual context, (only between the lines...;)

Love,

Marek asks:

"Where does humor come to life? in wich layer?"

Humor manifests in level 2 as an involuntary response to conscoiusness (Spirit) observing something unexpected that is not triggering a negative level 5 emotional response.

Ravi. . .

WOW!

RAVI
Hard to comprehend what you are saying. You are a great thinker. Does any one see any practical application?
Morris

Ravi Aparukai,
Thank you Ravi .Aurora did do a fine job did she not.!
So,speaking hypothethically lets say you are a modern day slave,or a hard worker but in a foreign country brought there by the government of that country to perform your task but everyone around you hate that fact and constantly hurt you, disparage your work, refuse to show you respect, spread lies, about you, and insight rebellion against, you undermine you ,steal or disappear your work tools, design inhumane schedules for you, set traps to undo you.Isolate you.Deride your accent in speaking,or dressing ,deride your value for simple living and so on and so forth...
You are saying that consciousness will do what in such a situation?
I ask all this because it seems to me that this plane of existence which we yearn for should help us all to survive lifes' hardships without the pain. It should help us know that our cruel brothers and sisters who still need to inflict pain on others are evolving and to make us impervious to their intentions.Otherwise what is the use of consciousness?
As for me I find that as far along that path to consciousness that I believe I am moving the world still can wound me painfully.I would like to be impervious to that wounding .
Eldora

I am very grateful to Deepak for the path he has started me on through his writings. Creating Affluence, Seven Steps to Spiritual Success, and Book of Secrets have all proved to be priceless to me. My enthusiasm for these teachings has lead me to other authors such as Pema Chodron and Thich Nhat Hanh. I believe my life has taken a much better turn for myself and others close to me since my awareness has expanded. I am so blessed, so grateful for this opportunity to become enlightened.

That being said.

I would like to suggest that the ”Consciousness Backlash’’ that Deepak wrote about won’t be cured by a great swell of awakening from the loud ‘voice of fear’, but that it will be caused from something yet unknown or unseen, and it will have no political affiliation, and it might not be all that dramatic.

I also believe the opponents of consciousness are also not limited to one political affiliation, and that resistance to change knows no race, gender or class.

Dear Eldora,

Tomorrow morning, when you step out into your day, take a look at the people around you. All of them are Consciousness walking around in different bodies, even you, looking at them, are Consciousness looking back at Yourself.

The problem is, there is also your software and their software. Your beliefs and assumptions. This software interprets the world to each of you in such a way, that Consciousness thinks One is all these distinct different people.

And according to the kind of software each of them has, some of them will be mean and nasty toward you, some will be kind and helpfult toward you, and some other won't care either way.

So whenever people are unkind or nasty to you, you can know that they have no real choice, their software makes them that way.

Once you understand that every human being is Consciousness looking out through different windows, with each window filtered with different software, you will tend to feel more compassion for the ones who are rude and unkind to you.

This is because you understand that their software is so defective that they don't even know what it is like to be open and kind toward others.

When you ask what is the use of Consciousness, ask yourself also, what is the use of asking this. After all, you are here in this blog to discover new things.

When you know that you are Consciousness, and everyone else is also Consciousness, and that all of us have a distorted understanding of Ourself and the world, because of the defective software with which we interpret what we experience, we can at least begin to take a good hard look at one's own software and the way it interprets what is going on.

When we do that, we find ourselves correcting somd of that software, and as we do, we remove some of the defects in the software, and as we do that, we reduce some of the distortions in our interpretations of our experiences.

As long as this is possible, and we begin the process of making our software less defective, we can be sure that at least we can gradually interpret our experience more accurately than before, and this itself is a great grace.

And as time goes on, and you become a practiced expert at making your own interpretations more accurate, you will find yourself helping others, likewise to reduce the distortions of their interpretations of their experience.

And then you will look back to the time before you began to focus on and reduce the defects in your software, and at the way things were when you were merely complaining about all the bad things that were happening to you, and breathe a sigh of great relief that you evolved from a victim of your life, to a transformer of your life.

Ravi,
I very much enjoyed your model of reality, and like the description of the koshas that Deepak discusses in one of his blogs, such models are necessary for the mind to be able to function properly and be the tool of conscious creation it is meant to be.

