A Question of Karma

Bloggish, Practices, Responses

Introduction

When I started this conversation I was in the process of trying to respond to an email. It wasn’t until the very end that it came together dovetailing nicely into EJ Gold’s blog from this morning (Spiritual Payoffs???).  Oh, this conversation also elucidated something that had not fully landed for me from a talk EJ gave years about “What the Heck is Karma Anyway” (that is the title I filed the talk under in my head, I have no clue what the actual title was. And, yes, I noticed the word ‘fully’ in the sentence. The fact that something was elucidated from the previously ‘not fully landed’ talk does not mean that it has ‘fully landed’ now. That’s a work in process.)

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God and Earth

Bloggish

A Question

Lately, I feel as if something is wrong. Wrong at a fundamental level.

When I look at the world, I see immense suffering—violence, loss, despair—and the usual explanations no longer make sense. Ideas like divine play, illusion, karma, or eventual liberation feel hollow when set against the scale of pain people endure every day.

Even the idea of God appearing in human form now seems limited. At times it feels as though even God is caught in the problem.

I keep wondering what enlightenment actually resolves. If one person awakens, billions still suffer. New lives enter the same cycle. Any private experience of bliss begins to feel wrong—almost selfish—while so many are crying out.

I have a good life, and even small difficulties affect me deeply. When I think of what others endure, I cannot reconcile that with claims of infinite mercy or power. If God is everywhere, then God is also present in all of this.

Meaning itself feels thin. The days repeat. The promise of liberation no longer inspires. I do not see an end to suffering, and I cannot understand why, if there is infinite compassion, this unnecessary drama continues. Continue reading →

Thoughts On a Question

Bloggish

The Question:

The following question was brought to my attention by an email correspondent. Following the question you’ll find my thoughts on the question that I’ve replied to said individual.

“One deep existential knot I’ve within myself is belief that the Universe/God/Goddess doesn’t care about us. It seems like that in lot of ways, that we’re here on our own. I believe that “God” is real but unlike Christians for example, I’m not convinced that “God” has compassion for me or has my back or anything like that.

Just curious what kind of thoughts you have on this.” Continue reading →

Found Tidbits

Bloggish

Introduction

These small bits of tid were found in various pocket notepads. These are things that I have jotted down during walks, broadcasts with EJ Gold, meetings, and other assorted moments.

Some of the bits of tid are quotes of something EJ said. Some are thoughts that bubbled up during some activity, and others are formulations of ideas rendered in a manner that hit a nail on the head at that particular moment.

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Struggling With Resistances

Bloggish

Introduction

Recently there was a question asked during a workshop.

“I think a lot of us struggle with two resistances:  1) resistance to wake up, feeling it might be unpredictable or unsafe,  2) we reach a point of terror because the astral light is imprinted with witches burnt, people put in clinics, etc.

Is there a trick to calm down the unconsciousness?”

Below are some of my comments related to this question. Continue reading →

The Witnessing Presence

A Conversation, Bloggish, Chat Bots

Introduction

I began a conversation with ChatGPT (nom de plume Vera da Muse) on the topic of The Witnessing Presence. I was hoping that given Vera’s more expansive vocabulary that certain nuances on the topic could be refined.

Somewhere along the way — actually very early in the conversation — it struck me that it would not be an impossible leap for AI to develop something like a witnessing module. And, I figured it might not be an impossibility for that to glitch into a Witnessing Presence through emergent behavior.

Below is that conversation with few if any edits.

But, first, I’ve included an introduction into what I am pointing to when using the phrase “Witnessing Presence”. Continue reading →