work is a pretty misunderstood concept.

especially hard work.

How is it that we develop without it?

It appears, at times, in credit and debt society, that we expect something for nothing.

what will comes out of an effort should be a direct reflection of what goes in.

and there's really no fooling anyone, in the end, of our ultimate work.

hard work is never easy.

Very, very challenging, taxing, and difficult.

but...the rewards are manifold in relation to the input.

sort of a truism.  PART of an objective reality we all share.

Not the full scope and understanding.  This is not possible.  that is not possible.

and this is why we struggle so with the concept of 'objective' truth and the denial and deconstruction of our bits and pieces of the larger puzzle.

note to self to follow through on this idea

life is full of subtlety.  if we are not open and aware, or listening, we miss all sorts of this subtle energy.  it is a grand communication for those with ears.  I suppose, we ought to develop ears.

And, I suppose, we ought get our SELVES out of the way.

It's not MY heart, btw.

it's our heart.  Our collective heart. OUR collective soul.

and with the assistance of my mind, my heart grows.

do no harm is the mantra my mind always filters through

The two really are inseperable.  Again, oneness in action.  No division, but inseperability in spirit.

Anyhow, enjoying provokation.

Isn't this a harmless form of love?

I robot

hmm...

ok...

lots and lots and lots of help...

credit the universe and credit u

messages, short and sweet.

provocative and neat



short and sweet

echoing large and small

subtle and grossly transparent

to whom all they meet.

something very precious indeed.

what we make of it

for sure...

a gift

a curse

a figment of our imagination

but...

still...

a gift

the most precious of all

cheers, warm hugs, peace

we STILL, regardless of anything, always have time

the greatest gift of all

lets make the most of it

will be astounding, yet 'mundane'

subtle and, at first blush, confounding

certainly something worthy of wrestling with.

I do wish so...



I used to obsess about being understood

only to find that I must first understand you

while, simultaneously,

understanding me...


So....



rather than struggling mightly to be heard...

I struggle mightly to hear AND

to understand myself


just funny how things turn out

cosmic laughter

comedians in outer space

always seem to be the lightest though the true depth of waters are unfathomable

paradox: a grand measure of truth.  the unexpected opposite in truth



c u on the flip

side

I just keep picturing a 'worm or black 'hole' as the center of space, this apparent 'flat' space, dives into some unknown passageway.  Just a thought?  Based on a gravitational pull of the center?  And the center belowing out a 'cord' into the furthest reaches of space.  Really fascinating, nonetheless.  Space age, atomic punk.  How are we an imitation of this Kosmic plane?  If we are a function and benefactor of 'nature', how does that translate there?  Into deep space?  not sure I know what the hell I'm talking about.  Just an interesting thought.

Can we bridge thought and physics?

We do like to try!

what the bleep, huh?

we are constantly querying, wondering, and pontificating about the state of 'things'.  see,,, I am conscious of the subjective objectivity.  =)



how significant is this measure of the present state of 'things'


things are changing very, very rapidly without question

while, yes, of course,

remaining VERY much the same...

HOW do we proceed?

a very imperfect question in this query, this wondering, and this pontification of the state of things

and this is quite the crux issue for me

it's pretty complicated.  NOT simple!

Anyhow, enjoying this moment, nonetheless

Was discussing 'con' men and authority and trust with a class today and how things are basically a 'pitch' to sell something.  I think it was under the rubric of 'success'.  Students, and young people in general, measure success through benchmarks really.  Smaller goals to larger ones, like 'happiness'.  They don't really get that the material goals are just there in the attainment of the inner ones.  The OTHER success.

anyhow, there was a book written by a motivational speaker that I am using, and his ideas are parallel enough with mine to be able to use the authority of an 'author' to talk about what I like to talk about, which is inner success.  I brought up the topic of how do you really know someone is 'successful' then.  well..this is very difficult as we do have a hard time seperating inner from outer.  A nice car, house, wife, family, and status can just wreak of success to a young mind.  not knowing that though this may tell of inner success, that it very, very often is misleading.  The author's pitch was that success's destination WAS the journey.  A real cool guy (only cause he thinks so much like me! ;-)).  Anyway, in other words, a major mindset and paradigm shift away from 'destinations' and arriving into the now.  A difficult concept, but our kids get it.  It's just so hard to resist the pull of the predominant paradigm.  Kids are real smart, paradigms not always.