Eldora,
I love your questions. For me, all this spiritual quest has no meaning if it doesn’t result in a better understanding of what life is really about and if it doesn’t give us the skill to live it fully. Let’s look at your questions together.

You ask how do we “ live our lives in the face of such ever present human planes of existence as hate, racism ,bigotry ,cruelty and greed,disrepect closed minds and dishonesty.As we all move toward this higher ground how do we deal with these issues in our workplace families communities.After all as we evolve toward this state we still have to eat, work ,pay our bills and take care of our families.”

The plane of existence you describe is as real as any other, and when we move to another level of consciousness, we do not reject the previous one(s). The truth is that when you have transcended the level of hate, racism, bigotry and so on, you still have the capacity to express them, but choose not to, just because you have discovered another way of relating to life.

When you then meet people who still handle life from that level, you do not need to judge them and be in conflict with them, you do not need to see them as an opponent or a threat, because they are coming from a place that you yourself have experienced, too. Those of us who say “I could never be a hateful, greedy liar” are not being honest with themselves. Imagine a mother who doesn’t need to judge her child for holding the spoon in a way that makes the soup land on the floor, clothes and walls… she has been there herself, and she is simply looking at a stage in her child’s development towards greater skill.

So, how to best deal with this level is to include it, to recognize that all those “terrible” traits and behaviours are something we ourselves have done or are capable of doing, but chose not to, because we have discovered a better way. The better way is exactly this: of not judging what others do, but understand it and accept it as a level of human expression that we share. The moment when you have mastered this skill, you cease being in conflict with “racism, hate, cruelty, etc” and the magical effect of it is that such expressions cease to provoke pain in you. You no longer hate the “haters”, you no longer discriminate the “racists”, you no longer disrespect the “closed minds”… you no longer have to act on that level of response to life.

So when you ask “Does this consciousness state render us impervious to the pain of human cruelty?And if so how does it do that ?” my answer is that the pain of human cruelty can only stop when I myself have ceased to choose cruelty and thus don’t need to project it “out there”. Cruelty is simply an immature response to life, an unskilful way of behaviour that can be transcended. This is only possible by turning our attention inwards, to the source of cruelty, and not by chasing and judging the images we project out there.

It can be scary for us to look inside and accept that we ourselves are the creators of the cruelty we see, but taking responsibility doesn’t have to mean placing blame. We are responsible, and if we go beyond our old habit of judging ourselves, we have found the next level. Responsibility then doesn’t mean guilt, but power to change.

I hope this helps.

Ravi, I loved your post :)

Aurora: Where, or what materials (outer teachings), did you study to become soooo.....well-versed about the "inward journey" that leads to outer changes which reflect that "inner journey" has indeed been "real?"

It is clear to almost everyone on this blog, or so it seems, that you have genuinely demonstrated that results are real and attainable for one who truly turns inward!

Just curious! Besides Deepak, who/what other teachers/teachings have you found to be most valuable to your inner/outer growth? Dave

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Marek asks:

"Where does humor come to life? in wich layer?"

Humor manifests in level 2 as an involuntary response to conscoiusness (Spirit) observing something unexpected that is not triggering a negative level 5 emotional response.

Posted by: Ravi Arapurakal at September 17, 2005 05:45 PM"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A stupid question & a stupid answer!!!

I am in my stupid mood again.

"GOD give us life on one condition:-

Enjoy IT. No more & no less.

And humour is part of IT."----------------------------------------------Tyan---------------------

Get IT? FOOL?

Marek: It would seem that I completely misrepresented the points I was trying to make about my understanding of "inalienable and unalienable rights."

My apologies for doing so--it was meant to be an understanding of just how deep and broad our individual rights are as endowed to each of us by our creative (creator) force.

Thanks for pointing out that I missed my target so completely. I recall that the Druids taught yong Jeshua (Jesus) that "sin" was an archery term that means "to miss the mark (or Marek!)."

Clearly I have done so then as it the comment about rights was not meant to favor the U.S.'s current president as standing up for anyone's Constitutional rights--not in the U.S. or abroad. Dave

Larry King always posted the most intelligent questions to the most intelligent:-

"why the tsunami?

why the hurricane?

why GOD?

why all the religions?

why I will die one day & I still have this young & beautiful wife & this young & beautiful son on earth?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????"