and high school really seems to miss these things.  one of the reasons I believe it is a turn off to the majority of kids.  they very instinctively, and even highly consciously know, in some cases, that true success is something very different.  Obviously, the role of schools themselves is a very important thing to consider.  What is its role and its function.  And, less any other method and transferance of such knowledge, save parents, family, and surrounding environment, where will they get that knowledge? hmm...through life and hard knocks.  Thats a stupid way to learn.  We all suffer the lumps of the hard knocks and that IS a part of life.  That's not stupid.  But...education can reduce the lumps and set us off on a better journey.  And that is smart.  how are we being prepared?  not so well, I'm afraid.  And...school itself is become less and less free for this sort of education.  Integral Institute, for example, comes along for many of us at later stages of life for those who have survived our 'education' pieced things together, and move beyond and repaired the damage of this training.  Clearly, it would be wiser to begin earlier.

How IS the assault on education going?  It IS being assaulted by politicians, but the focus unfortunately ends up making more rigid some of the inherent problems in that system itself.  It cannot survive.  The assault is not frontal, but it is occuring, nonetheless in the hearts and minds and souls of the true leadership.   that leadership, setting the new grooves for the future, continues to pound on the door that refuses to be opened.  but it will.

Anyhow, we as parents tend to perpetuate many of these wrongheaded approaches to the development of our children.  which is, the development of our future.  Trained by the paradigm of the distant past, we are missing golden opportunities to pass on our true wisdom.

hey YOU!

really fond of that greeting.  almost like just picking up in the middle of a conversation.

sooo many greetings.  what's up, Nameste (is a greeting too, right?), howdy, hi, hello, greetings, hi THERE, etc.

Then there's the farewells.  always been tricky for me, ESPECIALLY in person.  take care, warm hugs, PEACE (seems so cold and ordinary at times, yet SO important!), chau (thanks and don't bother checking the spelling!), nameste, of course, till the next time, talk to you later, later, catch u on the flip siiiiide, goodbye, etc.  WHY on earth do i stress so much!  I love to make em all personalized and in the moment.  OK, I got issues.

all caught up in expression and all.  the writer's dilemma?  Or...the overthinking virgo.  guilty!

It appears sometimes that it is the saying goodbye is the toughest one.  We certainly don't want anyone with the impression we aren't going to not get together.  And...if we don't, not because we don't care.  oh boy...

I measure truth through health.  This cannot always be seen right away, so we have to become very aware to measure and to monitor how our every day experiments in life are going.  Deep and regular awareness are necessary.

As far as then measuring health, that is another story.  Sort of like being in love though.  There's not much of a mistake when it happens

"On the fly" truth is a result of the accumulated health.

Mistakes DO and will happen, but it is the overall affect or impact that happens.  I sometimes feel we get hung up on proving singular truths.  While necessary, this is much harder than proving totalties.  And if a totality, say a person, appears very healthy, then this may be an overall embodiment of truth.

Experimental/logical
This is the chief success: transcending previous limitations and getting things on deeper and deeper levels.  Since accomplisment can be reworded as a success issue, that is how I measure success.  Superceding or transcendence, even if partial.  For example, I lived much of my life, until recently, with a mild bipolar cycle, never really clinically diagnosed, but a very clear an up and down mood disorder that seemed to be sort of 'hard coded' or hard wired.  I've now been clear of this for a few years now.  And I havn't even jinxed myself by bragging about it.

Put another way, growth.

Also...when I discover new ways and tidbits which allow me to accomplish more and more in broader and broader areas.  Sort of a meta success or meta lesson since it affects success in many areas, if not all.

So...my answer is now, when I learn deeper things about life which allow me to transcend previously limiting thoughts, beliefs, and conditions on a broad scale.  This relates to my accomplisments in the visual and experiencial and effectual, so it's therefore logically fundamental to my sense of success. 