All the wise guys were dumb founded.

And they usually gave long & tedious & stupid explanations.

A dumb answer:

"GOD give us life & free will & humour. Whatever happens after that is up to me & you.

Keep IT simple. Stupid.

Feel good! (with all your senses)

Enjoy! (with all your thoughts & memories)

Have fun! (with your mental & intellectual capacities, specifically your intelligence & STUPIDITY)

Be happy! (with your soul)

And be grateful to GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Does the statement, "You have to be careful who you heal, because you never know who you're putting back on the street." have any merit?!?
Is it anything other than fear-mongering nonsense?!?

Hi Dave, there really isn't such thing as an outer teaching, teacher or world, but I know what you mean. For me, it has been a combination of Ayurveda (David Frawley, Vasant Lad, etc) and Toltec teachings (Carlos Castaneda, Miguel Ruiz, etc) and always, Deepak Chopra. In a way, Ayurveda has mainly been about the mind- body connection, the Toltecs about the nature of mind and emotions and Deepak about soul and spirit.

In the Far East when one dies, he checks in with BUDDHA.

In the Middle East, he checks in with Allah.

In the West, he checks in with St. Peters, who represents Jesus in Heaven.

Tyan died. St. Peters greeted her at the Gate.

St. Peters checked his computer & before he said anything,

Tyan, "I know I am not supposed to be here yet, but I am lonely!"

"ME too!!"

"What happen to all those military muslims & evangelicals & all the missing kids in America?
I thought that will keep you busy?"

"GOD just create aomething for all those happenings started by bush. HE create this HEAVEN THREE, where all military muslims & all evangelicals & all the missing kids are put together.

And wait to see what they will do to each other!!!"

"My guess:-

The kids will kill all the military muslims & all the evangelicals, & start killing one & each other."

St. Peters was so angry at Tyan's thoughts that he sent Tyan back to earth & told her he doesn't want to see her for a while!!

Well,
Love, people,
and for the critics: sue me!

anyway, humor, right (?), hypocrisy,
that´s what we were talking about right,

for if you can´t detach yourself, as in humor,
arn´t you not very likely to be a victim of hypocrisy?

And, on that note, I gotta go, Polish church,
I overslept the serman, never mind, the applepie is afterwards, I´d rather give the serman myself, for that matter, spamm you later,

Love, peace, Passion and Polish Applepie!

Because...there no pie...
Like Polish Applepie! ;)

(though the turkish honey..
is sweet too..;)

Love,

Aurora: Thought you'd like ths one from "Ramtha, The Enlightened One": When you want to "see" something--open your eyes. When you want to "know" something, close your eyes!

I guess that was my point about delineating the world into "inner and outer."

When you get to that point where it is "all perceived as an extension of you," then of course there is no more separation with anything; either in the horizontal/linear dimension, and most certainly the vertical axis of interdimensional awareness has been opened to awareness.

Is that something of an understanding of what you are saying--and don't go moving your "assemblage point" around when I'm speaking to you Missy!!!

Couldn't help teasing you as you always bring that "incredible lightness of being" and playfulness that is the hallmark of true spiritual awareness--especially when we are in the middle of crucifying ourselves and/or wallowing in the agonies of any of the "dark nights of the soul!"

Give yourself a big hug from me--and hugs anonymously to your Oscar and Ella (sp. correct?)--your husband will most likely prefer just a hug from you--but the thought is to "you and yours!"

Is your husband as spiritually-minded as you? I have a hard time imagining he wouldn't be. Dave

Thank you Aurora.You are a teacher- gentle and patient.

Thank you Ravi.remember I wrote hypothetically.
Eldora

eldora,
Sorry, for not responding to you earlier. I missed the question that you addressed to me while going through the posts. But I see that Aurora and Ravi did a good job of answering your questions. Since this blog is already too long, I tend not to write any further.
I would just say that you are asking all the right questions. They are FUNDAMENTAL and were asked and answered extensively across the ancient Indian philosophical literature. As Ravi said, we need a separate blog to discuss the answers.