Empowerment


Visual
when I can demonstrably sense deeper vision.  everything else is a consequence of how I see, perceive, and interpret the world.  So...as my eye changes, so does the world.  I think the question is getting to the heart of how we measure success, but put in a less clinical sense.  Perhaps to elicit a less clinical response.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, I've broken it down this way, so there you have it.

Experiencial
when I am in deeper harmonization with every thing and every one.

Effectual
When I see my children or students engaged in a lesson or activity that is activating and obviously stimulating.

Sincerity while in the search for truth




That's merely a goal though.  All sorts of other bugs get into the system to screw up the purity of that loftey intention.

In the end, I know i am faithful to many things I probably shouldn't be.  I don't believe i am MOST faithful to them, but they do compete mightly.  I am faitful to my ego.  Don't know why but it has my ear quite a bit.  I am faithful to authority.  Even though I have a super charged knee jerk reaction to it, I realize that those with influence are still a draw to me given their superficial power capacities over my life.  Then again, that's just my ego again, huh.

But...I try to take the straightest line: Sincerity while searching for truth.

it's not what I am and what I know relative to what others are and know, but what i know that gives life to my life that matters and defines 'me'. 

This is defineable and expressible only through an experience of 'me'.  Innate, absolute, inner and growing abundance. Life itself. 

A very fine replacement for the ego.

The time in between sleep and wakefullness.  Enough waking consciousness and enough letting go to make for a very interesting combination.  Just dozing and just waking something happens.

Law I

A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Law II

A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, accept where such orders would conflict with the first law

Law III

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law


I appreciate law I especially if I look at injury as ANY harm.  That includes emotional, of course.  And...as one goes through life and experiences life, one realizes just how difficult an injunction this is.  Just how DO we avoid harm? 

The second part of Law I is very cool, because it really means, I mean if we were robots, which are learning things, that this cannot be achieved by sitting on our hands.  because our very inaction is harmful.  NOT just for another person, but for the world as a whole.  People are suffering through our 'silent complicity'.  that is, of course, if you wish to truly extrapolate, like a computer, the fullest meaning of the first law.

the second law states that we are obedient to our friends.  That we are loyal and do as they wish.  However, of course, we must then calculate as to whether we are harming others.  So...out goes the window loyalty.  This is because our primary 'loyalty' is NOT to our 'friends', but to the first law.  The principal to 'do no harm'.

The third law is the self sacrificing one.  Save yourself unless it brings harm to others.  Again, the first law reigns.  Do no harm.  Of course, the second law is to obey humans, but, that one also refers to the first law. 


interesting how these are some of our loftiest ideals as human beings.

also fascinating how the issue of the ego is involved in here.  The focus i on others.  The concern for others.  The life mitigating hyper concern for survival solved in the reverence and concern for the goodness and well being of others.

Damn I wish I was a robot ;-)

Maybe the 'ghost in the machine' would visit and expand in me.

only beginning to get the power of this

also beginning to get the confusion of it.

logic is irrefuteable.

it is the conclusions we confuse for 'logic'.

so...in this manner, logic is ever changing, ever present, and ever REAL.

something of heated debate.

Our collective argument of such will lead to our advancement of its use.

lets not lose sight of this.

clearly, logic gets more and more complex.

so....

we must work together to expose it

Syllogisms, induction/deduction
the one that works with pieces, 'this and this, therefore that".  Simple and basic constructs.

Evaluative calculations
then there is the one that is based on more complex calculations.  heavy evaluations.  many perspectives and variables, conditions, etc.  Construction on a deeper level.  Picture logic is cool in that so much simply naturally emerges.  Sort of the benefit of the work of the first two levels.  The fruit.