David, I promise, I'm not moving :D:D Yes, dark nights are my speciality, and I do know a good agony when I see one :D:P Thanks for the hug, that's so sweet of you, there's a hug coming back to you right now. Not only my husband, but also Ella and Oscar have a smile and a wink in their eyes :) I'll tell them you said hi. And thanks for the Ramtha quote.

You're so welcome, Eldora. Thank you :)

Aurora...Eldora...Ravi.......Thank you!

Marek asks:

"Where does humor come to life? in wich layer?"

1. Humor manifests in level 2,
2. as an involuntary response,
3. to conscoiusness (Spirit),
4. observing something unexpected,
5. that is not triggering a negative level 5 emotional response.

you´re good, Ravi!, I take my cap off ;)

Love, passion,

Dr. Chopra you are an inspiration. Thank you for suggesting starting our own Peace cell. What just a few of us started just weeks ago, went quickly to hundreds of participants and now thousands join in and to listen and exercise our conscience intent. Thanks for letting us join this revolution. Check us out:
http://www.podcastforpeace.com
http://drivingsocrates.com/author/podcastforpeace

Ramtha said:

"When you get to that point where it is "all perceived as an extension of you," then of course there is no more separation with anything; either in the horizontal/linear dimension, and most certainly the vertical axis of interdimensional awareness has been opened to awareness"

There remains however the conceptual information infrastructure, or the quality of the facts stored in the ONE, and the quality of the transfer of facts across all the co-extensions that comprise the one.

This infrastructure remains contaminated, and is the ONE's greatest single challenge.

The loss of integrity in the processes of generating facts, the integrating of facts into inferences, and the transfering of facts across co-extensions currently isolate and misdirect millions of the ONE's co-extensions into destructive and dysfunctional behavior, within both the ONE's human dimension, and against ONE's nature dimension.

This violence from some co-extensions of the ONE upon other co-extensions, and against the ONE's larger intermediate body of the Earth has now reached a point that threatens the annihilations of ALL the ONE's human aco-extensions.

Hence the ONE's age old objective of liberating individual co-extensions into integration with it can no longer be the ONE's prime purpose. This effort has been in place in a variety of modes, and has as yet failed to integrate the majority of the 'lost' co-extensions to the ONE.

As these 'lost' co-extensions are now in a position to destroy the biosphere so necessary for the continued existence of the co-extensions on Earth, it is now the ONE's primary purpose to clean up the entire conceptual/information infrastructure with which the ONE's intelligence awakens in ONE's co-extensions and makes them functions as ONE with the ONE.

just call it maya, and expansion of joy and hapiness, with everyone you meet, Spiritual Laws, love, sharing,

And ...a dance..offcourse..;)
with some music..

Love, peace, passion,

Morris says: Hard to comprehend what you are saying. Does any one see any practical application?

Yes. One application.

Let’s get governments all over the world to include an additional Amendment to their Constitutions, acknowledging that human beings basic right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness are being compromised by the invasion of conceptual programming involved in the ‘upbringing’ process during the early years of every human being, and that Government makes it public policy to provide through public education, the knowledge and skills involved in enabling human beings themselves to focus upon, review, evaluate and edit their preexisting programming, so as to reduce the widespread capability of this programming to reduce individual freedom and the pursuit of happinenss.

Let the leadership of the Consciousness Movements the world over organize, both to bring about such a Constitutional Amendment, and to enable public education to deliver content and skills that enable students to decide about and master the conceptual content that drive their interpretations, their aspirations, and their actions.

I´m down with the plan, Ravi,

don´t see it happening in my incarnation though..., social hypnoses..man..;)

but it all has to start with a mission statement,

(and I´ll be working on the financial independence plan in the meanwhile, to make my little ´party´ happening..;)

Love, Dharma, 7 spiritual laws for parents,

Mieke and Eldora,
Sorry I am just getting a chance to thank you both wholeheartedly for your very kind words. Just wanted to express my gratitiude to both of you for taking the time to write such encouraging words.

Hi dulcie,
Reading your note just now, my heart leaped. The story of one lost, and then found again came to me. Not that you were lost! :)

I hope you will keep coming back here to write and share.