Picture logic
World view logic (vision logic).  I'm pretty sure I grasp this now.  inferences and guidance from a picture that has developed from all the constructive work of the earlier forms of logic.  The first two forms are not defunct, just superceded by more poweful forms. Here because of a growing and growing base or foundation, things begin to emerge more and more naturally. Even what we don't know, and which is critical, emerges more and more.  vision logic is a logic which is the result of a larger emerging picture of a totality.  In other words, 'what is' as in what we have discovered about what is real, has been mapped to a great enough degree to approximate the terrain enough to be developable.  otherwise, it would eventually collapse.  if done well, the weaknesses can be addressed and the errors fixed.

the interesting thing about this last logic is that this is what so many get caught up with when they thing of logic.  Everyone HAS a picture logic cause it is the 'world view'.  This is generally known as the conventional world, common sense, etc.  VERY subconscious however and VERY largely biologically determined as well as societally determined.  And so when many balk at the use of the term logic or truth, I think that very often they are thinking of this what is being referred too.  The CONCLUSIONS and not the process.  of course, vision logic is a conclusion.  It is our amassed understanding.  How well this has been set up, well, that is another question.  Especially given that so FEW are actually consciously creating, but more often recipients of other world views.

maybe I don't know what i'm talking about.  maybe 'vison logic' is itself higher.  Doesn't matter, there's stuff happening on this end i wasn't taught in school and that i'm not hearing too much about anywhere.  So...I'll just throw it out there and bounce it off the collective experience ;-)



I know there are other logics, like fuzzy logic, etc.  haven't really looked into them yet.  I  just see the below as a sort of sequential development of logic.  Fuzzy logic, I'm guessing, is something based on probability and will fit in with evaluative calculations.

interesting question given I was just thinking specifically about 'connection' as so very, very important.  was just watching the bill w story, the founder of alcoholics anonymous and so really enjoying the beauty of the concept of brotherhood at this moment and inspired by the possibilities of something resembling an actual community some day.  The question then becomes, what's in the way?  And, well, that is the problem isn't it?  Connecting is so important, yet for whatever reason, we can't and we don't as well as we could

there really are a lot of reasons.  Most of which, I feel, has to do with me.  I seperate me from others.  My ego.  My sense of a seperate identity.  distractions, prejudices (judging), jealousy, you name it.  all the regular culprits.  i could also say delusion.  My deluded belief in seperateness born of ignorance.

anyhow, all sorts of work to do to fix that problem.  Making some progress, so all is generally well.  I do love and cherish the wonderful connections I do have.  Always striving for more and better ones though.  Even if it's just with the checkout person at the grocery store or the robot telemarketer ;-)

But it is me.  I am to blame.

I try to see who they are completely and love them for their brilliance and uniqueness and special talents as well as for their shortcomings and weaknesses. Both can be endearing. By knowing that person, i am more than likely to engage in a loving way and highlight just who they are in their uniqueness and respond to who they are. This requires a lot of listening, reading between the lines, NOT projecting my own nonsense onto them, etc. i like the idea of full attention and full listening. Something I don't always pull off real well, but i try. there's this dual sort of thing going on. our wheels get turning on different things you know. subtextual stuff. Not necessarily bad. Really cool stuff. but...I do get caught up in analysis and the fascination of the experience when face to face. That tends to enhance the listening though in many ways. This sort of 'sidebar' current. cool surprises are always good. thoughtful ones. goes with the knowing the person really well. having lots of energy and turning on like a light bulb when they're around is sort of a thing that just happens. nothing planned there. trying to always be original and creative. fighting for the relationship and remembering they're amazing qualities when we're down or the relationship is down. Not giving up. keeping them in my life and forgiving. i guess that's the unconditional part. Showing concern and compassion and being there when in pain. all sorts of stuff i guess

It seems that society is arranged in ways to where our natural talents go unheard, underutilized, and unknown.  That is if they have become known to we ourselves.  Making the problem even more frustrating, many of us are in occupations where those talents are not gaining their full expression.  Two huge issues there.  Others are not benefiting from our wealth and expertise and we ourselves are not given our fullest expression of our being.  one of those very, very big things for our hearts, minds, and souls.

This kind of gets into natural orders and natural hierarchies.  Unnatural hierarchies do NOT promote talent necessary or our skills necessarily, but privelege, nepotism, luck, or just someone looking to make some money or prestige in some area that is not their truest ability.  instead, we end up with so much latent and potential wealth sitting dormant, waiting for expression while others may benefit and WE become an integral part of the cosmic order, or dharma.  WE ourselves gain meaning and a sense of purpose, etc.  good stuff.

The 3 jewels of buddhism are sangha or community, dharma or a 'natural' law or order to the universe (there's more to it, but this simple definition works well enough here I think), and buddha mind.

Interestingly, I see a community as part OF dharma.  As part of a cosmic order as eluded to above.  Of a natural societal order or hierarchy.  If both our strengths and our weakness are clearly known by ourselves, and they are, of course, aligned with a cosmic order.

i've noticed in this particular community, Gaia, one where the members of this community have very real and specific strengths, that this sort of thing is being wonderfully exploited--just maybe not fully, still.  I was thinking of a few members here, and my weaknesses and how wonderful it was that I could go to them and query them as to things I want to know about.  Sometimes quite specific things.  But I feel I had a good idea of what there strengths were.  That i could assess this.  sometimes it's not so easy to determine and i wonder if this sort of thing is clearly spelled out by all members.  I'm pretty sure it's not.  maybe some are being modest.  And yes, of course, some of us will over emphasize our strengths.  BUT..they are still our strengths.

I DO wonder, though, if this sort of thing could be highlighted more in order to really expose the essence of a true community even more.  Where we and our TRUE 'job' is seen.  Our true worth.  Rather than the jobs where we work within a machine, not completely fulfilled, and underutilized.  Lots of waste.

anyhow, along with all the other things that go with this advanced community format here, I thought it would be cool to also see what each person sees as theirstrengths.  then, they are the community resource.  And we have a collection of these community resources and viola, a society.  I DO realize we are seeing some of this.  titles, etc.  But...we do change our titles and our titles may not really clearly illuminate for the members what WE believe our strengths are.  And...Yep, i get that strengths do get exposed.  just thought a more overt and clear and even explained sort of descriptor would be cool in a section.  Just an idea.  Always fascinated with how community can be enhanced while I'm working on myself.  The future is built with ideals.

Also very fascinated with community in general and how a great community of the future might work or look like.  And.l..given that these tie in so heavily with the buddhist concept of the 3 jewels as far as sort of a community enhanced being 'in tune' and in harmony with 'what is' covers 2 of two very, very big domains of being, existence, and growth.

"Collectively, you do not understand balance, harmony, and sustainability and are far from me".  It's saying it very, very loudly though while crying and laughing

It's always nice to see how the 'simple' people of the past had it right.  Like the native american.  At least some, maybe most, of these groups of indigenous people were tied to nature.  I'm not an expert on all the native american indigenous cultures

I have a theory that we of the modern world are moving away from biology with the use of our growing abstract capacities.  Our basic nature.  In a sense, I believe we are moving to an advanced nature with all sorts of hiccups along the way.  We HAD to break away from the basic genetic code which bound us to more simplistic ways of seeing the world tied to the instinctual habit of our genetic code.  With our abstract capacities, we can actually accelerate evolution through OUR creative abilities and alter our basic mode of being in our lifetime (especially for those who have become aware of this at post conventional levels of attainment).  We can imagine moving beyond basic 'instinctive' responses (and, with post conventional, even further, beyond the societal norm and into a truer harmonic parallel--dharma)

But...since it is becoming a 'logical' world and not a biologically led one, we also have the ability to veer into terrible directions. Double edged sword pandora's box. We thought nature was something to harness and use.  And this is true.   But not out of harmony.  We stopped paying attention to what she was saying.  She's been speaking to us quite loudly since the industrial revolution began and especially in the last 50 years.

We look so much to 'progress'.  Well, we've been brainwashed into believing 'progress' is a material thing.  We went in such a hurry, scurrying along without paying attention.  Maybe in a fear for survival (and NOT merely out of greed, as is most often said) as the european countries scrambled to gain access to raw materials and free slave labor and 'compete' for survival.  The era of exploitation began.  Let's hope we enter the era of sustainability very, very soon.  Or we could very possibly enter the era of mass die off.

for those who have not researched 'peak oil' you probably should.  I did a lot of research on this a couple years back and nothing has stopped this theory from becoming more solid.  The theory is, is that we are at or approaching the tipping point in oil production to where we will never produce more.  We have not run out, but we are running out.  To understand peak oil, you have to understand that less and less is produced.  So...with China and the world actually increasing demand, supply will FOREVER diminish.  At a rate of anywhere from 2 to 9 %.  The 2 percent decline is harsh enough.