Love,
~~ K

Dear Deepak,
I think being tired of the status quo is apt. I have always thought America needs a statesman, a dignified person to assume leadership, not a run of the mill politician. In this regard I am happy to see the rise of Baruch Obama. He is wonderful to watch and hear.

You are very welcome Dulcie and thank you for staying :)

Marek, if you want to read a good book with a lot of humor about the position of the man in to-day´s society, read Larry´s party written by Carol Shields. You can also lend it in the Dutch language in the Library. I just read it and it is quite a labyrinth in itself :)

Syamala
Thank you Syamala.I will explore the literature and further educate myself on these ideas.It has occurred to me that Jesus , Ghandhi,Martin Luther King,Joan of Arc good and "conscious" as they were also sufferred the cruelest of deaths for all their goodness and kindness;sufferred betrayal and hurts just like that of which I wrote.So it is clear that the traits and characterand levels of consciousness these great people had did not exempt them from pain and suffering.
So consciousness does not it seems help us to avoid whats predestined?Or is there such a thing as predestination and how does predestination fit with consciousness if at all?
Like I said I will explore the literature.Thus far mine has been mostly western sources.I will addresss this shortcoming .

Eldora

Aurora
You are welcome.Your explanations have thrown significant light on the subject matter.I am grateful you took the time.

Dulcie,
You are welcome.Hope this means you will continue to share your ideas with us.
Eldora

To Mieke,

Well, I´ve read all the John Gray books,
and still don´t understand, the weird, but o, so lovely creatures..;)

woman..,

Why can´t a guy just...sue? (like in: hit on the head and drag to his cave, like in the good ol´ days? ;)
emancipation..

Love,
If I may quote a dear friend of mine,
(who got it from a ex-girlfriend,
who was way younger,
but that´s beside the point,
nevermind,
this girl had some insight and wisdom!
when she said:

´JP, you realy shouldn´t try to understand woman,
because, frankly, we don´t even understand ourselfs´
.
end of quote.
what a woman..what a wisdom...

Love, peace, passion and a smile

like in:

me man, you woman,
mi casa est tu casa,

now ´download´ some Deepak in your ´mainframe´,
and get this party started!

end of discussion.

weird it doesn´t work that way...;)

well, there´s always ..yes, the home-made applepie from ...Poland!

Love,

Hello Everyone, I would like to add my thanks to those already expressed here to Aurora, Ravi and of course Dr. Chopra. I only started coming here in July and already I have learned so much from all of you and others as well.
Aurora you said "So, how to best deal with this level is to include it, to recognize that all those “terrible” traits and behaviours are something we ourselves have done or are capable of doing, but chose not to, because we have discovered a better way. The better way is exactly this: of not judging what others do, but understand it and accept it as a level of human expression that we share. The moment when you have mastered this skill, you cease being in conflict with “racism, hate, cruelty, etc” and the magical effect of it is that such expressions cease to provoke pain in you."
I know I must be misunderstanding what you are saying here and I need some further clarification. When I read this I hear that if I see someone beating a dog (to use an example of cruelty)I am supposed to look at it and say "oh that is just a phase they are going through and they will grow out of it, I did" and walk away from the situation. How do I deal with the dog's suffering and how do I show that person that it is wrong to beat the dog. I understand what you are saying and that in past lives I went through the cruelty to animals stage and it is a particular issue with me in this life. I find it very hard not to judge and even hate someone who would be cruel and uncaring to defenceless creatures such as animals and children. For the most part, thanks to people like Dr. Chopra and others, I have learned to have understanding and compassion for someone who is cruel to me personally but it all falls apart in a situation like I mentioned above. I would appreciate any insights you or anyone else who is reading this can offer.

Peace, Harmony, Laughter and Love
Faye

Faye,

In the case of beating the Dog, if you feel inspired, and hopefully you are, yell at them, chase them with a stick, throw stones, spray them with water, or if you want to take the non-violent approach take off your clothes and jump around like a crazy person, this will distract them and will shock there mind and disrupt their thought and emotional process.

You might try to get them to see how it would feel to be in the dogs position.

You could also blurt out we are all the same creature looking from different points of view. That is sure to disrupt their program execution.