Anyhow, there's all sorts of implications.  War over the last amounts of oil only one of them.  Few people are aware of just how much oil is used in products: carpet, plastic, pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmecueticals, rubber, etc.  NOT just for energy.

And...there is NO alternative or COMBINATION of alternatives ready to take its place on a mass scale.  Hydrogen is and has been bullshit since the beginning.  Ethanol is bullshit too, especially since it will take away from limited crop land normally used for food. 

Very few have a clue that modern society is a function of two discoveries.  The engine and oil.  Without oil there really isn't much else out there (unless some corporation out there has found something).  Oil's properties make it VERY unique.  Easily portable, extractable and therefore a very high energy in, energy out ratio.  The amount of oil used to get it out and ready to use vs its eventual output.  Nothing else has this potency.  Even nuclear, if done on a broad scale is limited because uranium (243, or something like that) is finite.

Since global warming is such an issue, I kind of hope we do start running out of oil.  The tipping point in global warming is not something we can afford to reach.

either way, I can't see any alternative to the conclusion that we are very, very quickly approaching a world wide catastrophe.

For those who agree, what do you believe we should do?  what are you doing personally?

If you disagree about any of this please comment too.  ONE of us should get our stories straight.   If you've heard differently than I have, that for example, at this stage in solar technology, we actually use just as much energy in the production of a solar panel as you will get out of it, then please help me.  Just trying to assemble facts and information.  Or if you have ANYthing that looks good on a mass scale.  All positives welcome. 

I think its time we really took a very adult look at this stuff and seriously work toward both seperation of fact and fiction, and when we find what we feel to be solid, then start assembling plans and getting active.

clyde

generally, in the ever deepening richness, mystery, and miracle of the deeper 'material' of life itself.  Beauty, to me, is an order in things--meaning or 'harmony' the result.  This I find attractive and evokotive.  Randomness creates no meaning, has no meaning and elicits little.  Sometimes, patterns emerge in 'randomness' and there i find beauty.  In the order, the symmetry, in the purer interrelationships to be found all throughout nature.  Especially in the nature found through universal abstract interrelationships.

This makes me think of similar positive evokations.  We have beauty.  We have wonder. We have humor.  Does beauty evoke love?  So that there is a natural connection between the sensing of order and love? (at least part of the 'love' equation?).  Humor comes from an unexpected juxtoposition in order.  isn't wonder the faint touching of order or the attempt at assembling or locating order? (btw, I find beauty in the search for meaning too)

Anyhow, I love musing on our very common, very basic underlying natures to understand, to connect, to relate them.  Those combinations appear to last so very, very long and add to the overall density and breadth of beauty that then comes in every moment that I am not in the way.  In that way, increasing the very order I mentioned in my response that I find so attractive and even breathtaking as it almost appears to be a part of the mind of a cosmic order.

I also find my children's giggles and smiles beautiful (just FYI).

I also find beauty in discovery.  I guess that's a 'suprise'.  And to me, in my mind, that is something 'new'.  And 'newness' or freshness is also beautiful.

Working this out further, beauty looks like something we experience from order and from freshness, or discovery in a broad and regular sense,  and in the search for freshness, and from the surface expressions of all that interactive interrelated abstraction in which a special or dear or pleasing meaning is experienced.  Order is more the stable part and freshness the discovery of something new.  progress.  being and becoming.

So...now that i feel I have a better grasp of what i feel beauty is, I could probably have a better answer toward the specifics.  And THAT is very beautiful. 

Our minds are such great catalysts to spirit

Can we really just dispense with the word 'authority' itself.  That may be a nice and easy way to begin dismanteling the forces of authority.  So that we collectively begin to fashion ourselves as better receivers and processors of information rather than relying on the world outside of ourselves.  Can we somehow poke so many holes in every institution that it looks like the swiss cheese that all institutions are?  So that we can begin to realize that it is we ourselves that must do the hard work of fashioning reality and that there are no sources outside of ourselves competent to translate reality for us perfectly and reliably?  Even worse, many who turn to others for guidance are the easiest prey as they have no discerning capacities.  Why dont' we teach that?  A perfect lesson.   How NOT to follow.  Disagree with me please i say to my students.  Find something, anything to disagree with!!!!  Challenge me.  Please!!  I will love you for it (ok, I love em anyway)

So that we learn this lesson well and so that we then wake up and question EVERY thing EVERY minute and develop that great discerning consciousess that actually learns how to think?