Well just some thoughts, but to deny the dog your aid would be to deny yourself. To not confront the beater would also be to deny yourself.

To do nothing would be detrimental to all three.

To do something would benefit all three.

LOLOLOL...Richard... you're great fun!!!
Thanks for your post, great way to start a day...

Faye, hi!
I can only add one thing to Richard's post. It is about your inner attitude regarding the person who is beating the dog. Do you see this person as a monster who deserves the same treatment he is giving the dog? Then... you're just like him. He has his "reasons" to treat the dog the way he does, and you have your "reasons" to have the same attitude towards another human being. You haven't been cruel in past lives, you are being cruel right now. Your inner attitude of disgust, judgment and blame are an expression of cruelty against yourself, against another expression of the consciousness that you are.

But if you have discovered another way of handling life, you will understand and know deep down that you are just as capable of cruelty as the man beating the dog (maybe you can/have expressed it in other ways, but it was still cruelty) and that you don't have to make that person a monster just because he hasn't found a better way. That dog-beater is still a human being, with a system of beliefs that makes him sure that he is doing the right thing.

So, what do you do? You do just what Richard has suggested and anything else you can think of, to help the dog and stop the beating... but you don't do it against a monster who deserves to die, but to help another human being, who hasn't grown up yet. The difference is huge.

Eldora,
Your questions show that you have understood the Eastern philosophical point of view better than most of us from the East. When you go through either eastern or western sources please continue to share your thoughts and questions with us.
About suffering in life: yes there is no such thing as elimination of suffering from this life because world does not exist without there being opposites. It presents pleasure and pain in all possible combinations. The difference between Jesus, Gandhi, or KIng and us is the way they responded to it with absolutely no reaction. Jesus's only response was "Forgive them because they know not what they are doing".
This is how I would explain it: Jesus was able to forgive because he did not identify himself with the body that people saw as Jesus, instead, he identified himself with the real, undestroyable, blissful Self. So, he detached himself as it were, from the pain of the torture. By being conscious of his real Self, he could identify himself with everybody and everything in the unverse and was compassionate of those who tortured him because he knew they still identified themselves with their physical bodies and therefore suffer from the punishment that they deserved. Christians say by allowing himself to be crucified Jesus took upon himself all our sins. I agree with that explanation but would add that he had the ability to do so because of being "conscious" of the Self.

Some time ago, I asked a Swami the following question: if we cannot escape the consequences of our actions and have to suffer whatever is destined for us, why are we advised to pray? What is prayer's purpose if God is not going to intefere and relieve us from our suffering? He answered: Prayer is also an action with a consequence, so like a medicine tries to fight a disease, prayer fights past bad Karma with already destined consequences. The other thing about prayer is: since it is appealing to that Conciousness which is nothing but Love and Compassion, Conciousness may in fact, intervene and change destiny. However, there is no guarentee Consciousness does it because It has free will and only It knows whether to change the destiny or not.

Syamala: Very much liked your last post! You've touched on the notion of "Grace," most specifically by your inclusion of the Swami's directives about prayer.

In the last 10-12 years or so, I've learned that there are different levels of prayer, much like the different levels of mind we operate from.

In essence then, we are "always praying" by virtue of the fact that a prayer is a specific thought that is being inserted into the projector that shines out on the screen--all being different components of our individual minds.

Let's say the "movie-goer" in the audience, and/or the projectionist are aspects of the "Observer" qualities--that one helps me!!--and our earthly selves (personality selves) are the images we see ourselves to be on the screen-of-life.

That may be why JC, and so many others, taught/teach to be careful about what thoughts we are consciously, or unwittingly, allowing through the "projectors" of our minds.

but yeah, Syamala--just wanted to comment on the freedom-oriented position the Swami gave--it "feels" very accurate! Thanks--Dave

Once again, thank you Aurora...and Faye for raising this question. Perfect timing here, only not a hypothetical situation with a dog, but my new neighbor did that to his partner last night, I heard it through my bedroom wall, they took him away in handcuffs, she left, but he'll be back. I am so upset, angry, sad, fearful, I don't want to live next door to this monster. This is a true test of my understanding of consciousness isn't it, the level that I think I have attained. Thanks again for helping me to see things more clearly.