So that this thinking consciuosness produces and produces and produces new information all the time and then becomes alive with its new found power and new found authority and the ever emerging world flowing from the font of INNER growing capacity.

Sure when we are young, we needed trusted adults to guide us.  But even they have to be warned of how full of **** we adults can be too.  But...I feel the institutions themselves are doing a good enough job of destroying their own authority.  Through their narrowness, or through their greed, and through their ignorance.  The kids are picking up on this.

Anyhow, just felt like attacking authority this fine morning.  Right now, i can't think of a better target. (btw and fyi, I'm not saying all those in positions of authority are authoritarian, rigid, robotic, just that the vast majority are un 'enlightenend' 'despots' ruling by decree by fiat, or whim, or otherwise narrowly contrived nonsense--and even doneso with a dash of superiority to add insult to the original injury)

Ken Wilber, an enlightened author, has said, "we have no BLOODY idea how or why people develop".  And I hope I'm not misquoting or mischaracterizing his intention.  well...I can think of one very big way to help development.  Take off the freegin blinders we put on people which encapsulates them inside a hall of mirrors by multiple and conflicting authority figures who threaten them into submission or con them into the belief of their superiority by destroying the fascade of their authority.  DECONSTRUCT the idea of authority and authors.  At least in the society we have now which is NOT dharmic in anyway, but much more maya or adharmic.  At least give them the tools to see WHO is better to listen to and who is not. 

We have a case now, where out and out charletons are running the show.  THAT is a barrier to development and a lock on the conventional mind that restricts the birth of an actual mind and soul.

It's a wonderful refuge to have a universe.  an expanding one.  In times of strife, if this universe is strong, it is my refuge.

Community is a refuge.  A wonderful refuge.  But we also walk 'alone'.  alone in quotes because with our universe in tact, we are never alone, but stabaly situated inside of a safety net.  This is called "Buddha mind" or Buddha dharma, dharma, Tao, or 'natural' law.  the details aren't important cause I think I get the point.  Some would also call this God.  I'm not so sure though we must be 'touched' through the physical or immaterial senses when in need, through the trials and through the tribulations though to always be a part of it.  The touching of the spirit, mind, and soul is something we do ordinarily as a matter and expression of our expanding universe.

the refuge of what has been called, though it really needs no label, Buddha-Dharma, or dharma, is a refuge of our understanding.  Our understanding of the order beneath and among the chaos.  Maya.  Who casts her spell and draws us from our refuge.

The expanding universe is in proper conduct.   In living well. In seeking truth and living truth.  In good and loving speech.  In right action and right thought.  Though Buddhism itself doesn't lay claim to this territory.  It's always there for every seeker to find.

The refuge is in our understanding of maya.  So that when she approaches, we can withstand her approaches.  So that we are aware of the traps and ignorance and false 'gods', false 'temples' and false authorities.  When we are challenged with query, with logic, with reason, with insult, injury and intimidation, we stand in recognition and let it pass without severe reaction.  So that our refuge remains our sanctuary.  Always open to correction, with an open and humble mind and spirit, happily making those changes in the pursuit of I higher goal and a higher purpose, but no longer persuaded by maya to the degree enough to destroy our temple. 

The refuge is in the understanding of a process.  Not necessarily any one's in particular.  better a collected and integrated and synethicized one from all perspectives I believe.  From a fertile, active, sharp, and open mind and soul.  The method is the path.  The path that generates the universe.

The refuge is in the totality of all this.  Where a true meaning and comfort comes.   Where doubt is overshadowed by faith and the security of this meaning and order.  In being so firmly on this path, in the stream of the Tao, where the rate of expansion makes a promise to a future of unyielding mystery, wealth, comfort and meaning.  In other words, that life is truly bountiful and beautiful, all in all, despite the hiccups, the misunderstandings, the struggles the quarrels, and the loss.

I had a hiccup today and found refuge